First trimester - how much exhaustion/tiredness is normal?

[cheeseandmushroomtoastie]

Hi, I haven't had my booking in appointment yet (next week) but am roughly eight weeks pregnant with dc2. I am feeling very very tired, to the point where I have just spent four hours on the sofa lying down and let ds nap for much longer than he should have. I really seem to be struggling this time around. As a result am drinking a lot more caffeine than I should.... I keep telling myself it will just last for the first trimester but should I actually be worried? Am going to try taking some ferroglobin to see if that helps. Any suggestions/tips/thoughts/sympathetic stories?!

On my first pregnancy my first trimester days went like this:

0745 Drag self out of bed, rush to get ready for work.

0830 - 1630 Work. Fall asleep at desk by 1400. Nice manager pretends not to notice and knocks very loudly before coming into my office.

1700 Get home and go to bed.

1930 DH wakes me up with meal. Eat.

2000 Go back to sleep.

SO glad that was DC1 and not DC2! I'd woken up a bit by the 2nd trimester.

Yep, that sums it up for first pregnancy. It's just so extreme! Can't move a single muscle

Caffeine stops effective iron absorption, so it's counterproductive to drink loads of caffeine AND take liquid iron. Thankfully I found myself less tired after around 14 weeks, it does get better usually! I just had really early nights and did as much as possible in the morning before feeling like death in the afternoon.

I literally could hardly move till about 13/14 weeks. Found that trying to fight the tiredness is worse. Better each day after that! (Not sure of that helps though!)

Having said that - been going to bed all week at 7 pm and am now 21 weeks

I have found today if i sit down, it's game over. If I carry on pottering around, I struggle manage to get some things done. Have just washed the breakfast and lunch dishes

january no, don't say that!

Did not help that it was really really hot this summer, when I was in my first trimester...find it helps if I keep myself cool, even by having ice water or smth...get a little burst of energy after

Pretty much everything is 'normal'. I'm not exhausted ... Yet, but last time I couldn't even get out of bed for the first 4 months!

No, really not that bad - considering I feel fully pre-pregnancy functional before the evenings!

I was EXHAUSTED. Then I had my scan and the sonographer cheerily said "no wonder... You've got two in there"

I am in 1st trimester too with dc4 and am shattered. I am currently bribing feeding dc3 with Friday tea time treats so that I can lay on the sofa in my tip of a house and post on MN but need to sleep as soon as the dc's are in bed tonight [i want a sleepy smiley!]

It better not be twins!

I'm 8 weeks too and fluctuate. If I have a slow day at work it's horrendous. If I'm busy, I cope better but then I'm more tired at night. I had a busy day Tuesday. I did struggle - I was going round various places and kept getting asked if I was ill! When I got home at 5.30 I crawled into bed and slept for two hours, had tea, showered and went back to bed!

Interestingly I'm not having any caffeinated drinks as they exacerbate my morning sickness I am having decaf tea but it's not the same!

Thank god for iggle-piggle is all I can say

Another shattered one here when expecting dd I actually fell asleep mid sentence once in first trimester . I can't say I remember bei g that tired with ds. This week I have been exhausted, had to have a 'sit down' after the school run (admittedly 30 min walk either way) and have been in bed just before 9pm.

In my defence I've had an eye op and due for another on mon and can only see out of my right eye at the moment which is also very short sighted so finding that really wearing.

I'm already thinking let dc fall asleep war hong DVD rather than story tonight so I can go to bed it's only 7pm and I'm only 9 weeks!!

Yep, exhausted up until about a week ago, am 16 weeks. Kept having to go to bed after work for a bit before dinner. Then was asleep by 9pm, sometimes much earlier!! I can't imagine what it's like to also have a toddler!!

Me too - Never had this with the other 3 DC.

I can't cope

I was so bloody tired in the first trimester I thought my iron levels must be rock bottom. I phoned the midwive to chase them and she said 'oh, they're really good'. I queried why I felt so awful in that case and she said that it was totally normal to get home from work and go to bed.

The NHS recommendation to restrict caffeine intake in pregnancy made it worse because I replaced caffeine with sugar as a way to try to perk up. My hips are now ginormous.

The exhaustion has just floored me. I had no idea that pregnancy did this to you either. I'm 13 weeks now and energy is starting to return but it has to be used judiciously. Mostly I need an afternoon nap and I prefer to be in bed by 9pm even if I am just online or reading. Late nights wipe me out for days. 8-10 weeks was particularly awful, I was literally falling asleep at my laptop or sitting down with a cup of tea and waking up two hours later. I am my own boss, I have no idea how I would have coped being in an office. I think everyone who does is bloomin' amazing.

My 1st pregnancy, I was tired but didn't notice so much coz I worked full time in a hotel so worked funny shifts. Now 6weeks with number 2 and am exhausted all the time, once dd is in bed by half 6/7 I'm in my pyjama falling asleep on the sofa. Struggling to get anything done at the moment.

I was so tired in first weeks of pregnancy was going to go and see my doctor- and then did a pg test so then mystery was solved. OP I guess the answer is ALOT is totally normal. Pregnancy makes us totally re-write our expectations of what we are able to do, what we need to do and just want to, what we are then capable of later- this is the first adjustment and is unlikely to be your last.

Try to eat and drink for energy rather than drinking lots of caffeine (although 1/ 2 coffees or 5 cups tea a day is supposed to be ok) - this means complex carbs, fruit, veg, plenty water and good fats , particularly at breakfast, it will help to wake you up and maintain through the day. Take power naps whenever you can and prioritise just to do what is really necessary when you get home- don't be a domestic goddess.

I do sympathise as have had my second 11 weeks ago and the second is very different than the first as you have the toddler running around. I found if i played a game with my little one it woke me up more than lolling on the sofa. Also if you can bear, try to do something like water aerobics- I did second but not first time and sure it gave me more energy HTH

Caffeine guidelines have been revised downwards, it's now only 2 cups of tea :(
I have one and that means I can still have loads of chocolate.

Lucozade sport is my friend today. Need to try something