Am I being a complete baby?!

[roz1982]

I am 30 weeks preg with 1st baby and think compared to some people have been having quite a normal, non dramatic pregnancy, just as difficult and tiring as most people, pretty average!! But I am just finding work so hard to deal with. I've got about another six weeks and this just fills me with anxiety and dread as I am finding myself getting much heftier and much more worn out and sleep is getting difficult to come by due to restlessness being uncomfortable and generally feeling quite anxious. It's hard to explain how I feel about work but just very anxious about even being there and find it so hard to pretend I care at all!!! Do I just need to grit my teeth and get on with it???

I started to feel like this at around about the same time I ended up pushing back my mat leave so that I finished work at 35 weeks as I just felt knackered (even though like you I'd had a really normal pregnancy). Really glad I did that now as I made the most of those 5 weeks and did loads of things I can't really do now that my dd is here. Your not being a baby, it's hard work being pregnant

It really is isn't it!! I don't think it helps when people at work keep telling you how tired you seem. This makes it harder to ignore!! I think it's really difficult too as priorities are so different. Before pregnancy I took real pride in my job and was enthusiastic and ambitious and all that but now I just don't give a shit! And I am just so shattered. Was sat at a table today and my eyes just kept closing!!!

When you start to feel like that see if your allowed to pop off for an extra break. I had a really good team leader who used to let me sneak away for an extra 10 mins when I needed it. And make sure you don't do anything when you get home! Relax and eat cake

I'm very similar situation, fairly standard normal pregnancy so far. I'm 31+5 and was supposed to finish this week but a few weeks ago I stupidly kindly agreed to stay for an extra 2 weeks. Now I'm exhausted and i just want to be at home pottering around in my own time getting things sorted out there. Just taking it one day at a time and am no longer pushing myself to get things done at work, they'll either get done or be left.

I felt exactly like you at your stage too. Every day was an ordeal (for various reasons) and it felt like forever til my mat leave started. I considered starting mat leave earlier but decided to grin and bear it because I'd rather have more time with the baby at the other side. I started a 'countdown' spreadsheet so I could see how many days I had left to face which really helped.

I felt like it was really going to drag but actually it flew (helped I had a bit of holiday left to take, and my 'difficult' colleague also took her own holiday around that so I didn't have to deal with her).

Now at 36wks with 2 weeks left til mat leave I can honestly say I'm not looking forward to leaving as all my colleagues are all being lovely and I will miss the adult company, and the ease with which I can currently leave the house and be free to do my own thing. I'm never happy!

You're not being a baby at all. As it gets harder and harder to drag yourself around and to get a good night's sleep, work becomes a real nightmare. I found myself nearly in tears some mornings when I couldn't get out of bed because I felt so exhausted. I'm now nearly 36 weeks and got just four days left at work and I cannot wait! I never expected to feel that way because I like my job but absolutely everything is irritating me and the commute is killing me. It's just exhaustion and I think it's completely normal.

I'm curious to see whether I'll miss work...

I was lucky because it was very easy to skiive where I worked when I was pregnant with my first. I used to spend lots of time wandering around on fictional errands, and going to the canteen, and I arrived increasingly early and left increasingly late!

I also didn't give a toss about my work - I remember going to an important meeting where my sole contribution was on scanning the agenda I said 'oooh, Welsh cakes!'

I went on maternity leave at 33 weeks, but I knew then that I wouldn't go back after so I didn't care.

^^ Phlossie lol. I can somewhat identify!

I've kind of stopped giving a toss but I also manage to make a big thing about how I do e.g. I will do eff all all day but then lie awake fretting at night about how I haven't done anything and aren't ready!

Story of my life though.

I'm so glad you all feel same/similar!! Think I'm just gonna see how I get on. If I just get too knackered I'll finish sooner. Its pretty easy to skive at my work and there has never been a better reason to skive! My heart is at home at the moment and same here everything about lying awake at night worrying about what I haven't done but not giving enough of a shit and being too tired to actually do it!!

Just out of interest as well, when are you actually allowed to start maternity leave? Or is it up to you?

Just out of interest as well, when are you actually allowed to start maternity leave? Or is it up to you?

I think you can start leave up to 11 weeks before birth if you choose to but you loose a load of money. Do the bare minimum to get through the day and see if you can delegate tasks to others - it is ok to pull the pregnancy card. I was really lucky as school broke up when I was 31 weeks so just haven't gone back - feels strange though.

Yes I'm gonna try an stick it out til 35 weeks. I will I will I will!!

I am sooo glad that others feel like this!!! I too have reached the point where I just cannot be arsed with work and spend my day arranging and re-arranging things on my desk into order of priority. Everything is pretty much on the "AAAHHH!!! you should have done this yesterday!" pile. This, however, doesn't bother me until at night when I am trying to sleep. Then not only the inability to get comfy, the restless leg syndrome and the constant needing to get up to pee (ARGH!!!!) keep me awake but I am also fretting about getting work done. I had horrendous morning sickness until about 16 weeks. Apart from that I had a relatively 'easy' pregnancy - well I did single handedly redecorate house, continue to walk my 3 labs 3 times a day and having now sold house am packing (at 36+5) to move into my fiance's house from which we will be moving AGAIN at some point sigh. So I am totally exhausted and just can't wait to be on maternity leave - 2 weeks to go - when I will probably be unpacking and getting nursery ready.

Whenever I feel too stressed or de-motivated I just pop onto Mumsnet and read a few threads or articles and it totally cheers me up! We are having babies!!!! Life is going to be completely different. At the end of the day we are only one (pregnant) person and there is only so much we can do. I plan to do what I can and they will just have to lump it.

Good luck at toughing it out until 35 weeks roz. Totally agree with the others delegate and skive as much as possible! I'm off to re-arrange the files on my desk x

I felt really rubbish, down, too tired to do anything. I don't have a job so didn't have any kind of routine to help me through it. I kept telling DH that I needed more support but couldn't tell him why I was feeling this way or what he could do to support me better. I had my regular pregnancy check at the drs and discovered my iron levels were really low - 7. The relief itself made a BIG difference, and after 3 days on double iron supplements I felt much much better.