When do I start ‘enjoying this?’

[Ccjjc]

I’m somewhere between 13 and 14 weeks pregnant. I know it’s early days still but I just feel horrendous. I’m trying to remain so grateful that IVF has worked and so far all seems healthy with baby. However, I just feel absolutely awful. Sickness is pretty much gone but the heartburn / trapped wind / food aversions / round ligament pain is just too much. And some of that stuff I’ve heard is meant to get worse as baby grows! I can’t imagine feeling worse than I do. I’ve tried gaviscon and deflatine for stomach issues and very liberally use paracetamol for the round ligament pain but it’s very little relief.

I wake up in the middle of the night at least 3 times starving hungry, I have snacks by the side of my bed but if I eat them and try and go back to sleep, the indigestion is horrible, so I end up having to walk around my house for about 15 minutes a time at like 3am in the morning. I’m beyond exhausted because of this! I start work at 6.30am for 12 hour shifts and I feel drained and dead while there. I’m literally holding on so hard for maternity pay but it’s a struggle.

I wanted this so bad but some days it feels like I can’t cope and wish I didn’t even bother. Obviously I’ll be devastated if anything were to happen but it’s hard to remain positive when I’m bent over in stomach pain.

I hardly ever get ‘unwell’ - maybe once every few years i’ll get a cold and that’s about it. So maybe I’m just not used to coping with it feeling like my body is against me. But how are people coping going to work or having other children? You’re amazing. I can’t work out if I’m just pathetic or not.

Again, not sure what I need to hear or why I posted just needed a moan maybe.

It sounds like you are having a really difficult time. I hope it gets easier.

I started to feel a lot better around 16 weeks and was able to return to more of a normal routine around then but I think I've had mild symptoms compared to a lot of people. I still wouldn't exactly call it enjoyable, I still feel worse than before pregnancy just better than first trimester.

It sounds like your heartburn is worse than mine, talk to the doctor if gaviscon isn't doing it for you. I'm using the double action tablets at the moment that seem to work for a bit. But I've had to change my diet I noticed anything bready or wheat based cereal makes it a lot worse. I also roll a towel up under the top of my pillow at night so that it's raised more on that end. Which seems to help. I don't need to eat as much anymore as I did in the first trimester. If you know you'll wake up a lot make sure you eat before bed (I'm sure you already are) and I hope it gets easier.

In terms of aches and pains see if an evening walk helps if you are able to or some gentle stretches before bed. I sleep so much worse and have a lot more pain if I haven't walked or done exercise in the evening.

The only other advice I can offer is make sure you're getting enough sleep if you can. I'm sleeping about 1-2 hours more than I used to.

I hope it gets easier for you.

I never enjoyed it, OP.

But one thing - re heartburn/indigestion, I found that what kicked it off for me was anything with wheat in it. Find out what is making yours worse, then avoid it.

Im currently pregnant with third and feel crap too. Although better than first trimester, I still feel sick, exhausted, I can feel the waddle coming on already and my joints under strain, it's such hard work to find things I feel like eating. This is my third pregnancy and I find pregnancy so depressing each time.

If it's any consolation, I got pelvic pain at 20 weeks in my first pregnancy and worried about how much worse it was going to get if I was only 20 weeks and it's didn't get any worse, just stuck around until the end.

I just want to normalise feeling miserable in pregnancy, you can be glad you're pregnant and also hate being pregnant at the same time.

It feels like forever now but you WILL be on the other side of it one day and it will be a distant memory. I feel for you.

maybe, just maybe, that you find it too overbearing is because you are usually very well and as you mentioned, rarely suffered from minor illnesses. Hopefully you will get used to it and won’t see it as a nuisance. But you have my sympathies and it’s true that from 16 weeks onwards people usually find it much better and ‘normal’. Congrats on your pregnancy!

IVF pregnancy here too. Only at nearly 8 weeks and I have hated every minute. You are not pathetic and not alone! Multiple feelings can co-exist. I am so grateful to finally be pregnant and I am also utterly miserable right now and wondering if I can cope and make it to the other side.

I hated being pregnant, especially first 20 weeks. I think underlying anxiety doesn't help which I had after fertility issues.

Adored the baby phase though and was so happy once they were here!

Definitely speak to your GP and get some omeprazole! I remember that feeling well - I’d be starving but as soon as I ate the acid was horrendous