Insomnia in late pregnancy

[sj257]

I'm really struggling now, 38+1 and can't get to sleep at night. I'm terrified I'm going to go into labour and be so exhausted I won't manage

I was the same! At 3am every morning I'd be downstairs watching tv with a hot chocolate. Are you on Mat leave yet OP?
(Currently up feeding DS so it's definitely all preparation )

Yes thankfully I am. I just wish I could get at least a couple of hours sleep the kids are back at school today and knowing my luck I will fall asleep just as we are due to be getting up.

You'll be surprised what you can cope with in labour.
You will be constantly monitored and given options to make sure you and baby are safe.
Please try & not worry about it.
Or have naps during the day to make up for it.

Once baby is here and wakes you 4 times a night you'll look back and wish you "only" had insomnia!😉

Being woken 4 times a night would be a dream at the moment,it'd mean I was actually getting some sleep in the first place.

Grim, isn't it? 35 weeks here and still dragging myself into work for another week. EUURGGH.

I feel your pain OP. Husband is grumbling because I've been awake since 4am and am now playing on my iPhone - like I prefer to be awake. I'm also 38+1!

me too! 34 weeks here and up around this time every. single. day. thankfully now on mat leave early, but all the grand ideas for the things I was planning to do whilst off work and pre baby are out of the window and I'm pretty much on my sofa come the afternoon. Sigh.

sj

I'm sorry.
Insomnia is rubbish.

Is this your third baby? Or more? (You said kids go back to school)
What is it that's actually keeping you up at night? Is it "just" the discomfort or is there more?
Anxiety? (That old bitch plagues my life) Worrying about the birth itself? Or are you worried about how you'll cope once baby has arrived?
Anything you are thinking about in the middle of the night seem so much worse than the actual problem.
(At least that's what I tell myself at 4am!)

Zing, yes my third baby, and yes worrying about all of those things and more! Anxiety sucks. I've been to the GP today who has written me a letter to take to my hospital appointment next Friday requesting that I actually get to meet her on my last appointment instead of seeing junior doctors who aren't all singing from the same hymn sheet! I have a history of large babies and was told from early on that I wouldn't go overdue if this baby is big. Well he is big and the last registrar I saw said it was fine for me to go 12 days overdue. That really ramped up the anxiety!

Sympathies. I am 36+3. I can fall asleep, but a couple of hours later I'm awake and then find it impossible to go back to sleep and I am like a zombie during the day. I posted about this too. It seems so cruel and as though we should be stockpiling sleep!

Snap! 38+3 and can't sleep. No idea why not. I try and grab a nap during the day for an hour max but even if I don't have a nap I still can't sleep. So annoying!

sj

I hope you are doing well.

You can request to have a C-section and they have to let you one (assuming you are in the UK)

I had an ELCS with my 4th as he was a footling breech.
It was fine. No birth or surgery is without risk so put that aside for a bit and consider an ELCS for your peace of mind
(For me there was no real choice, so in a way that was actually easier).

I had 3 more kids after that, (no twins), all VBACs, again risk factors were present but all was fine so a C-section is not the end of the world.

I've been thinking of you.
Try and enlist some help and write down a schedule that would aid getting ready for school runs.
When I had counselling for anxiety & panic attacks the biggest surprise was that I had a massive problem with time management!
Since I realised that I know that not being organised is a big trigger for anxiety for me.
If you have a schedule in mind, even if you don't keep to it, you will feel better prepared and therefore less anxious about how you'll get everything done.

Check out Bullet Journal (sorry I can't link) - if you need help with that or anything else just PM me.

And ask GP to put you on the waiting list for counselling. It helped me a lot.

All the best & let me know if I can help with anything.