Debilitating tiredness - at 23 weeks

[TiredTiredTired]

I'm completely steamrollered with tiredness and have been for the past 23 weeks, bar a little sunny window of about a week where I felt normal. Anyone out there feel the same? I sleep for half the day and then try to work (I'm self employed thank god) but am not doing so well at that.

Doc has tested thyroid, iron etc and it's all OK - am I just unlucky or has anyone else had this? I know my body is just telling me to take time out, but I can't afford to do that for 40 weeks!

Sorry but this is not at all unusual.
Welcome to parenthood.

Sorry - you've got another 18 years of this

Seriously though I found pregnancy tiredness was much worse than actual sleep deprived tiredness (and my babies fed every 2 hours for 6 months). You just cant seem to escape from it - sleep doesnt seem to work.

Pregnancy isnt an illness but it is a time to slow down for most women. I dont take my own advice though

Yep; fairly normal. Good luck!

You probably don't want to see the thread currently running (that I started) on feeling utterly ILL as well as tired in pregnancy. Pregnancy is not an illness, but it doesn't half make you feel tired and (often) ill.

No idea why this isn't better known. Something to do with how our society romantisizes pregnancy......

Hi Tired

yes its normal I think though totally demoralising.... you might be lucky and find your energy returning over the next few weeks or like me still feel poleaxed at 31 weeks and have to be in bed by 6pm(I love my netbook!). Ive given up on all social interaction and my work productivity levels are dire (despite working mainly from home). Had it with first pregnancy but this is much worse.

hope it improves for you - you do get your energy back after the birth just in time to deal with the sleep deprivation

I have always felt crap crap crap in the first trimester but normally perk up a bit in the second and third in previous pregnancies
This time I felt better sickness wise in the second, but felt so so so so tired, so much that I could not imaging even working for a few more months
The m/w said, 'well, maybe you'll have a 3rd trimester energy burst' and I laughed and looked at her like she was a crazy lady.
However, a few weeks late so mid 20s I think, I started feeling much much better and have had near normal energy levels, so here's hoping you will have similar.
Fingers crossed

I am 18 weeks (3rd DC) and totally exhausted. Like you, I have had any "problems" ruled out so it is just one of those things. My midwife helpfully suggested "resting more" to combat tiredness and actually wrote that in my notes!

I've always said the first 18 weeks and the last 18 weeks of pregnancy are horrendous (I really don't "do" pregnancy very well!)

I have found that eating lots of fruit and drinking plenty of water helps me get through my working days. However days off are spent on the sofa or, if particularly bad, in bed!

Thanks guys - nice to know that I'm not alone, but the thought of this for 18 years is a little alarming!! Hope you all perk up soon too...

I'm on DC4 and absolutely shattered.

I've always said that there is no tiredness like pregnacy tiredness - if you've never been pregnant then you can't begin to imagine it imo.

I have felt so sick all the way through, I'm now 21 weeks and feel no better. I cannot wait until this baby is born - however hard things will be at least I will feel WELL!

That thread the other day about pregnancy not being an illness but if you weren't pregnant and felt like this then you'd be really worried - well, that rang so true with me. It may not be an illness as such but man do you feel rough with it

My first pregnancy was 15 years ago when I was just 17 and the comparison between that and this, my definite last, is stark. I am in bed by 7.30pm every night, on laptop, I sleep with my youngest for an hour mid-morning and I could still sleep all afternoon given the opportunity (which I never get may I add)!