What helps extreme fatigue in pregnancy?

[PineFarmMom]

I have this at different points during each pregnancy. I feel so weary today that I don't feel like I can even answer questions that are asked of me by dc and dh. It's like I'm walking through a marshy swamp or something. Is that caused by iron deficiency?

 

I'm pushing 40. I'm more aware of weariness and just not feeling good this time around. It's day-to-day. Thursday I felt great; yesterday, not so good; today, really bad!!! Tomorrow may be great again. What is good to eat, drink, take for energy and health of the baby? I'm eating better this time around than I have during any pregnancy, but I think there are still improvements to be made, particularly for energy levels.

[secular_mom]

I had fatigue throughout 3 of my pregnancies, and I did have low iron. I didn't take supplements until after giving birth though. What helped me was to eat lots of protein, and that included lots of beef. I would have steak for dinner and drink a glass of orange juice (it helps you absorb more iron- do NOT drink milk when you eat beef, because the calcium prevents you from absorbing the iron). I always felt much better when I kept this up. I also found that I needed to snack frequently, which was hard for me at times because I was just so busy I didn't take the time to plan out my snack times. If you can plan snacks throughout the day it will help keep your energy up. HTH

[herbalgirl]

I sure hope someone can tell us what to do because I am in the same boat! I am 34, pg with #5 and feel like a truck has run me over. I've been taking my prenatals every day, plus fish oil caps, but don't know what else to do. With 4 other kids age 7 and under, resting during the day is pretty much nonexistent! :tongue_smilie:

[susie in tx]

If your iron is good - say in the 13 and above range, then I would check vitamin d, b vitamins, and make sure that I was eating enough protein. 80 - 100 grams a day of protein. It's a lot, but I think it will help.

[gardenschooler]

I can't answer your question as far as supplements (I hope someone can), but I know that for me, the two things that have helped me deal with fatigue this time around are 1) exercise, believe it or not. I just feel better when I do, and 2) getting enough sleep and enough rest. Honestly, I think we greatly underestimate the amount of rest we need when pregnant. I've been sleeping 10-12 hours a night plus naps during this pregnancy. Any less than that and I simply can't function.

 

Are you sure you're getting enough sleep and enough rest during the day?

[gardenschooler]

Another thing I think is a big factor...how old are your kids? I felt much more wiped out while pregnant at 25 and chasing a toddler, than I have at 40 with older kids that don't need me as much.

[PineFarmMom]

Wow. You-all have been very helpful!! The beef thing really hit me! I just am not eating much meat. I like meat, to a degree, but it's just not something I regularly choose.

 

I also can't really say I'm getting enough sleep. I do take a nap pretty much every day, but my nighttime sleep is not what it should be. I do forget...I actually feel lazy if I'm resting/napping too much. My memory is serving me now, though, because I specifically remember despising how tired I was in the last pregnancy. I'm going to the doc on Monday, so hopefully I'll find out my iron levels.

[PineFarmMom]

Another thing I think is a big factor...how old are your kids? I felt much more wiped out while pregnant at 25 and chasing a toddler, than I have at 40 with older kids that don't need me as much.

 

I do have older kids but also a 3yo who is more of a "handful" than any of my other kids were at his age. He is definitely a contributing factor. ;)

[amy g.]

The only thing that has ever worked for me is childbirth!

[PineFarmMom]

The only thing that has ever worked for me is childbirth!

 

Is there an emoticon of someone sticking their fingers in their ears while saying "la la la la I'm not listening"? ;)

[Dirtroad]

I suffered greatly from it during first trimester and was worried. I have not had the energy as with my first 2 pregnancies, but it did improve in second trimester. I couldn't even think.... I felt "limp and drained".

 

Now, as I enter the last trimester, I feel it returning. However it is more like being exhausted from work or stress. To me, this may be better b/c I can lie down & get some rejuvenation more quickly. I won't have the brain fatigue either (I hope).

 

I tried to rest as often as I could & just dealt with it. I am 41. I talked to friends who have had babies in the "old age" (we laugh) and they all had issues.

 

If you are eating well, iron is good, sugar is okay, and you are staying hydrated... it is just part of the symptoms. Rest often & hang on! Hope you feel more energized soon!

[Veritaserum]

Liquid iron (Floradix) and chlorophyll helped my energy as I'm always anemic during pregnancy. With my last one my thyroid stopped working very well and being hypothyroid sapped my energy worse than anything. I'm on thyroid medication now and feel so much better!

[*Inna*]

The only thing that has ever worked for me is childbirth!

:lol:

I have the same thing now and I've noticed that it gets worse when I'm not drinking water constantly. Catnaps throughout the day help too.

[5wolfcubs]

I second Floradix liquid iron! I had extreme fatigue at the beginning of this pregnancy. I was getting a daily 2 hour doze on the couch plus 9 hours of sleep a night. When I had my blood test it came back that I was low on iron. I was already taking a pre-natal plus 4 iron capsules. The doctor recommended the Floradix brand at 2xs the bottle dosage (which was less then 1/2 of what I was taking!!!)...but it worked. :) I feel it is *very* expensive...but at least I can function now!

[The Governess]

I had fatigue throughout 3 of my pregnancies, and I did have low iron. I didn't take supplements until after giving birth though. What helped me was to eat lots of protein, and that included lots of beef. I would have steak for dinner and drink a glass of orange juice (it helps you absorb more iron- do NOT drink milk when you eat beef, because the calcium prevents you from absorbing the iron). I always felt much better when I kept this up. I also found that I needed to snack frequently, which was hard for me at times because I was just so busy I didn't take the time to plan out my snack times. If you can plan snacks throughout the day it will help keep your energy up. HTH

 

:iagree::iagree:I was anemic starting early in my pregnancy. The iron pills my doctor prescribed didn't help at all, but during my last trimester I craved steak and hamburgers and oranges all the time. By the time dd was born my iron level was great. :D

 

I think that apart from getting my iron levels up, eating enough protein was really important for me. Dh and I took Bradley childbirth classes when I was pg and the instructor encouraged us pregnant women to get 80 grams of protein a day. That is a LOT and I had to really try hard to get that much protein in every day. But I noticed a huge difference in my energy level once I changed my diet and it helped with my nausea too.

 

Hope you find something that works. :001_smile:

[Harriet Vane]

Get some blood work done. I was anemic for both pregnancies and found that iron supplements really helped. I also found that vitamin B6 really helped.

 

Because I had been anemic on my first pregnancy I asked my midwife to test my iron right away for my second. She said it wasn't necessary, that they usually test later on down the road. I don't remember exactly when, but I think it was halfway or so through the pregnancy. I have some resentments about her refusal to test. In later years I learned that I struggle with chronic anemia (so does my ds--we do not know why). I was pregnant years before my official anemia diagnosis, so in both pregnancies they tested me later in the pregnancy, and then without further testing insisted that I wean off iron supplements about two months after the baby was born. In retrospect, I dearly wished I would have pushed more on the testing earlier in the pregnancy, and on more testing afterward. I could have been spared years and years of bonecrushing exhaustion.

 

Bottom line: Get your iron tested, pronto. Insist on BOTH a hemoglobin AND a ferritin test as the standard hemoglobin test only tells half the story. If necessary have this done through your general practitioner rather than your OB.

[susie in tx]

Iron can be really tough during pregnancy. During my 4th pg, I had seriously low iron levels. They just kept dropping and dropping, no matter what I did. I took more b vites, used a cast iron skillet for everything, ate grassfed beef liver, took floradix, etc. It was all to no avail.

 

Finally, I started seeing a nutritionist and she recommended that I take a product called hematinic. Within 3 days my blood levels almost tripled. Now, it's the only produce my midwife uses when she has a client who has anemia. She's only had a few cases where it didn't work.

[mom2abcd]

Time.

 

Seriously, that's the only thing that helped. I tried Floradix, the most easily absorbed liquid iron we could find. I tried more sleep. I tried plenty of water. Nothing helped. I could have slept 20-24 hours a day each of my four pregnancies. Only time helped.

 

Hang in there! That little one is worth it:o)

[Ruby]

I would second the vote for water. You may be dehydrated. And with everything else going on it wont help. Be sure to drink half your weight in water every day. I hate water so that was always a struggle for me . Good luck. Ruby

[Heather in OK]

 

 

 

 

How far along are you?

 

She said it wasn't necessary, that they usually test later on down the road. I don't remember exactly when, but I think it was halfway or so through the pregnancy.

Between 26-28 weeks. That is when the blood volume doubles and one can appear anemic. It's a good thing to see in that it shows your body is doing exactly what it needs to do. But it's something that needs to be checked on to make sure the iron levels don't stay too low.

[PineFarmMom]

An update since I wrote the post: I started searching out iron-rich foods that I actually LIKE (i.e., not liver), and bran flakes was one. I found some that has 100% of the iron needed for the day and started having some each day and a glass of oj. I am feeling much better. I just finished a 3-mile walk, and I wasn't able to do that last week.

 

The doctor tested me yesterday for anemia and checked my thyroid. I should find out soon if there is anything I need to know.

 

I also agree that fluid intake is a big part of it. I have been being more careful to get a lot of water in, and I can see that my energy level is up and I'm not weak-feeling anymore.