Wednesday, September 5, 2012

First Trimester Fatigue

I remember when I was pregnant with my first child. I was exhausted. I mean exhausted! It was all I could do to keep my eyes open during the day. I literally would get up about 15 minutes before having to leave for work, change clothes, brush my teeth and hair and start the morning commute with breakfast on the go. During each of my 15 minute breaks and my lunch hour, I would nap. Didn't quite matter where so long as I had my travel alarm clock with me to wake me on time. Upon arriving home from work, I generally just crawled into bed. Sometimes I don't think I even got undressed. Definitely not a time in my life when I looked my best, I'm sure; but I was a tired little chicken!

Does this sound like you? Just can't stay awake to save your life? During the first trimester of pregnancy, it's not unusual to feel excessively tired. Even though you don't look pregnant yet, your body is doing a tremendous amount of work! All those little cells are dividing and multiplying; the entire framework for your little one's body is being created. Add to that the fact that you may be experiencing morning sickness, and you've got the perfect recipe for fatigue.

So what's a tired pregnant girl to do? SLEEP! Yep, you heard me, you have permission to sleep. Your body needs the extra energy to get you through this busy time. If you only have a short amount of time, set an alarm on your cell phone or an alarm clock and catch a few zzzz's. It will help you avoid fatigue and increase your ability to function throughout the day. When it comes to sleeping at night, go to bed earlier if you're able to. Retiring an hour or two earlier than normal may put a kink in your schedule now, but it can make a real difference in how you feel the next day.

In the end, rest assured (no pun intended!) that this feeling of exhaustion won't last forever. Typically, by the end of your first trimester, you'll begin to feel more energetic. That's not to say that you won't have days throughout your pregnancy that you just feel like you want to crawl into bed and never get out, but for now go count some sheep and dream of all the joy you'll share with your new little one!

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