WHY AM I SO EXHAUSTED

[ChilliCheeseMama]

I totally understand that you get really tired during the first trimester... but what gives? I've literally been exhausted to the point of being sick :(

I'll wake up fairly early to go to work, and by 11 I'm literally falling asleep at my desk so I have to have a break, the same by 2, and then on the train home I'll often be ready to nod off.

I'll just about manage dinner when I get home but then it's bed by 9 (although when I'm not staying at my partners I'm in bed by 7 as he isn't there to try and keep me awake haha) and up early the next day still completely shattered :(

I only work part time as I study so how the hell do all you full time pregnant ladies do it? I'm on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion most of the day and it's so embarrassing :(! Even my partner is miffed because I nap so much and he knows several pregnant ladies from Work who managed to deal with everything pretty gracefully by the sounds of it (no toilet naps like I'm having to have 😳)!!

Any tips please ladies I'm thoroughly miserable at the moment :( combined with my tiredness I also seem to have ALL DAY morning sickness which is brilliant too 🙄

Umm, might you be anemic? It's amazing how tired you feel isn't it. Women's body's aren't a good design really...

lots of sympathy

Btw my 'umm' wasn't meant to look like a sarcastic 'umm'. 😊

I hear ya. I'm currently 5.5 weeks and have been ok so far but today (despite having gone to bed at 830 last night) I am literally exhausted with no energy. In fact, I've not gone to work. I got up and ready and then just felt like I couldn't move. And as I had a MMC in august at 9.5 weeks (and am 40 this year) I just decided to listen to my body for once and stay home and rest.

@ChilliCheeseMama I had to reply to this. Soooo glad I'm not the only person taking toilet naps!!!

I try and eat a healthy breakfast then a banana at 11 not too much of a heavy lunch and grapes/oranges around 3 ish. This sees me through the day at work usually. Easier said than done tho if you're suffering from morning sickness.

This was me a few days ago but I've started taking folic acid and feel so much better!

Eating little and often also helps with the sickness and gives you an energy boost.

I had to take a week off work at the peak of the exhaustion, never known anything like it! (Went to doctor, wasn't anaemic, she gave me the confidence to treat it as real and phone in sick). It did get a lot better later in pregnancy though - I was tired again at the end but somehow being tired for physical reasons was a lot easier to deal with than the crazy first trimester exhaustion. Also, contrary to what everyone says, I'm feeling much more myself now baby is here, even when he keeps me up all night!

I'm now 36 weeks but remember the feeling of the first trimester tiredness and it is awful. Working full time and then coming home to take care of the house and my dd, I look back and have no clue how I did it. By lunchtime at work I'd often be to the point where I was well and truly ready for bed and I'd go and have a lie down on the bathroom floor and once actually fell asleep 🙈

I never got rid of the first trimester exhaustion with my second - was anaemic but had a toddler & a full time job as well as all the other grown up stuff like housework. It’s why I have sworn off any more, couldn’t face 9 months of that again! Thankfully I seem to be very much in the minority - I haven’t spoken to anyone who had the same as me!

Go and get a blood test, see if you’re anaemic. Take those naps though!

Coffee during the day and go to bed early every night. And make other household tasks easy on yourself. Order the food shopping online, plan a few ready meals or eat a healthy cereal for dinner a couple nights a week, have your partner do all the cooking and washing up when he's around, etc. And don't do much on the weekends. It only lasts a few weeks. I was working a 3 hour commute from home in 1st tri. So I'd be up and leaving the house to catch the train by 5:30/5:45am and then not getting back home until 7pm several days a week. I caught naps on the train and ate easy stuff that didn't take much planning or cooking. And plenty of coffee up to the safe limits, which can be 1-3 cups a day depending on how you make it. It doesn't last forever usually and you will feel better again soon.

Pregnancy is so exhausting. Completely give up any kind of social life to just lie down every evening and all weekend just to make it through the days at work. I too have gone to the toilet just to close my eyes for 60 seconds lol xx does it annoy anyone else when someone comments they are tired and you think you have no idea I was up every hour of the night peeing and it has taken every bit of energy just to get dressed this morning...? Xx xx keep going girls!! Xxx

Also I think the most frustrating thing for me is that noone knows I'm pregnant at work so you are silently dying from nausea and exhaustion at your desk xxx

Literally eat (if possible) sleep, work, repeat. I've basically hibernated the first 9 weeks of my pregnancy. Home from work, sleep on the sofa until husband wakes me with food, eat, bed, work, same again next day... o started feeling more energetic again around 9+4 but I still have days where all I can do is sleep. (I'm 17+2) Our body is creating another human. If it needs rest, let it rest (if you can.)

Thank you so much everyone, feels so good to not be alone!!! Will definitely get checked out for anaemia when I have my booking appointment xxx

I actually believe the tiredness and nausea are nature's way of reminding you to look after yourself. There's no bump yet so it's a reminder that you're pregnant!

That makes sense @MissEliza.

We are creating tiny tiny humans - no wonder we are all bushwhacked!

The thing is the attitude of other people that really got my goat op. The first trimester you feel exhausted like you're running a marathon every day but you don't actually look pregnant and now is the time when you need a seat, when you need a lift, when you need an early night. A lot of people have little understanding of this unfortunately.
When you actually do look pregnant in your second trimester your energy has kicked in and you feel so much better but people decide now is the time to treat you with kid gloves and fuss round you, by this time all you want to do is tell them to do one and wonder where they were with their offers of help a few weeks ago!
As for tips, I'm not sure you can do a great deal apart from tell others how you are feeling, and why. Also, of course remember this phase will pass.