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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

sleep now while you can...

32 replies

BigKicker · 15/09/2013 05:59

So many people have said this to me and as i lie here in bed awake for the last 3 hours I want to smack every single one of them. I've had more pees than I can count and I cannot get comfy, baby is wide awake and having great fun kicking my sides along with using my bladder as a punch bag. So to all those wise people advising me to enjoy my sleep while I can and to somehow stock up on it now.... go do one.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

plentyofsoap · 15/09/2013 06:13

I agree been awake since four.

Daffodill27 · 15/09/2013 06:18

I agree!! Haven't slept properly for weeks!

PuddingAndHotMilk · 15/09/2013 06:25

I had exactly this rant about 3 months ago. I now have a 7wo DD. I take back every single word I said.
The difference is being tired when pregnant has no up-side. It gets harder every day and you know you have to wait. With your DC you're bone-achingly tired in a way that you didn't know you could still live and feel so tired, but the snuggles and then the smiles make it melt away.

So, you have my sympathies but sleep while you can, grab every hour and nap with gusto. Trust me

MrGeresHamster · 15/09/2013 06:25

Oh I remember this. Seriously ignore anyone who tells you this. Pregnancy sleep is awful. DS is one year old now but I still remember that wonderful first sleeps once he was born. Proper sleeps. It is quality rather than quantity where sleep is concerned. True, you may not get the quantity of sleep opportunities in the next few months, but it'll be hugely better quality!

MrsMangoBiscuit · 15/09/2013 06:32

Argh!! at Pudding!! "sleep while you can, grab every hour and nap with gusto." How?? How should I nap with gusto when I can't nap at all??

EDD is tomorrow. Physically I'm tired, I'm not stressing about anything, my bed is comfy and warm, bump is fast asleep, my bladder is empty, and I'm not having any BHs. Can I sleep? Can I fuck!! Just lie there, wide awake, feeling fed up that I can't sleep. :( OP, I feel your pain.

cupcake78 · 15/09/2013 06:32

I think they are referring to naps and rest. I had bad insomnia when pregnant. First dc woke 4 times every night till he's was at least 3 . I spent months seeing double and feeling inhuman.

Dc 2 is 11 weeks (whispers and sleeps through) at the moment but refuses to sleep at all during the day so no down time at all from 6am till 10pm.

Pregnancy tiredness is totally different to new parent tiredness! It's a cruel world because once baby comes you will so enjoy being comfortable but sleep is unlikely to occur.

chutneypig · 15/09/2013 06:49

I still get irritated at this, and my children are 6 . And all the people who told me to sleep when the babies were asleep when they had arrived. Presumably this would be in the few nanoseconds aday when they slept simultaneously.

Twinklestarstwinklestars · 15/09/2013 06:52

I sleep better now ds3 is here? I was up crying in pain from about 32 weeks, now I get at least 4 hour blocks if sleep and he sleeps from 7-4 so not too bad

learnasyougo · 15/09/2013 06:56

it's an insensitive (and annoyingly smug) thing to say to a pregnant person. My baby was a terrible sleeper (50 min blocks if sleep, all night) BUT I felt better then than I did through the pregnancy insomnia before he was born (well, most days, anyway). once you're not pregnant you can at least fall asleep. when pregnant I'd lay there for hours in the middle of the night. Stupid advice, as though you could choose to sleep. I WOULD if I COULD! Next smug suggestion gets a slap.

Putting your feet up and getting rest is better advice, toddlers-permitting.

YoniMitchell · 15/09/2013 07:04

Oh I'm with you op! I'm 23 weeks and haven't had a decent night since about 6 weeks. I reckon I'm averaging 3.5/4 hours of dozing a night and I can't even catch-up with naps in the day because if that pesky thing called work! Weekends are my only opportunity for a cheeky afternoon nap but then some fucker will always ring the doorbell, phone or make some other racket

At least when the baby is here my insides won't be taking a beating, my bladder will be left alone and I'll have a gorgeous little person to stare at and cuddle through the tiredness.

Until then I want to punch people who tell me to 'bank sleep'

MrsHoratioNelson · 15/09/2013 07:21

OP how pregnant are you? I was certainly you from about 30 weeks until I went on maternity leave a week ago at 36 weeks. Now, it is a bit better, and at least I don't have to stay awake in the day if I don't want to.

But I agree, it's awful and its true that you're so uncomfortable at some level all the bloody time it's exhausting. I can't quite imagine feeling comfortable again, it's going to be brilliant...

Freudianslap · 15/09/2013 07:25

Another

Freudianslap · 15/09/2013 07:27

Can't even post properly cause I'm so tired...

I'm another one feeling your pain OP, I'm due on weds and if one more person tells me to sleep whilst I can I will not be held responsible for my actions.

Haven't slept past 3am for about 4 weeks now.

sparklekitty · 15/09/2013 07:28

I felt this way, didn't sleep for the last month of pregnancy. The first few nights after DD was born were blissful! I could lie in any position and the sleep was actually sleep!

Didn't last long, unfortunately.

My advice would be to try not to get wound up and angry about not sleeping. I used to give up and watch trash on tv, have a hot bath at 3am. Saying that I wasn't at work from 30 weeks so I didn't have to get up for work.

roweeena · 15/09/2013 07:59

Try being pregnant with a teo year old - I long for those Pre kids days when I could actually have a lie in or a nap.

Just lie very still in bed if you can't sleep and stop moaning - you will realise how much you took sleep for granted when baby arrives.

(Although to be honest I never had an pregnancy induced insomnia - just two years of it since so I'm def not sympathetic)

Enjoy being pregnant and being able to lie in and be spontaneous

GreatJoanUmber · 15/09/2013 08:30

Might be in the minority here but I totally agree with Pudding.
Although it's impossible to build up 'sleep reserves', even the most fitful pregnancy sleep is much better than what awaits after. Having a newborn takes "being tired" to a whole new level which makes you understand why sleep deprivation is being used as a method of torture.
FWIW, mine are 2 and 4 and I'm 23w with #3, who likes to kick me in the bladder so I do get up a few times a night. My 2yo has only just in the last few months started to sleep through the night; so compared to getting up 5-7 times a night for 22 months, this feels easy I do hope the next one will be a slightly better sleeper though!!

GreatJoanUmber · 15/09/2013 08:33

And lie ins, OMG WEEKEND LIE-INS!!! Do not leave the bed until noon, even if you're awake and reading a book or something. It's 8.30am on a Sunday and I've been up for 2 hours; and that was them being generous.

lolalotta · 15/09/2013 08:33

I have an 18 day old... I have been sleeping waaaay better than when I was pregnant!!!!!

pongping · 15/09/2013 08:35

Well, it was true for me. They're only sharing their experiences!

MrsHoratioNelson · 15/09/2013 09:25

GreatJoan that's all very well, but its all I can do to stay there until 6 - I'm in agony lying down by that stage, which is odd because its such a relief to lie down at the other end of the day.

MummyLuce · 15/09/2013 11:00

Okay I heard this so many bloody times when I was preg and it was complete rubbish in my case at least! I had more sleep when the baby came! Honestly, me and my mum friends all agree that actually a newborn isn't so tiring as its made out to be, if, and only if, you accept that you aren't going to be able to go about your daily life (shopping, cooking, washing) llike normal. So u might well be up at 11, 1, 3 and 5...but then they also sleep during the day so you can put your feet up, have your mum friends over for box set DVD watching and cuddle your sleeping baby, even have a little snooze yourself. You don't have to get up for work so you and your baby can have lie ins together, it's lovely! The hard bit is 4 months plus... But certainly I got far more rest and relaxation when my baby came compared with when I was pregnant.

FobblyWoof · 15/09/2013 11:21

My sleep got so much better once dd was born! No more feet in my ribs, waking a million times to wee, waking to heave myself roll over, and no more worry about what things woukd be like keeping me up at night. Of course there was the small matter of the tiny, tiny baby we now had to take care of but I'd say in average I easily got an extra 1-2 hours a night after she was born than before

fishandmonkey · 15/09/2013 11:27

yes so annoying. i also felt much better rested after dd arrived. i could finally lie down without being in pain for a start! plus if you're bfing then you get nice and sleepy and relaxed and you can both drift off together for the first few weeks (unless you have twins and they don't sleep at the same time - my sympathies)

HeffalumpTheFlump · 15/09/2013 11:34

The only thing that has helped me at all is foam earplugs. I think its the little noises that stop me from falling asleep as I seem so much more aware of them. If I put earplugs in its like I've cut off some of the sensory stimulation and I usually manage to fall asleep, even during the day. I would really recommend giving them a try.

I've also started sleeping better at night since iv made trying to have a nap in the day a priority. So sorry if this isn't helpful if you cannot nap at all, but I think I was getting so overtired by the evening I couldn't shut off.

JethroTull · 15/09/2013 11:34

I feel your pain OP. I'm 37 weeks tomorrow. Baby is breech so it's head is jammed firmly under my ribs which makes lying down uncomfortable. Turning over is a major operation involving me either getting on my knees or actually getting out of & back into bed!
I'm sure I will experience horrific tiredness when the baby is here but right now that still seems like a good alternative

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