When did your pregnancy start becoming hard work?

[chocolatey123]

I am 28 weeks pregnant with my first DC. I work full time (office hours), largely office based, hour commute each way.

I've had a very straightforward pregnancy so far - minimal morning sickness in first tri, bad back in the second tri but felt good otherwise, now starting to feel rubbish. Tired all the time, starving hungry all the time, uncomfortable, bad back, trouble sleeping. No medical concerns, very lucky.

I'm worried about getting through the next 12 weeks, and then I'm worried about managing to care for a baby and being even more tired etc.

I feel like a real moaner considering I've had an easy ride so far. I still have 12 weeks to go, am I being a real wuss? DH is generally lovely but doesn't quite 'get' pregnancy. He just says things like 'go to bed earlier' which in theory makes sense but is easier said than done (plus I am often asleep by 9:30 as it is!).

Hats off to those with other children at home already, carrying multiples and other generally more hectic lives than me!

I'm 38 weeks and I honestly feel better than I did for the vast majority of the first trimester (nausea, anxiety after previous MC etc.) and a significant chunk of the second trimester (just couldn't recover from a very nasty sickness bug). In addition to the afflictions mentioned above, my mood was low from around 8 weeks until 36 weeks (hormones I assume) but has now lifted.

I'm still going out for (shortish) walks happily, still mobile enough to assemble Ikea flatpack (bloody hard work though!) and do bits of housework etc. though I do get tired after a bit of activity and it's a real wiped-out feeling of tiredness.

For me it comes and goes. I'm at 34+6 and some days I feel wonderful like I could take on the world. Other days (like today) I can barely get out of bed. Just listen to your body and if you think you need to rest then try to do so.

I'm 32 weeks now and struggling. Thank goodness I'm signed off work as I definitely couldn't do the 1 hour each way commute. Had my last baby at 34 weeks and with this one have my induction date scheduled already so fingers and legs are crossed that I get there.

6 weeks onwards .. HG crew

I was coping until I broke my leg in 3 places at 32 weeks pregnant and was non weight bearing until a few days before I went into labour. Nightmare.

I'm so glad I found this thread. 18 weeks into my third pregnancy and feeling so rubbish all of the time! My last two pregnancies were a breeze compared to this one! I had bleeding for around the first 10 weeks, one time was so bad I was certain I had miscarried. And just feeling so exhausted and sick all the time and have had raging heartburn since about 6 weeks. I also keep having really bad headaches, normally wake up with one every day, I know it's because I'm not drinking enough. But when I drink even water it makes the heartburn worse and then the dry retching starts!
I have a three year old and nearly two year old so don't really get a chance to rest and DH doesn't really understand that I'm just feeling grotty and exhausted all the time. And then I feel guilty for moaning!
Am so excited and happy to be having another little one but I am ashamed to say I am just wishing this pregnancy would speed by!

Your not on your own, I'm 34 this is my third pregnancy, first one I was 19 and second I was 21 and sailed through both of them apart from pgp right at the end of my second pregnancy, this one tho I have struggled with from day one, i am 29 weeks pregnant, work full time, I struggled with morning sickness up till about 20 weeks and complete exhaustion, I thought that everything would be fine after that but since then my pgp has come back but even worse and now my hips are starting to go, I'm hungry all the time and exhausted I can't stop falling asleep, I had to go to the doctor who has signed me off work from the pgp and hips and and I've still got 11 weeks left and to top it off my bump is twice the size it was with my other two and is only going to get bigger 😢

29+4 here and starting to struggle, with pelvis pain, and generally being knackered! Was starting to think I was just being a woos so glad to hear others are feeling the same! Off work this week, and then only 6 more to go till mat leave starts...already starting to slow down(which is killing me!) and very glad I've already decided to finish up at 36 weeks!

Old thread but just what I was looking for! I'm 32+5 and have just started to feel uncomfortable and slow. I've had an easy time of it in lots of other ways so can't complain. Just wish I hadn't agree to work until 38.5 weeks!

31+4 and starting to really feel it. Most days are spent uncomfortable but manageable. Was told I don’t have that pregnant waddle yet which is always nice! Haha! I’ve had a very smooth and non eventful pregnancy since the day I found out so feel I can’t complain too much!

I would say from 29/30 weeks with my first. I developed SPD and it was painful and difficult to do a lot of things. I could still work (I worked full-time til 36 weeks, but I worked from home then as I was self-employed). I'm 23 weeks now with my 2nd and I'm becoming more uncomfortable, much more like I was around 30 weeks with my first. Until recently I was in a position where I had a very lengthy commute, 2 hours by train plus driving to the station to get in to the office. I don't think I'd be happy doing that now.

Realistically, yes, go to bed earlier. Also, engage in self care. I take a weekly yoga class. I'm also trying to be better about regular exercise. Take a 20-30 minute walk, go for a swim, stretch, etc. All of this will help you feel better and keep you going. I also did a few appts with an osteopath with my first and that really helped with my back pain and SPD. Slow things down on the weekend. If you have lots of plans on the weekends, cut some out, schedule in a nap on Saturday and Sunday if you can. You don't have other children to worry about now, so you can do that, so make the most of it.

You will be tired (but not so much uncomfortable) once baby arrives, but things are different then. You aren't having to function at work during the day and you aren't having to commute or even really get dressed most days initially. It's a different sort of exhaustion. So I wouldn't worry too much about that. I think being exhausted is one thing, but being in pain or unable to do things is another.

First pregnancy was a breeze right up until my surprise early labour at 35+5. This time has been awful throughout. 31+5 now and counting the days.

You'll do just fine! Yes you'll likely be more tired when baby is here, and you'd gladly sleep hung up on a washing line given the sweet chance for some lovely sleep - but you'll get through it.
I'm really struggling with tiredness this pregnancy and I'm only 9 weeks! My other two were nowhere near this bad for tiredness so early on (morning sickness and headaches yes, but not this! In fact my first pregnancy I really didn't suffer with much tiredness, I was very active??!!) I've zombied through 6 hours of work today which would usually take me about 1 or 2, so I'm not doing so good

I’m 35wks. I’ve been up and down the whole way through. I hit a wall at 30wks when i started feeling tired and sick again and PGP kicked in. It lasted a couple of weeks and I’m actually feeling a lot better now. I’ve definitely started to slow down now, glad I’ve only got a few more days of work.

Currently 35 weeks and between 28 and 30 things got super hard. However, I’ve had more ‘energy’ days since I hit the 3rd trimester than I did in the second, so it’s not all bad!

I agree with a few other posts that at least in the later stages it feels like other people (and probably you too) give a bit more leeway. In the early days either people don’t know you’re pregnant, while you go about feeling awful or you don’t look big enough for people to sympathise that you might be tired. I’m in my 3rd trimester now and feel the early stages were a lot harder but I had HG. Now I’m tired some days then almost forget I’m pregnant the next! It feels so different from my first pregnancy but then some days I’m so busy with my toddler I barely notice how I’m feeling!! Sorry, bit of a rambling answer. I guess it does come back to everything being so different for each different pregnancy.

With DC1 I was sick every day from the start, with DC2 I had SPD from
18 weeks. I worked until 38 weeks with both, but only because a) I was going to feel how I felt no matter where I was, b) the distraction helped me feel less shit and c) I physically could.

So much depends on the type of work you do and how YOU feel. There is no point making yourself feel miserable. Your health is paramount, so do what you need to do. Nobody will give you a medal either way.

Hyperemesis since 5 weeks. I'm now only 17 weeks and this has been the longest three months of my life. I can't imagine another 20 weeks of this.

33 weeks. These threads are usually full of FTMs in the first trimester who have heard that the first is the hardest. It is not. The third is like the first on steroids.

Felt horrendous until 30 weeks; last 10 weeks have been much better. Overdue now and weirdly dont feel pregnant...maybe just gotten used to it..

I had HG from conception pretty much, it was three weeks of vomiting 10+ times a day (more like 30+ at the early stages) before I twigged I was pregnant and didn't have a stomach bug test confirmed I was 3+ weeks pregnant. I was still vomiting in labour, haven't been sick since! Such a blessed relief, a newborn was honestly so so easy in comparison to being pregnant, I got more sleep in the early weeks than I had in the previous 40 weeks as I would wake in the night to vomit.

At 35 weeks now and feels like it's got harder over the last week (apart from a short period of very painful ribs a few months ago). Guess I'm lucky it hasn't been bad so far but now tiredness and back/pelvic pain are getting worse plus heartburn at night, swollen ankles and carpal tunnel have all started, which I assume I'm stuck with for the next few weeks. Fingers crossed DS arrives nearer to 38 weeks than 42!

chocolatey

Something to bear in mind is you can just feel quite down in pregnancy and that's normal. I've had some days where I've struggled and worried about coping with a baby and just felt overwhelmed. Cbt techniques (including making time for things I enjoy/seeing people) have helped a bit, as well as posting on here/talking to people. If that is what's going on telling yourself you're a 'moaner' will add to it and make you feel worse, so cut yourself some slack, this is a huge thing that you're going through and even if objectively someone else seems to have it harder, it's ok to acknowledge how you feel and want some sympathy from your DH particularly.

I hate being pregnant my first I has constant sickness week 4 until 20 then 30 to 41 right until labour, I has spd from about 18/20 didn't sleep well generally felt awful. Second time was much more straight forward physically apart from developing food aversions and losing all appetite I still ate but food was no longer enjoyable just a necessity. I had awful anxiety second time and very bad mood swings I ended up seeing a phycologist for my anxiety.

I wish I was someone who loved being pregnant but for me both times where horrible experiences I had to go though in order to get my babies. While they were worth it I couldn't do it again by choice.

I'm 24 weeks and also wondering when I'm going to have to really reign it in.

I'm starting to struggle to put my shoes on and once I've sat down I don't enjoy getting back up but otherwise I feel fine!

Had no morning sickness at all, just wanted to sleep all the time.

I'm 35 weeks and still doing fine, a bit creaky when I get up in the morning and bastard heartburn in the night, but I'm fine once I'm up and about. I feel like I could manage being pregnant for a couple of months yet. Finishing work in a week though as I have to be induced at 38 weeks - my original plan was to work until then.

(It helps that it's not summer, I don't have any children to look after, I sit at a desk all day at work and my commute is really short.)