Feeling low first trimester

[Jas9090]

Just a bit of a rant really..I’m 8 weeks pregnant with my second and I’ve been feeling progressively more blue the last couple of weeks. I’ve been depressed in the past and worried the hormone changes are sending me down that path again but I can’t tell if it’s that or just normal pregnancy feelings / coupled with the impact of being fed up with the pandemic like everyone.

I feel so, so exhausted this time round. My daughter isn’t sleeping well at the moment and just never feel I get any rest. I wake up and feel like crying as feel too tired to get through the day..I think it’s the exhaustion that’s making me feel low. I just feel like I don’t have the energy for anything then feel guilty for not being tidy or not playing with my daughter as much as I usually do. I also can’t even be arsed with make up and just want to eat carbs so don’t feel very body confident!

I don’t remember this from my first pregnancy but then I didn’t have a toddler. I very much wanted this pregnancy and we miscarried last time but I’ve started feeling like I’ve made a horrible mistake and we won’t be able to cope with two so young..I think this is just because I’m in glass half empty mode though!

My daughter is taking an hour to go to sleep every night at the moment and I could honestly just cry haha ..I’ve been going to bed same time as her most nights!

Anyone else feeling the same? Is this just normal first trimester rubbishness, I’ve forgotten?!

Had to reply OP, though not sure I have much wisdom to impart! I'm about 8 weeks pregnant too, also with my second, and I totally underestimated how wiped out and overwhelmed pregnancy plus toddler would feel. I hear you!

I had very severe prenatal depression in early pregnancy with my daughter. It's more than likely that how you're feeling is just normal, hormonal blues, made worse by tiredness. But do keep an eye on how you're feeling and ask for support from midwives if you think it's getting unmanageable. There's much better awareness about maternal mental health. I was certainly treated with a lot of compassion and kindness.

Are you able to get some help/take a break? Is your eldest in childcare? I'm taking a sick day tomorrow because I desperately need to catch up on some rest while my daughter is at nursery. Do the same, if you can! Just do what you need to feel a bit better - even if that's eating your bodyweight in bread and pasta. You won't feel like this forever!

@eyebagsandgladrags I think that’s it, I also totally underestimated how tough it would be! I’m sorry to hear you went through prenatal depression with your daughter.

I just feel like I totally can’t be bothered with anything at the moment..not replying to texts from friends and feel extremely checked out from work. Really hoping it settles down into the second trimester. That’s a good idea about taking a day off to take advantage of nursery, my daughters in 2 days so I might do that!

Hello, hoping to share a positive post :).
This is my fourth baby, and I felt so low in the early days and so sick. I didn't feel my self, it's had me questioning every thing. I didn't even feel excited about being pregnant (it was a shock but I have pcos and all my babies I needed meds to help me fall pregnant and took years).
So I should of been over the moon what a miracle!
However I felt awful and so down. I'm 18 weeks now and I'm really starting to come out the other end. I still feel tired, but not as much but I feel so much happier and so excited I'm so so happy to be having another baby, I can't wait to meet him/her.
Honestly these hormones are awful esp them
Early day ones. It's the first time I have experienced this, and it worries me a bit.
Your not alone though and hopefully it
Will get better. :).

@Skymum82 thank you for sharing and I’m so glad to hear you’re coming out the other end! That must have been scary especially with it being your forth baby I imagine you’d not be expecting the change in feeling. From memory it was around 16 months my morning sickness and general feeling crapness went last time so that makes sense.

I’ve been thinking of why it feels different this time and I’m wondering if it’s because we had a miscarriage and got pregnant pretty soon after ..I became very focused on getting pregnant immediately to help ‘get over it’ but actually think maybe hadn’t quite dealt with it. My daughters also been really poorly in hospital a couple months ago so think it’s just sent my anxiety through the roof and made everything seem a bit overwhelming.

Yes totally, prob all that hasn't helped. Literally a week before I found out my youngest had been diagnosed with asd I know that effected me.
I think sometimes it's because we fell unexpectedly too it was such a weird feeling to not have planned it. Literally out emotion are funny things and just can't be controlled. Go easy on your self sounds like you have been through a lot

Sorry you are struggling @Jas9090 the first trimester is horrible. I'm 18 weeks now also with a toddler and turned a corner at 17 weeks. Don't feel guilty - do what you need to do to get to bedtime each day and accept as much help as you can. If the low mood continues once you start to feel physically better (or before that if it's getting bad), definitely tell your midwife. There's lots of support out there now. Someone said to me that I will get through it because I have to and that weirdly helped a bit. When you're stuck in the middle of feeling so rubbish it does feel like it will never end but it will.

I'm just out of the hellish first trimester. Like you, my second pregnancy after a much easier first one and I felt physically and mentally awful. I felt so, so low and depressed. Look down the pregnancy forums and you will see some similar threads. I was scared it wouldn't change but I feel much physically better(not 100% but much improved) and mentally much less down too. Don't worry, OP
It is most like a short lived phase