Tips To Cope Up With Tiredness or Fatigue During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is an amazing experience. It is full of excitement and an important turning point of life. Despite all the wonderful parts of pregnancy, you cannot ignore the Tiredness or Fatigue you feel during pregnancy. But don’t worry, it’s normal to feel tired when you're pregnant and pregnancy fatigue can be especially pronounced during the early months and in the weeks before birth.

During pregnancy, you will feel like sleeping more or would like to sit and do nothing. Tiredness or Fatigue is a common symptom of pregnancy and there is nothing to worry about. Find out about pregnancy fatigue and what you can do to manage it with ease.

This article content:

• Is Fatigue A Sign Of Pregnancy?
• Why Are You So Tired?
• How Does It Feel During Pregnancy Fatigue?
• All About Pregnancy Fatigue
• Tips To Cope-Up With Tiredness or Fatigue During Pregnancy
• Can Fatigue Hurt My Baby?
• Is Extreme Fatigue A Sign Of Twins?
• How To Cope-Up Pregnancy Fatigue At Work?
• When To Call Doctor?

Is Fatigue A Sign Of Pregnancy?

As per The American Pregnancy Association, “Women may notice they feel more tired and sleepy than usual as early as one week after conception.” It's common to feel tired, or even exhausted, during pregnancy, especially in the first 12 weeks. Some newly pregnant women become extremely fatigued during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. This is most likely caused by rising levels of the hormone progesterone in early pregnancy. Only Fatigue is not the sign of pregnancy, as well as backaches, headaches, mood swing, Nausea or morning sickness etc. are also the signs of pregnancy.

Why Are You So Tired?

During early pregnancy, hormonal changes are likely the cause of fatigue. Your body is producing more blood to carry nutrients to your growing baby. Your blood sugar levels and blood pressure are also lower. Hormones especially increased progesterone levels, are responsible for making you sleepy. In addition to the physical changes occurring in your body, emotional changes can contribute to decreased energy.

How Does It Feel During Pregnancy Fatigue?

Ladies, pregnancy fatigue is very common and it can be a part of your pregnancy journey.  You may feel sleepy throughout the day, can’t focus on work, get tired quickly, but this is normal in pregnancy. 

Some women may feel exhausted throughout their pregnancy, while some may hardly feel tired at all. Although experience with fatigue tends to vary, most women will feel more tired than usual during their pregnancy. 

All About Pregnancy Fatigue

Fatigue during pregnancy is most common during the first trimester. It tends to go away during the second trimester, but will usually return in the third trimester. There are some common causes of fatigue in each trimester which is as follows

First Trimester

• Hormonal Changes: Hormone changes play a big role in making you feel tired, especially the hormone progesterone. This hormone rises sharply in the first trimester, that’s why the fatigue level is high during the first trimester.
• Increase in Blood Volume: In addition, as blood volume increases to supply the developing placenta and fetal circulation, your heart pumps faster and stronger. This results in faster pulse and breathing rates and cause of fatigue too.
• Low Iron Level: Low iron levels can sometimes make you tired, as well, although this is more common in later pregnancy.

Second Trimester

The second trimester is often called “The Happy Trimester.” Most women find that the second trimester is a lot easier than the first and there is a good chance your energy level will increase and you will start to feel more like your old self.  Many women take advantage of this time during the pregnancy to accomplish important tasks, as energy levels will likely decrease again in the third trimester, but unfortunately, fatigue during pregnancy is still possible during the second trimester.

• Frequent Urination: Like first trimester some pregnant women may have to deal with frequent urination in the second trimester too which make them feel more fatigued.  

Third Trimester

Pregnancy fatigue often returns in the third trimester, though it varies from pregnancy to pregnancy. Third-trimester fatigue could be due to the following reasons.

• Extra Weight: At this point, you will be carrying extra weight from the baby due to which you also have difficulty in doing regular work and you feel more fatigued due to the extra weight.
• High Nutritional Demand: As in the third trimester, the fetal is growing rapidly which needs extra nutrients to develop and these nutrients are absorbed by women’s body and because of this, the mother feels more tired.
• Pregnancy Insomnia: As you carry the extra weight of the baby, you may be having trouble sleeping which is called pregnancy insomnia and this pregnancy insomnia is bound to cause fatigue.
• Other Reasons: Some other reasons like headache, heartburn, increased metabolisms; stress, blood pressure etc. are also the cause of pregnancy fatigue.

Regardless of the reason, it is very important to understand that feeling tired in pregnancy is very common.

Tips To Cope-Up With Tiredness or Fatigue During Pregnancy

Pregnancy Fatigue is a feeling of weariness, tiredness that does not go away only with rest. The following are a list of ways to cope with the pregnancy fatigue you may be experiencing.

• Allow yourself to take extra rest during the times you feel fatigued.
• Moderate exercise regularly will help you to battle your fatigue and even increases energy level. Exercise is beneficial in pregnancy unless your healthcare provider has advised otherwise.
• Make up for the sleep you're losing at night by catching a short nap or two during the day.
• Organize your to-do list so that it seems more manageable. Avoid extra work which is not your priority in these days.
• Eating nutritious meals will go a long way toward supporting your energy levels. Make sure you get enough iron, protein, and calories.
• Accept all offers of help so that you can keep your energy for growing the baby.
• Stay hydrated because dehydration can leave you lacking in energy and concentration.
• Say No to Sweets and Caffeine.  Sugar and caffeine only cause your metabolism to slow down and make you sluggish.
• Eat five or six small meals in a day instead of three big meals. This helps in stabilizing your blood sugar and energy levels. 
• Be sure to listen to any signs your body gives you. Being pregnant saps a lot of energy out of you, so you will need to take extra care of it. If you feel like sleeping in the afternoon then take a short nap. Do as much work as you can, don’t try to do more than that.
• Change your sleep posture. A shift from sleeping on your front or back to your left side. You'll feel more comfortable

Above mentioned points should be considered to reduce fatigue during pregnancy.

Can Fatigue Hurt My Baby?

Fatigue is not harmful to the baby. Your body is in the process of making another human being inside you which causes fatigue and it’s not hurt your baby. But if you are excessively tired, consult your doctor once.

Is Extreme Fatigue A Sign Of Twins?

It has not been stated anywhere that extreme fatigue is a sign of twins. If you still feel like this then consult a doctor.

How To Cope-Up Pregnancy Fatigue At Work?

If you are a working woman it is difficult to manage office work along with the pregnancy fatigue. First of all, tell your boss and colleagues that you are pregnant. You take leave when you feel more tired. Take good care of your health even if you are in the office. It’s advisable to talk to your boss and explain to him about the fatigue and opt for flexible timings. But don’t be careless about your health during pregnancy.

When To Call Doctor?

Though pregnancy fatigue is a totally normal symptom, still you are getting more tired than usual, consult the doctor immediately because it may be because of the iron deficiency or some other cause. Also, fatigue can sometimes be a sign of chronic fatigue disorder. Your doctor can help ensure you get the treatments you need, as necessary, to feel better. If you are not healthy in your pregnancy period, it will affect your baby's development and most importantly, you will not be able to enjoy your pregnancy.