38 weeks and feeling very unwell

[acheybump]

Hi all,

I am hugely pregnant and feeling positively crap. I have called the out of hours doctor, who may or may not eventually call back, as it's a bank holiday, but I would really like to know what other MNetters think.

I am 38 weeks. I have had a cold for a while and got on with things: lots of coughing and snot, tiredness, and generally a drag, but it would not stop me from going about my business.

Since yesterday, I have been feeling exhausted and nauseous. If I have eaten and cough, I will throw up. I feel so exhausted that I took myself to bed yesterday at 8pm and I am still here. I feel dizzy, have no appetite whatsoever, and even though my bump is huge as ever, it is evident that I have lost weight in my face, legs and hips. Baby is moving ok.

I think one cause of this may be that I may have overdone it a bit this new years eve/day, as I was out all day shopping and running errands, to come back home and cook a 3 course meal. We only had a couple of friends over, but it still took some doing.

Yesterday I went to the park with a friend and my 2 year old DS and I had to come back home as I got incredibly dizzy and nauseous.

My fear is to be feeling this crap when labour is imminent. How will I manage to push a baby out when I'm feeling this crap?

If you have read so far, thanks! I look forward to any experiences/advice you may have.

bump?

I am 34 weeks pregnant, the days between Christmas and New Year I felt really ill, have been throwing up all through this pregnancy (this is my 3rd), had very bad cold, chest was starting to ache. Had very attractive hacks at the side of my mouth, and tongue ulcers, have lost weight etc. Got emergency appt with GP, apparently I have a virus!!!

To be honest I really feel I overdid it in the run-up to Christmas, 5 and 3 year old at home, nativity plays, shopping, playing Santa, was still working then!! Am now starting to feel a lot better, but still exhausted, not having to do the school run has helped. I would try and see doctor just to double check, hope you start to feel better.

Thanks for posting wigglesrock. What you describe is very similar to how I feel, including the mouth ulcers, breathlessness and cold sores.

I'm glad you are feeling better. :)

What did the GP say with regard to the baby? Will this affect her?

I have the same fear. I am 36+3 and have had every cold going. I have a recurring chest infection at the moment and finding it really difficult to breathe with weight of baby (who is measuring large and showing no signs of engaging, so space is really running out and he is right under my ribs). Keep waking up at night choking on acid reflux which is very scary with all the other symptoms. I have been told I've been overdoing it too but I am so bad at sitting still.

My DP keeps saying that if I am in a bad state when I go into labour that I will have to ask for a C section because my body is so exhausted from simply existing, he can't see how I can possibly undergo that kind of trauma to my system in this state, and I can see his point. It's my first baby so I really don't know what to expect. Although I don't think they will give me a C section in these circumstances! I want a natural birth but at the moment I am coughing to the point where it is making me physically drained. It's terrifying me. :(

I am sorry you are feeling this way too, you are closer to it all kicking off than me so I really hope you start to feel better soon. Perhaps you should make an emergency appointment with the doctor/midwife. I keep considering calling the midwives at the delivery suite when the difficulty breathing gets too much but I have thought better of it so far because I don't really think there's much they can suggest. Every time I have seen my doctor so far she has just looked at me sympathetically and said "just have to get on with it" in regards to the constant colds/chest infection.

Sorry, this message isn't very positive.

Well wishes your way.

No, GP who found the baby right away, much quicker than midwife!! (baby lying awkwardly!!) was very reassuring, baby is getting all it needs and leaving me what's left, which is nothing I have also found that baby's been moving a lot more over the past week.

I had seen a pharmamcist in Boots before I could get GP appt who felt that I could be Vit B deficient, but GP thought I was ok. Breathlessness can also be an indicator of low iron, my diet is crap because of the vomiting, can't have milk or anything.

Hi lottery, yes, it's pretty grim. Let's hope we both pick up before delivery! Look after yourself and keep warm and hydrated, and hopefully, you'll be able to have a great birth. I too don't fancy a cesarean, to be honest, specially as this is my second baby, and I also have a 2 year old to look after. Do you feel nauseous and with no appetite too? Have you lost weight?

I placed a call with the emergency doctor today, but haven't heard back yet. Let's see if he can enlighten me as to good ways to deal with the coughing, for example, and I'll let you all know. YOu are right, coughing all the time is utterly draining.

Good wishes to you too!

wiggles i was diagnosed with low iron at 28 weeks and have been taking pregaday supplement. It did make me feel a lot better for a time, so I would recommend it.

Coughing all the time is draining... and I keep wetting myself. I don't know if I have lost weight as I don't have any scales but I haven't much appetite, although I think this is more to do with the fact that there is no room for anything in my stomach it is so squished, rather than because of nausea. Chronic heartburn makes food completely unappealing anyway. :(

Good luck with the emergency doc!

yes, it goes both ways with me. I have a fit of coughing, then I either vomit or wet myself . My diaphragm is so tender that reflux becomes vomit at the earliest opportunity (sorry, TMI). I've been lying down all day, sleeping on and off and feeling horrid.

I really am fed up of feeling crap and have loads of laundry to do, dinner to cook and lego to play with my DS :(

This stage of pregnancy is attractive isn't it! Made all the more attractive by illness - it's like a competition between the bodily fluids to see which we can produce the most of!

Ignore the laundry. Play lego with DS, do dinner and get yourself an early night. Laundry can wait, rest can't. It is the only thing we can have to try and make us better!

Hi, I was ill in later pregnancy as well, when pg with DS2. I nearly begged the GP to admit me to hospital as I felt so ill and exhausted!

The best thing that happened for me was my mum coming to stay from wk 38 until DS2 was born (10 days past EDD). I am still grateful for her support during that time (DS2 will be 2 in a couple of months). May be there is someone who can help lighten the load so you can get a nap in the day and help with chores?

Take care and ignore the least essential chores and rest!

OP, do you have to do all these chores? Is there anyone else who can step in and help you out?

You should be staying in bed if you ask me - you sound exhausted.

Thanks for all your replies, ladies. My DP who has been an angel did all the chores and cooked dinner. I have been dozing on and off all day, and played with my DS before dinner. Emergency doctor called exactly half an hour ago (apparently they've been really pushed). He was very supportive, and said that if I can wait until morning the best thing is to get to my GP and have some blood tests done. He agrees that at this stage of pregnancy it is important that we recover our strength, and that they will support me in order to do so.

I hope he's right.

leo and "cointreauversial*, my parents and DP's parents live abroad, so help cannot be recruited at the drop of a hat. My parents are coming to the UK nearer to my due date (which is 18th of Jan) to look after DS while I'm in hospital. I guess I'll have to cross my legs and hope to get better in the meantime.

I hope everyone is feeling better tomorrow. I'm off to bed.

Glad you're going to the doctor's tomorrow, let us know the outcome. Hope you sleep well tonight.

Ok, so I made it to the GP's walk in clinic this morning and waited for hours. Doctor said there wasn't much he could do, as it seems to be a virus. "Rest and paracetamol", he said.

He also sent me for some blood tests just in case.

Oh well, I was hoping for something a bit more helpful, but there you go.

Oh I'm sorry to hear this acheybump. :( This is the same as when I went to the doctor's before Christmas, like you I was told it was a virus and that there was nothing I could take for it and just rest. As soon as I was feeling slightly better I started running around again, which is why I keep getting ill again I guess, so there is something in that advice to rest. Could your lovely DP take over the lion's share of the chores and childcare for now so that you can rest up in bed? I have done bugger all for the last couple of days at DP's insistence and am feeling a lot better. How does the baby seem to be doing? I went in today for monitoring for reduced movements but of course as soon as I was strapped up he started a little disco routine so I was told all was well and went home, but it was a relief. I am convinced that because I am feeling so rubbish it is having a bad effect on baby but clearly this is not the case - I hope your baby is still active and that you are getting the rest you need.

Do you think it's worth getting a second opinion? I would give it a day or two's good rest and then if nothing has improved perhaps consider going back to the doctor or even A&E.

Thanks, Lottery. I suppose it makes sense that it is a virus, and yes, DP is being a total gem and doing lots of work around the house, cooking etc. tomorrow DS goes back to nursery, so things will get easier.

I don't feel that much better today, to be honest, but I hope tomorrow things begin to lift. The baby has not stopped moving and being active, although I do worry about her when I'm coughing so much and being sick. I just hope we all get better so that they can do their fair share of fattening up before labour!

I think they enjoy the ride when we're coughing and being sick! Do feel better soon.