when do you start feeling 'ok' again, and how to cope in the meantime...

[happynappies]

I'm 12 wks pg with #3, and genuinely can't remember feeling this tired first or second time around, in fact I can't imagine how I managed to work full-time when pg with my first. I feel absolutely shattered, and just don't seem to have the energy to deal with my 3 year old and 12 month old. I'm doing what I can - she has pre-school two mornings a week, and other than that we're sort of lying low as I'm finding it so hard to get out and maintain our usual circuit of toddler groups and activities. Please someone reassure me that I might feel better soon? I know tiredness is a symptom right throughout pregnancy, but is this over-whelming brick-wall sort of tiredness something that might lessen in the next few weeks? Will my dc's suffer greatly because of my complete lack of energy/enthusiasm etc?

You will feel better soon and your DC's will not even remember!! Should be by 14 weeks you will get some energy back. Something to do with when the placenta takes over. I've had three and think I was tiredest with the third but did manage to find some energy after 14 weeks. It's hard to get out at this time of the year anyway, it's better when it's sunnier - you can drive to the park, push them on the swings then off for tea and cakes!!

I have a 3 year old and a 12 month old and they have just started "playing" together - invent games they can do together while you sit, offer suggestions / laugh at them etc. Playing ball with 3 year old as ball collector / catcher, ride on toys pushing each other (LOL), puppet shows by 3 year old making 12 month old laugh. 3 year old can "read" books to 12 month old. We do playdough at the table where 3 year old does playdough and 12 month old plays with the cutters!! You could also invite yourself to other people's houses so older ones can entertain themselves and someone else can make you tea (possibly even lunch if you are lucky!!) And do go to bed early - the cleaning etc can wait a week or two!!

Hang in there!!

You may not feel properly better for ages and you may get better by 14 weeks! It's a tossup. But if you are that tired you should either get your irn checked or preemptively take iron tablets. I was so tired that I felt like I Wasn't sleeping at all (ie, would wake up as tire as when I went to bed) and iron tablets really did help. I was only slightly anaemic, too, and my GP says that some people are just more affected by low iron than others.

I am still really tired a lot and have been all the way through but nothing like what I was before I started on the iron.

Back to second the iron tablets, oh how quickly we forget - I did this preemptively as I couldn't imagine waiting till 20 weeks and then needing 4 weeks for tablets to work. Floradix are good and work pretty quickly.

Thanks everyone, I'll keep my fingers crossed that I get some energy back in the next couple of weeks, but will def. look at getting some iron tablets, anything that might help! Thanks again for taking the time to reply!