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Pregnancy

Fatigue in first trimester

28 replies

AnythingNotEverything · 26/03/2013 12:18

Hello all,

I hope to tap into you mn wisdom toget advice on my tiredness ...

I'm 11 weeks with my second dc, although ds was a millennium baby so I'm not chasing/wrangling a toddler all day thankfully!

I feel really tired, almost all the time. Is this normal? I've got no ms and am definitely eating for two ... But I'm shattered all the time. I do work full time and commute an hour each way, but by the time I get home I'm only good for beaching on the sofa. I feel ok between about 7am and 11am, and then I start to slip down again.

Is it normal to be this tired this early? Dh thinks I should sit less and do more (because you feel worse if you just sit around), but I just don't feel I've got the energy.

I'm worried it could be anaemia ... Or maybe I'm a hypochondriac!

Advice, tips, tricks or sympathy will be gratefully received!

TIA!

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Saundy · 26/03/2013 12:21

Sympathy here! If you're good 7-11 you're doing better than me, I feel like I'm wading through mud from when I get up. Tried to do an exercise DVD for the energy giving results but it ruined me (the 5 mins of the warm up I managed did anyway).

If you find a cure send it this way!

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AnythingNotEverything · 26/03/2013 12:24

Really glad it's not just me saundy!

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Saundy · 26/03/2013 12:30

Honestly its not, I think super energetic firt-tri's are the anomoly. I'm hopeless, got up today and got a glass of OJ - needed a little sit down. Got a shower - needed a little sit down (it was an hour before I dried my hair - done sitting down). Loaded the dishwasher - little sit down... You get the idea!

I wouldn't mind but I'm not particularly out of shape and I'm not overweight but I feel as though I have the stamina of 95 year old! Was not prepared for this at all!!

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Lj8893 · 26/03/2013 12:42

I'm exactly the same!! I have a good night sleep and I'm still shattered when I wake up, by the time I've got to work I've woken up a bit but that only lasts about an hour!
By the time I've had my lunch I'm ready for bed haha.

Oh and I have 2 flights of stairs to walk up when I get to work in the morning, they are killing me!!!!

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SeriousStuff · 26/03/2013 12:48

I can empathise! After dragging myself from bed, I'm great from about 8 - 12, but after that I have to nap. Luckily I work from home but I have unfortunately had 3 hour naps (sleeping through alarm) at lunchtime before now. But at night, no matter how tired I am I just can't get to sleep easily!

It means I'm behind on a lot of my work - before pg, if I needed to pull a late one, I could have a small nap early evening then I'd be able to power through but I just can't manage it anymore.

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AnythingNotEverything · 26/03/2013 12:57

Oh dear. Sympathy all round!

I'll stop worrying about anaemia then and maybe show my dh this thread. He hasn't done this before and think he's struggling to understand how knackering growing a baby is!

Hopefully it'll pass in a week or so ...

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LuckyOwl28 · 26/03/2013 13:16

I was so tired between 5-12 weeks!

I left work without any shoes on one day, was so out of it!

Also sustained several burn and slice injuries whilst cooking tea as could barely stand up.

Husband even accused me of drinking on the sly a few times as I was slurring my words so much through tiredness!

So can definitely empathise! Hope it passes soon for you xx

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Kelly1814 · 26/03/2013 13:29

luckyowl28 that's funny about the drinking thing - i have been so tired i feel as if i'm slurring too some days.

some days am completely fine, others i cannot keep my eyes open. working 14 hour days really doesn't help either.

i'm trying to 'stock up' on rest at the weekends when i do very little!

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butterflyexperience · 26/03/2013 13:52

Sit more and do less!
That fatigue is a bitch, and you work full time.
Get home, eat dinner then bed!

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AnythingNotEverything · 26/03/2013 14:06

Butterfly, I like your style.

I'm trying to mange one more thing when I get home each day, and luckily I'm not cooking. DS' 13th birthday is the biggie at the moment.

Hope everyone is getting lots of supports from family/friends/their significant other.

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SeriousStuff · 26/03/2013 14:09

Don't know what I would do without my DH (although I do get the odd 'lazy' sly remark!) He's pretty good at taking over jobs round the house, including the cooking.

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GladbagsGold · 26/03/2013 14:20

I would rather go through labour 10 times than the first trimester. I was absolutely beyond tired, especially 2nd time round. It makes me cross that there isn't a better word for it, because people just don't understand the exhaustion. Especially when you don't look particularly different. Then once you have a bump 'it becomes real for other people' well bully for them its been bloody knackering for the mother since the start!

Sympathies, and congratulations too of course.

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rrreow · 26/03/2013 14:22

Yes this is normal! Especially with DS1 I had this completely debilitating fatigue in my first trimester. I would get out of bed (after a good sleep, 10 hours or so), have a shower and get dressed and by the end of that I would be absolutely shattered. The tiredness seemed unreal, not related to anything.

But hopefully because you're 11w it'll start easing off soon. You might still feel tired, but a more natural tiredness just from doing stuff (although you ARE doing stuff at the moment: growing a baby!).

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chroniclackofimagination · 26/03/2013 14:24

God I'll never forget the exhaustion of the first trimester! Both times I was just wiped out for weeks. Totally normal, just try to rest as much as you can. Mine got better at about 16/17 weeks and I felt amazing in the second trimester.

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badguider · 26/03/2013 14:25

I slept almost continually from weeks 6-9 and still need naps sometimes at 16 weeks. Your body is doing tons of stuff inside in the first trimester and it's totally normal to be really really tired.

BUT, you could be anaemic, they will have tested the blood you gave at your booking in appointment so you can phone your MW and ask for the results to set your mind at ease (and eat lots of steak and spinach in the meantime).

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AnythingNotEverything · 26/03/2013 14:41

Yes yes, blood test at booking appointment ... Except they didn't take any blood at my booking appointment.

I'm back with midwife next Friday so I'll talk to her and her hundreds of students then.

So nice to hear this is normal!

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crazyhead · 26/03/2013 19:59

I'm 8-9 weeks with DC2 and feel crap - three colds so far this pg from toddler, constant nausea, full time job and building work don't conspire to help fatigue. Basically my sympathies, it is awful. And the worst thing is not even knowing till 12 weeks whether the pg is viable yet.

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CitizenOscar · 26/03/2013 22:33

Completely normal! You're creating a baby in there! All the building blocks of a baby are being created basically out of nothing. Just because you (and DH) can't see anything from the outside, please don't underestimate the hard work that's going on in there.

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Saundy · 27/03/2013 06:51

DP is great, much more understanding than I probably would be. I appreciate him so much more than I did, he's made all the difference.

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GreatSoprendo · 27/03/2013 07:16

I was just the same in the first trimester and would often go straight to bed when I got home from work at 7pm! I honestly have more staying power now at 39 weeks pregnant than I did at 8-14 weeks Grin

Be kind to yourself and take a rest when you need it.

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smartdoodle · 27/03/2013 15:34

I'm so tired all the time! I'm currently 7 weeks and could quite happily sleep for the next 7 ish months!
Luckily not had any other symptoms (slight sickness) but the tiredness has really hit me. I also keep getting colds!
House looks like a bombs hit as i just haven't got the energy to clean everyday and hubby works long hours so the important stuff gets done and the rest left for the weekend when i dont have to go to work!

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honey86 · 27/03/2013 16:37

agree with saundy, im like that with the sitting. god im so tired Sad x

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PinkApple86 · 27/03/2013 17:55

I totally sympathise. In the first trimester I was working full time and in bed by 8pm. We had oven pizza for dinner all the time as I could barely cook when I got home. I'm 15 weeks now and energy levels are picking back up and sickness stopping. Now I've got spots and my trousers don't do up. lol.

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WhenSheWasBadSheWasHopeful · 27/03/2013 18:16

I feel your pain. I am constantly knackered. Was off sick on Thur & Fri due to fatigue. Dd had a stinking cold and kept me up two nights in a row.

I would normally cope but this just wiped me out.

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QuietNinjaTardis · 27/03/2013 18:36

You're growing a baby! Of course you're bloody tired. You building a whole new person and your body is working overtime. Your heart rate is faster, you've got a higher blood volume. I'm 4 weeks and already feeling more tired. Tell your dp to make use of any pregnancy books you've bought and get clued up.

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