Sleep!

[MarieCC]

Hi girls.
I have found out I am 4 weeks pregnant and I am excited but my anxiety is playing up. Simply because the first time around my baby passed away after birth.

I have suffered with insomnia in the past and on/off for years but
I have had really bad insomnia the last 3 nights, literally lying there all night and cancelling work and sleeping a bit in the day. Not practical I know. I have no idea why this is so bad.
I can’t believe I can lay there that long and not fall asleep.

I spoke to doctor yday as I did take Phenergan here and there anyways but stopped recently. I asked if it was safe to take in pregnancy. He said yes and there are no adverse effects and then he said but we advise to try and not take! Really confused. He said it’s my decision.
Anyone else taken this while so pregnant early on? I tried natural warm milk last night but that’s done nothing!

Sorry I know this sounds really obvious but try and get out for a short walk in the mornings (natural light) and do some exercise in the day/evening, whatever you like to do. Build up the sleep pressure.

You can have chamomile tea in pregnancy, just one before bed.

And you can take 500mg magnesium a day.

I'd try those things first.

It's not that Phenergan is dangerous it's just that these things aren't tested on pregnant women for obvious reasons, so it's best not to take them if you can avoid. But no harm if you do.

Thank you for this. I have done stuff like this in the past. It’s like I go a bed and I get a song in my head or I start thinking about everything.
I literally lay there all night!

We are in such similar positions. I am 4+6 and my 2nd daughter was stillborn at 37weeks and since then I have had 2 miscarriages. Weirdly this time I feel less anxious than the previous times but it is just being so aware that right til the end things can still go wrong. I got myself a kindle so that if I'm struggling to sleep or wake up and can't get back to sleep I'll read for a while without disturbing my OH and usually I will get sleepy. But like the other poster said, some gentle exercise throughout the day would definitely help and just be kind to yourself. Do you still speak to a bereavement midwife or would a chat with someone from SANDS help get some of the worries etc off your chest and out of your head? I also keep a wee journal and I'd be mortified if anyone ever read it as it is mostly me whinging about my weight and how I should exercise more but sometimes if something is swirling round in my head I don't find it therapeutic to put it on paper. Good luck with everything!!!

Thank you @Clarita191
Sorry to hear of your daughter being stillborn and your miscarriages.

I know a lot of women find it difficult the bigger they get in pregnancy esp when there back aches and they have to wee alot in the night but
Where it’s such early days I can’t understand why I have slept ridiculously bad these last 3 nights. When I fell pregnant before I stopped Phenergan and I wasn’t this bad at all.
I can Literally I lay there till early morning when it’s light and have couple of hours and that’s it’s. Where as most women can fall
asleep and then wake up and have difficultly returning to sleep. Had a nap in the day the last couple of days that helps. I know they say don’t but it’s short and not late.

I have read and do try to follow things like. No blue light use on your phone before bed. So I do normally stop looking at phone 1-2 hours before bed. I try to do things like a short walk in the day, even if I have not slept. I don’t have caffeine. I try to write down any thoughts and concerns.

We never use to have a tv in our room. We do now but I try to watch tv before bed downstairs as they say keep that separate but before this I watched in bedroom and all was ok.
I know lack of sleep can cause hormonal imbalance and that’s what’s worrying me. I try so hard to sleep even though my body’s exhausted and then it don’t happen.

I have also been worrying about money. I earn well but am self employed so 3 days money loss is a big thing. I think cost of living doesn’t help!

I've struggled with insomnia in the past and actually ended up doing an online sleep course thing that was via emails delivered every day for two weeks.

The biggest thing that I learnt which actually helps is to stop caring about how much you are sleeping. It sounds ridiculous and SO hard to do when you are desperate for sleep. But the less you care and worry about it, the easier it will be for your body to drift off.

Imagine you ask someone who has no sleep problems, what they do to fall asleep. They probably won't be able to tell you anything, because they don't 'try' and fall asleep, it just happens.

With enough sleep pressure/drive built throughout the day and as little as worry as possible, your body will naturally drop off.

Also, I know it's super hard when you feel so tired, but it also taught that you should carry on with your normal day to day as much as possible, as changing your routine and cancelling plans only reinforces to your brain that something is wrong and you can't sleep.

@Sagittarius25 thank you for your comment.
in the past I would have carried on so like you said your body has a normal
routine and you fall asleep but my job is different now and I need to function.
I would like to know if any women have taken Phenergan x

@Sagittarius25 I want to sleep well why I’m pregnant I just don’t want this to be a long phase x

Insomnia is a symptom of pregnancy especially early pregnancy. It’s very common and often eases after the first trimester along with a lot of other symptoms. I know that doesn’t help now but it might help to know it will likely go away. Ive never been a good sleeper and I had insomnia with this pregnancy and then my toddler is up at 4am every day, I’m almost 15 weeks now and it is starting to get better.

@PickledScrump Thank you. My first pregnancy I was ok but like I mentioned my baby passed, not because they were unwell or high risk. So I suppose I’m anxious this time. I’ve always tried to take the natural route but nothing really helps

I have been taking phenagen as well due to sleep - My GP and doctors in the EPU have said it is total fine and that it is actually their first choice to prescribe to pregnant woman with servere morning sickness so that made me feel better x

@diamonds2023 thank you. What week in your pregnancy did you start taking it x

I've been taking it since 4 weeks pregnant and that was just over a month ago.

@diamonds2023 I see. Do you take it daily then? Apologies that’s the last question