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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

19 weeks pregnant & permanently exhausted. Is this normal?

11 replies

damnitchloe · 10/08/2013 18:46

I'm 19 weeks pregnant so well into my second trimester. I have one ds who is very nearly 2 & a wonderful dh who is doing nearly everything at home to look after me. I work 4 days a week which includes a 45min to 1 hr commute each way generally leaving home at 8:15ish & returning at 18:15 to do bath time & bedtime. Dh isn't usually home until later. My job is reasonably high pressure & I sometimes bring work home in the evenings or work longer hours but not too often recently.

I'm feeling a bit down because I just feel permanently exhausted. I expected this during my first trimester but was expecting to feel more normal by now. I really don't remember my first pregnancy being this bad. I'm mostly sleeping well, in bed by 10pm whenever I can but I feel so rubbish spending most of Saturday in bed & leaving dh to care for ds on his own & do washing, cooking etc (we're lucky enough to have a cleaner). I'm trying to eat lots of fruit & veg & keep hydrated. I was exercising (mostly running) until 12 weeks & wanted to keep going & fully intended to go for a run today but after spending morning with dh & ds have spent the rest of the day in bed.

Is this normal? As I said I really don't remember my first pregnancy being this bad (although obviously didn't have ds then so perhaps didn't feel so acutely leaving dh to do everything while I rested). Any tips as to how to increase energy levels or get through this? Currently have absolutely no idea how people get through a third pregnancy with 2 dc but know that lots do!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
TobyLerone · 10/08/2013 19:02

I hope it's normal because I'm the same. I don't even have a job or a small child to look after!

You deserve a medal.

quackojuliet · 10/08/2013 19:30

same here - i'm not working currently (school summer holidays) but can manage about 2-3 hours of being out of hte house / being social before i need to come home and lie down.

OrdinaryGirl · 10/08/2013 19:50

Hello damnitchloe - sorry to hear you're feeling down & exhausted......It sounds like you're making every effort to do all the right things (eating good stuff, resting, drinking water, exercising appropriately) so it must be super-frustrating to still feel so drained.

The only thing I can suggest is that you might be anaemic? If you're 20 weeks PG now and your DC is under 2, your body might not have replenished its iron stores before you became pregnant with your current baby. It might be worth getting tested, if you haven't already. It's worth bearing in mind that the reference ranges are wide, and everyone is different in terms of the iron levels they need to function well, so even if the doctor says your levels are okay, they might not be okay for you. Vaguely remember a study where healthy non-pregnant women with supposedly adequate iron levels were given iron supplementation, and after a month, most of them had experienced something like a 50% reduction in fatigue...and these are women without tiny personal lodgers stealing their nutrients!

I am 37 weeks pregnant with my first baby and I've taken Pregnacare all through, but I think what's made the difference in terms of keeping energy levels okay is Floradix, which is a liquid iron supplement that's gentle on the digestion but very easily absorbed...more so than normal tablet-type vitamins so I understand. (added to which, I've read on MN that the ones GPs prescribe do dire things to one's insides and are to be avoided if at all possible)

So Floradix is basically magic mouse serum. I've had good iron blood results from the get-go, and on the occasion I ran out of the stuff and forgot to get more, I really noticed tiredness kick in about a week after. It's safe to take with Pregnacare - I emailed the company to check...the only downside is that it is fiendishly expensive and only available from Holland and Barrett, not Boots (so no Advantage Card points...booo), though H&B do sometimes do Buy One Get One Half Price offers. I haven't tried Spatone sachets, but if you do look into iron supplementation it might be worth asking other MNers what experiences they've had with that.

Obviously your iron might be totally fine and this tiredness could be any number of other medical things (thyroid etc)...but it could also simply just be Life telling you to be gentle with yourself and not to try and be Wonder Woman whilst growing a human from scratch. Grin

I take my hat off to you for managing to be PG, go running, work 4 days, with a hefty commute and to keep all the plates spinning...all with a DC already... Smile

Very best of luck with your pregnancy.

damnitchloe · 20/08/2013 20:13

Ladies thank you so much for these messages which I really appreciate. I have started drinking orange juice with my pregnancy supplement in the mornings to give my body the best possibly chance of absorbing the iron. My Dh got up with Ds on Sat & Sun morning so I could sleep in until 9am & your comments that how normal feeling so tired was helped me not to feel guilty about it. The combination is definitely giving me a bit more energy. Thanks for your encouragement & comments. I hope your energy levels improve a little too - or at least we can keep focused on how worth it, it all is!

OP posts:
badguider · 20/08/2013 20:20

I didn't feel the 'second trimester' energy increase until just after the 20th week... fingers crossed you do too!

AnotherStitchInTime · 20/08/2013 20:28

I am 17 weeks and I am exhausted, but in my case it is down to a breastfeeding toddler still waking at night and a chatterbox 4 year old.

I took Spatone during my last pregnancy and found it helped. My DH also takes it for his anaemia and it really helps him.

It could be your iron and vitamin B12 levels so I would see your GP just in case, not sure the hospital blood tests check B12.

feekerry · 20/08/2013 20:56

in bed and asleep by 10pm you say??! i am lucky if i make it till 9pm. in bed and asleep by 8.30pm most nights and i am in 2nd trimester too. no way could i make it till 10pm!

LittlePeaPod · 20/08/2013 21:57

Yes.. I work full time, in a high pressure role. I am 20+5 and I can't remember what it feels like not to be exhausted. Exhausted is the new normal for me...

littlealien01 · 20/08/2013 22:43

exhaustion here too so i think its normal. colleagues at work have told me that 22-23 wks is the magic number but im not getting my hopes up.

Sleepthief · 21/08/2013 08:00

I remember the bone-shattering, heart-aching tiredness with DC2. I was teaching full time and it was all I could to to feed DC1, bath him and get him to bed before I passed out too. I was absolutely fine with DC3, though, oddly. More tiredness this time around, but I'm not working and afternoon naps with my 2.5yr old help. Be kind to yourself Smile

Xmasbaby11 · 21/08/2013 20:53

I am 17 weeks and exhausted. Work full time and have very lively 19mo toddler. So tired I could puke.

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