Stress during pregnancy

[Bexxy28]

Hi all, not sure what I’m expecting from this but feel like I need to vent…

im 24w pregnant and just feeling terribly overwhelmed and like im unable to cope with stress the way I did before.

FIL has cancer and it’s terminal, I’m trying to be there for my husband and my toddler and life just feels like a struggle atm. Im struggling right now with what feels like everything, I never get a minute to myself, constantly feeling like I’ve nothing left to give at the end of the day and I’m just exhausted. It feels hard to get excited about anything with what’s happening atm and I feel guilty about not being more excited about my pregnancy.

im struggling at work because of the nature of my job working with families i feel like the smallest thing tips me over the edge. I’m upset that I’m not coping with this like the way I did before. I feel like I need signed off work but also feel guilty about doing that too. I’m just fed up feeling so exhausted and just want things to start getting better.

Don’t feel bad about getting signed off work, you’re only a few weeks off qualifying for the earliest start of mat leave anyway, and it sounds like you have a lot going on. If I were you I would do it, hopefully that will help with the stress levels and give you a chance to have a minute to yourself here and there. Good luck OP

Speak to your midwife and absolutely take time off if you need. Start by self certificating for a week get some rest and hopefully that woll give you the headspace to cope with everything. If it's not quite enough get a sick note from your GP.
Use the time to also think about if there are any adjustments that would make things more manageable. If you used annual leave to give you one day a week to cope with life would that be easier? After having my daughter I went back 4 days a week taking off Wednesdays. Only needing to be in work mode for 2 days at a time made a huge difference in how I managed life dramas with various family members having serious illnesses. It really does take it's tole on your energy reserves