Feel so down at 15 weeks

[Sandy444]

Getting pregnant was all I ever actually dreamed of. I have an amazing husband and lovely new home that a baby would fit into so perfectly. But now I am 15 weeks pregnant I can't hide this horrible sinking feeling in my heart and constant sadness I can't explain.
I started pregnancy very slender and found it hard to accept that my clothes are all so right now due to my 7 pound weight gain which I know shouldn't matter but I blame myself for eating so much junk since the beginning and completely stopping my daily walks due to exhaustion and little motivation. Now I feel like even getting out of bed is becoming a chore. I am not depressed, but I just feel so down
and extremely lonely as a result. I guess hating the way I look and my body changing doesn't help, because then I comfort eat more and feel worse.
Rant over, has anybody else been through this?

Hi Sandy444, couldn't walk away from this. I've felt similar recently & I'm only 9 weeks. I'm eating very unhealthily for me which has meant weight gain already & I'm just exhausted ALL the time, I can't even face my normal excercise routine! I'm finding it hard because I'm normally fairly active plus constant nausea is making me even more sorry for myself! I know you say you're not depressed but perhaps you could speak to your GP or midwife? I only say this as I've suffered from it on & off for the past 10 years and I'm having a hard time working out whether it hormones, depression or just a large dose of feeling sorry for myself that's making me feel like this at the moment. My midwife has been good & referred me to a mental health nurse during my pregnancy, I get to meet her tomorrow & she sounds really lovely.
I hope you feel a bit better tomorrow, if not a good cry does help!! Xx

Hormones can mess with your moods. If you're finding this really debilitating, you might need to discuss it with a doctor or midwife. Antenatal anxiety and depression are things that happen to some pregnant women, related to the better-known postpartum depression.

Exhaustion in early pregnancy is normal. Feeling anxious or down about a big change in your life, even a planned and eagerly anticipated one, is normal, too.

Hey, something I have found about pregnancy is that it can be really lonely. I am no fun to be around after 7pm (i am tired, itchy, grumpy, restless) and I end up in bed alone at 8-9pm where I toss and turn all night whilst my OH sleeps peacefully beside me. I also have all these emotions and I am tired and all the usual stuff and no-one 'gets' it unless they have physically been there.

I FORCED myself to do a pregnancy yoga dvd, I struggled through it because I was SOOO stiff after 8 weeks of doing NOTHING but afterwards and the next day I felt so much better.

I think this stage is hard because you KNOW there is a baby there but you don't 'feel' or look preg, I am hoping once I can feel baby kicking I will feel better

Hi Sandy444 - poor you. I felt really similar - I'd had an eating disorder when I was younger and felt very anxious about the change in my body, as well as feeling so guilty about worrying about my appearance and not just feeling overjoyed about the baby.

Obviously everyone's different, but I felt quite rotten until about 16 / 17 weeks and then found that doing some pregnancy yoga and swimming really helped lift my mood. Also tried to walk for at least 30 minutes a day (usually powered by a hot chocolate...) I tried to do the swimming and walking with a friend or my sister so I felt a bit more motivated. And remember that your body is working really hard all the time, so those calories are being put to good use.

Your energy levels will probably pick up, but if they don't, don't beat yourself up for whatever you're feeling. It's such a huge, momentous thing to go through and I think I've learnt that none of it is as I thought it would be, and that was a bit of a shock!

Lots of luck and try and be a bit kinder to yourself about what you're feeling.