Extreme Fatigue 16 weeks

[Unorganisedchaos2]

Hi,

Not really sure what Im hoping for posting this, maybe someone has a miracle cure. 😫

Now 16 + 4 with second baby (DD6) Im so tired, I remember the first weeks being awful last time but it had eased off by now. Im obviously older (41) and I am over weight but not terribly unfit, I did C25K before conceiving.

All bloods are fine, iron levels are very good. Im waking through the night but getting about 6-7 hours in total.

Im struggling to do anything other than work (I work full time from home), get DD to school and keeping us all fed and in clean clothes, Im shattered after a 5 minute walk to school and Im having a lay down at lunch time. It took me days to find the energy to wash my hair.

Is this just how its going to be 🙁

Not necessarily.
I was nearly 40 when I had my youngest and was so exhausted.
It was actually diagnosed as "fatigue in pregnancy"

Good news, felt more normal after about 18 weeks. Hopefully will be the same for you.

To be fair though, you are doing quite a lot during the day.

Can you cut down on work a little and have a proper afternoon nap instead of just a lunch break?
Can someone share the mornings in getting DD ready for school and the school walk?
A takeaway now and again instead of cooking (if money will stretch)
Anyone to help with the laundry?

But congrats on your pregnancy 😊

How many times do you wake up during the night? Do you snore?

I wonder if your oxygen levels are dipping at night leaving you exhausted during the day.

I think you should book an appointment to see your GP ASAP

Yes, that's a point, OP.
Get checked out to be on the safe side.
I must have had a medical to get the diagnosis I had.
Can you contact your midwife easily? You might see GP quicker that way.

Take iron supplements. I recommend spatone.

Hi there I am a midwife however I don't work in the community. I believe the quickest way to be seen by GP is to contact the surgery, explain your symptoms and ask for an appointment. My understanding is pregnant and newly delivered women are clinical priority.

Thank you for the replies, I was feeling very sorry for myself yesterday, to answer the questions

I take spatone and my iron levels are very good - midwife actually said she was pleased with them.

I saw the midwife on Monday and mentioned how tired I was, she double checked the last lot of bloods and confirmed there wasn't anything that should be causing it but to call them if it continues and they will investigate as iron levels can drop off suddenly.

The point about snoring is a good one as a do snore and Im just at the end of a horrible cold, my watch says there are no big oxygen variations but Im not getting much REM or deep sleep so that cant be helping.

I told DH to sort dinner last night and we get a take away on Fridays, this weekend isn't very busy so Im going to make some time to rest. Unfortunately there isn't much scope to reduce my workload in other ways, I might drop my ironing off to be done though as that'll be one job less.

Thank you 🙌

Yes, rest as much as you can. That's what your body is telling you to do.
Don't forget to go back to your midwife if it continues, as she suggested.

Hope you feel back to normal soon. Well, as normal as you be can when pregnant 😊

I developed extreme fatigue in my last pregnancy at 34 weeks. I was admitted to hospital after I couldn't stay awake and went to triage at 35 weeks, I even fell asleep whilst the Dr was doing an internal exam for preterm labour! I was sleeping 20h a day and had to stop driving and looking after my daughter. They ended up deciding I needed early induction at 36 weeks because of it although it was 37 weeks when I was induced
My iron was ok, b12 very good, thyroid normal nothing obvious causing the fatigue. However, I did have poor liver function and obstetric cholestasis and low platelets. They assumed that this was all contributing to the fatigue even though it wasn't a typical symptom. I was struggling with appetite and weight gain which got worse the more fatigued I got as I then wasn't awake enough to eat what I needed. I didn't gain any weight from 29 weeks to 35 weeks when I started losing.
I'm 8 weeks postpartum now and still more fatigued than normal but starting to feel more normal. My liver function isn't quite back to normal, and I've since had raised urates and calcium indicating a potential issue with my kidneys

The midwives and jr doctors in triage were stumped as soon as they saw normal iron and b12, it was the consultant obstetrician and my psychiatrist that were putting it down to my liver as the most common cause. Sometimes the less obvious is the reason. My GP was repeated all the usual bloods for fatigue and still nothing is showing up.

Hi there, it's midwife again. I wouldn't rely on your watch to measure your oxygen levels accurately. Your tiredness doesn't sound normal to me. I do believe you need to be seen by a GP.

I feel for you OP. Sounds like me (DD1 was 2 though) and wow it was relentless. I used to take naps all day with my laptop on loud so I could deal with anything as it came in. Luckily I was really on top of my general work. I really recommend spatone iron supplements, you can take 2 if pregnant/bf. I was recommended them by my acupuncturist (also recco acupuncture) who said in Chinese medicine they’d consider me anaemic based on symptoms. I still take them now and DD2 is 12 months. Other than that, just some solidarity because it’s absolutely terrible to live through. It did improve the moment I gave birth though!

sorry - edited as just seen you take spatone already. Did they check your ferretin or just iron?

Sorry to reply so late but thank you for the suggestion. I've really tried resting but Im still so tired. I brought a home test for ferritin and its showing low ferritin levels - I know these should be taken with a pinch of salt but I was starting to feel silly saying I was tired all the time so I thought Id do one of these before going back to the midwife.

I've had a google (again a silly thing to do) and the results are worrying, saying that high iron levels and low ferritin can indicate inflammation and liver disease. Also there seems to be no treatment other than iron supplements which Im taking?

I've left a message with my midwife but any thoughts welcome while I wait for her to get back to me.

Also to add, I saw the consultant yesterday (I'm CLC as Im over 40) and she just said she had the same with her second pregnancy and advised me to try and increase Vitamin B12 in my diet and eat low glycemic carbs to balance sugar levels - I've never had sugar in my urine and didnt have GD with previous pregnancy, DG test isn't due until after Christmas.

Hello - no need to apologise! Both my wife & I had low ferritin with our respective pregnancies, no ill health that you’ll have found on the internet either and both fine post pregnancy if that’s reassuring at all.

Interestingly taking ferrous sulphate made both of us really sick and fatigued. My wife just stopped taking them and I transferred over to ferrous fumarate which I found much more beneficial without the nasty symptoms. I have been a nurse 13 years and never really had patients suffer any symptoms from ferrous sulphate so I found it a coincidence it happened to both of us. Might be worth considering? You can buy ferrous fumarate from a pharmacy for a couple of pounds, let your midwife know your intentions though & she can advise if it’s not suitable in your case!

Thank you so much that is reassuring, I was pretty healthy before falling pregnant so hopefully it just one of those things.

I've sent the DH to the chemist on the way home, and hopefully the midwife will get back to me soon, even if it just takes the edge off the tiredness Id a happy tbh!

No worries, pregnancy really does a number on us doesn’t it. Another thing I’ve done since breastfeeding which I wish I had done in pregnancy is take an electrolyte sachet each day to make sure I am no depleted anything and staying hydrated, can’t say it will help you but I’ve definitely found it beneficial since bf. Hope you manage to find something to help you feel better ASAP!

It is a drag when you feel absolutely fatigued most of the time when pregnant, OP.
I can remember feeling too exhausted at one point to even lift my arms, it's scary.

I was agreeing with the pp (midwife) who suggested GP but then I saw that you've seen the consultant.
But doesn't seem very helpful?

Keep your chin up, you will get through this and might even feel better in later pregnancy as I did. So fingers crossed for you OP 💐