Should I take time off for exhaustion?

[LondonAfterMidnight]

I'm 15 weeks and my exhaustion hasn't gotten any better. It seems to be getting worse and I'm struggling to get through the day. I work full time, at home currently, and I feel like I am being shit at my job. I am so, so tired all the time and dragging myself through the day. I started crying when my alarm went off this morning as I was still so tired. I have a 5 year old so opportunities to rest are few but if I took some time off sick to catch up on sleep I could rest during the day.

I am thinking of taking some time off sick to get some rest. Im also under the perinatal mental health team, largely as a precaution, but I'm beginning to get quite depressed and I think lack of rest is exacerbating it. Has anyone taken sick time for this? I feel like at 15 weeks I should be past this level of exhaustion. Iron, blood sugars etc all ok - it's just the way this pregnancy is panning out.

If the exhaustion is stopping you from working it sounds like a reason to take a day off sick. I've haven't done it during pregnancy but I have had the odd day off previously for exhaustion to prevent/limit the risk of a mental health relapse.

If I can see it coming I try to book a days holiday preemptively for a mental health day but if it hits me out of the blue I have taken it as a sick day.

How is your mood doing? Do you think speaking to the perinatal team would help?

I was exhausted through my 2nd trimester too and have the most energy I have had so far in the second half of my third trimester, every pregnancy is different!! Are there any reasonable adjustments that your work could put into place to make things easier for you? I'm working full time from home and am able to rest when I need so sometimes go for a half hour lie down mid morning or over lunch just to get a bit of extra rest. As long as I'm completing my work, attending the appropriate meetings and doing my weekly hours I have flexiblity to adjust when I work to suit my needs.

I was also exhausted in 2nd trimester. People say that's when you feel energetic and good but I didnt find that!

I think having some time off is absolutely ok! Could you ask your doc to sign you off for a week or two?

In principle my work are flexible and keep saying to take time to rest as needed. In practice I am constantly in meetings and my workload is insane so I can't do that

I am definitely headed for a relapse, yeah. I'm feeling worse every day and completely withdrawing from my family as well, I am so tired I just don't want to be around anyone or do anything, but I think there is an aspect there of increasing depression.

I think this is what annual leave is for. You’re not actually sick, you’re knackered. So book holiday and have a rest

Yeah, should just take leave. Leave though means my DH and DS expect me to do leave things, which means no rest.

It sounds like it's your mood that is the contributing factor, do you think you could reach out to the perinatal team?

Do you have to tell your dh you are taking the day off? I have had days off where I have only told my partner when he has come home from work because I knew I needed a day at my pace and not have a list of things I should be doing.

Is there anyone you can talk to about your workload? It sounds like a recipe for a burn out if you aren't careful.

Well can't you just tell your DH and DS that you're taking leave for your mental health, so you won't be doing 'leave things'? They don't get to dictate your time! You need to rest for your health so just make that clear to your DH and get him to do the bulk of the work with DS for a bit.

He's working at home as well, so he'd know, yeah.

I will talk to the perinatal team, my mood is not good.

I would definately take some time off. I think if you can take it as leave, do that. If not then take it off sick.

I took a week of recently, for work stress so slightly different to your situation, and I found that during the time off I felt so much better, but as soon as I was back to work things quickly went back to being tired and stressed. I've been trying to find ways to make each day better which is helping me. Just mention as I thought a week off would do me the world of good, and whilst I did really enjoy it, it didn't help as much as I thought it would.