6 months pregnant and lack of sleep is slowly sending me over the edge

[Ella17393]

Hi Ladies, any advice here will be much appreciated. I am 6 months pregnant and have been struggling to sleep now for the last few weeks. No matter what side I lay on baby just doesn't seem to like it and I end up tossing and turning. I have a pregnancy pillow and multiple scattered around me to prop me up or just for extra support. Last night I was so frustrated from lack of sleep I was swearing profanities and ended up waking the husband. No matter what I do, at most i only seem to get 2 hours sleep before i'm woken by the baby absolutely kicking me or from awful heart burn. I feel guilty for feeling like this but it's taking its toll on me and I am struggling to work from home as a result. What can you suggest will help?

I found a bath before bed helped but not too hot as I really struggled with heat when I was pregnant. The LO would kick about and was breech so they would get stuck under my ribs. They moved about a lot whilst I was in the bath and then seemed to calm down when I went to bed.

Maybe try some lavender on your pillow. I slept with a fan on and struggled on my side as I usually sleep on my back but I put a pillow underneath my bump and it seemed to help.

Also maybe not a lot of movement before sleeping as apparently babies move more when you're still so chilling beforehand might give them the opportunity to wear themselves out before your bedtime. Good luck!

I ended up sleeping in diff rooms of the house - tossing and turning in my own bed never got me anywhere so was better off sleeping on sofa!

Heartburn is horrible as well. I drank a glass of milk to soothe it- technically not supposed to due to lactic acid but it helped me

Get a prescription for omeprazole. Changed my life from heartburn! I was literally drinking gaviscon. Now take one tablet a day and no heartburn at all.

Thank you so much for the advice ladies, here’s hoping for a better night

I feel your pain. 28 weeks and don’t feel like I’ve slept properly for a few months now. Baby does acrobatics from 5am and moves a fair amount with my incessant tossing and turning during the night. I have a sleeping bag under the sheets to cushion my hips, bbhugme pillow and two normal pillows. I have to turn side to side as each hip starts to ache which is fun with the bbhugme! I don’t know how anyone just sleeps on their left all night. I often give up and just get up during the night or early hours. Also working from home which is so tough as job was very active and on my feet.

Heartburn wise I’m on gaviscon and then omeprazole for when it’s really bad. Are you constipated? My heartburn is worse when everything is “backed up”. I have lactulose and movicol which I take one of a couple of times a week to keep everything moving plus high fibre diet. Sometimes walking while eating or just after helps things go down. A few weeks ago I was having to stand several times during a meal and sway from side to side just to get it to go down! Hope that doesn’t come back...

I try and do 20 mins of yoga in the morning to stretch out my sore hips too.

Good luck! Xx

I'm six months also and have been really struggling. I accidentally fell asleep for a nap yesterday with my head propped up on three pillows and slept so well so I tried it last night and it was much better! I also had my pregnancy pillow, a pillow under my legs and a tiny one under my bump. Lack of sleep is soul destroying

@Muriel84 I will need to mention omeprazole to my community midwife on my next appointment, but my appointments always feel so rushed with her and she brushes off my questions.

@peonyrose87 i will be trying this tonight, had another night of no sleep

Get a prescription for heartburn just don't bother with rubbish over the counter stuff

@Ella17393 ask your GP for it. Tell them you’ve tried gaviscon and the heart burn is awful. They shouldn’t need to see you. My GP is sending pretty much weekly prescription requests to my pharmacy for me 😬 x

Just call GP and ask to send to pharmacy. Midwives won't proscribe it x

Call your GP and ask for a prescription. MW won't prescribe.

It's shit when you can't sleep. I'm convinced it's your body preparing you for lack of sleep once the baby turns up.

I read on fb to try love heart sweets for heartburn and its helped me. Im 37 weeks and i don't sleep well due to pain in my hips, being way too hot and having to wee all the time. A few times Ive had to prop myself up in bed and sleep sitting up or sleep on the couch. I sleep with my feet propped up with pillows, a pillow between my legs and bump and also a pillow at my back.

At least your not 38 weeks having trouble sleeping 🥴 I'm having my baby a week today and am allready so exhausted