Is feeling extremely tired during pregnancy normal? Well, pregnancy fatigue is one of the most common early pregnancy signs because many hormonal and physical changes occur in a woman’s body. A pregnant woman typically experiences fatigue twice during her pregnancy, at the beginning of the first trimester and again in the third trimester.
Let’s have a detailed look at how early fatigue starts in pregnancy, its causes, and how to deal with pregnancy fatigue.
What Does Pregnancy Fatigue Feel Like?
Basically, fatigue is a constant lack of energy. If you’re pregnant and fatigued, then you may find difficulty waking up in the morning or you may want to plunge into pillows as soon as you get home from work. Likewise, you may feel inactive, unenergetic, and dragging the moment you wake up to the time you go to bed to sleep.
When Does Fatigue Start during Pregnancy?
Fatigue can start very early, mainly in the first weeks of pregnancy. Some pregnant women notice exhaustion as early as one week after conceiving.
Whereas fatigue gets better at the start of the second trimester, you can experience it later in your third trimester. However, like other symptoms, it varies from pregnancy to pregnancy.
What Causes Pregnancy Fatigue?
Pregnancy fatigue is absolutely normal. During pregnancy, women’s bodies undergo many changes, so fatigue is just a body indicator that tells you to need to slow down and give your body time to adjust to new changes happening inside.
Additionally, changes in hormones make you feel tired, especially the hormone progesterone. What happens is, that progesterone rises sharply in the first trimester. At the same time, the blood volume increases to supply extra blood, nutrients, and oxygen to the developing placenta and fetal circulation.
On top of that, your heart and breathing rates up while blood pressure and sugar level may go lower — all these changes result in exhaustion and pregnancy fatigue. Also, low iron levels can sometimes make you feel tired; this is more common in later pregnancy.
How Long Will Pregnancy Fatigue Last?
For most pregnant women, the extreme exhaustion and tiredness of the first trimester will soon end as their second trimester begins. So if you’re lying around, dozing, or napping in your first trimester, don’t worry as pregnancy fatigue is completely normal in the first trimester.
However, fatigue could return in the third trimester because of pregnancy insomnia, growing baby bump, and increasing discomfort, but this too will pass in time.
Things You Can Do to Feel Better
Take Small Frequent Meals
Good nutrition and eating small, frequent, healthy meals can help beat pregnancy fatigue. A healthy diet pattern will keep you going and may also help with nausea.
Exercise
Drooping eyelids while at work? Do some stretches or deep breathing exercises. You may go for a walk around the block whenever you feel like going because a bit of exercise can energize you and may help rest well when you go to sleep.
Adapt Your Sleep Habits
Taking naps during the day can help fight pregnancy fatigue. Also, you can try going to bed early.
Energy Boosters
Taking energy supplements, especially multivitamins can help boost your energy levels during pregnancy. Diamond Glow is one such safe multivitamin for pregnancy that helps boost your immune system and keep you energized even during extreme exhaustion pregnancy times.
Click here to learn more about the product.