How to Fight Fatigue During Pregnancy
![Picture](/uploads/1/1/0/8/11082278/6776334.jpg)
No Energy?
It’s common to feel more tired than usual when you’re pregnant, especially during the first and third trimesters, when your body is producing new hormones and preparing for birth. Physical and psychological changes during pregnancy can be stressful mentally and emotionally as well, adding to your feelings of fatigue.
During early pregnancy, your body makes more of a hormone called progesterone, which can make you feel sluggish and sleepy. In addition, your body produces more blood to carry nutrients to the baby, causing more work for your heart and other organs. Your body also changes the way it processes foods and nutrients. All of this change is stressful to the body and may lead to fatigue.
During later pregnancy, the additional weight of the baby further taxes your body’s strength. Several changes may occur later in pregnancy that make you feel tired:
• Difficulty sleeping
• The need to urinate often during the night
• Late-night cramps in your legs
• Heartburn
Are You Anemic?
Fatigue can also be a symptom of anemia, particularly iron-deficiency anemia, which affects about half of all pregnant women. Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen to your tissues and to your baby. Your need for iron increases during pregnancy because of the needs of the baby, the increase in blood produced by your body, and the blood loss that occurs during delivery.
Fatigue can be a symptom of anemia, particularly if you also have:
• Shortness of breath
• Heart palpitations
• Weakness
• Pale skin
• Dizziness
Talk to your health-care provider if you have fatigue and other symptoms of anémia.What You Can Do
The following tips may help you feel less tired during pregnancy:
Take naps and breaks. Rest when you can during the day, during your lunch hour or before dinner. At work, take frequent breaks to pace yourself and renew your energy.
Go to bed early. You may need to adjust your schedule and go to bed earlier than usual, especially if you find yourself waking up several times during the night. Go to bed when you feel tired. Don’t push yourself to stay awake until your usual bedtime.
Avoid getting up repeatedly during the night. Drink adequate fluids earlier in the day. Don’t drink anything for two or three hours before bedtime so you won’t have to get up often during the night to urinate. If you often suffer from heartburn, be sure to eat your last meal of the day several hours before lying down or going to sleep. Gently stretch your leg muscles before bedtime to help avoid the nighttime leg cramps that are common in pregnancy.
Exercise. Unless your health-care provider has advised against it, try to exercise for at least 30 minutes per day. Even moderate exercise, such as walking, can lift your spirits and increase your energy level. (Be sure to find out from your health-care provider what exercises are safe for you and how long you can maintain your exercise program.)
Drink plenty of fluids. Lack of fluids can contribute to fatigue.
Relax. Avoid stressful situations. Cut back on social events and other activities that wear you out. Instead, spend this time on things that you find soothing and relaxing. Use relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, when you feel that you need a break.
Ask for help. Let your partner, children, or friends help out around the house as much as possible. If you’re feeling overstressed, talk to friends and relatives who can help you feel better. Talk to your health-care provider about finding support groups and other resources.
Eat right. Eat a balanced diet, including plenty of iron and protein. It’s particularly important to eat iron-containing foods during pregnancy: red meat, seafood, poultry, whole-grain or iron-fortified cereals and pastas, dark-green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds. Drinking citrus juice when you eat iron-rich foods can help your body better absorb this mineral. And take a prenatal vitamin and an iron supplement if recommended by your health-care provider.
Seek Help If ...
While the symptoms generally improve during the second trimester, some women feel tired throughout pregnancy. Talk to your health-care provider if you experience:
• Sudden fatigue
• Fatigue that doesn’t go away with adequate rest
• Severe fatigue a few weeks into your second trimester
• Depression or serious worries
Adapted from the March of Dimes Foundation. March of Dimes helps moms have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies. And if something goes wrong, they offer information and comfort to families. They research the problems that threaten our babies and work on preventing them in hopes that someday every baby will have a healthy start in life. This spring, join the March of Dimes largest fundraising event and walk for a baby you love. For more information, visit online atwww.marchforbabies.org.
© 2009 March of Dimes Foundation All rights reserved.
It’s common to feel more tired than usual when you’re pregnant, especially during the first and third trimesters, when your body is producing new hormones and preparing for birth. Physical and psychological changes during pregnancy can be stressful mentally and emotionally as well, adding to your feelings of fatigue.
During early pregnancy, your body makes more of a hormone called progesterone, which can make you feel sluggish and sleepy. In addition, your body produces more blood to carry nutrients to the baby, causing more work for your heart and other organs. Your body also changes the way it processes foods and nutrients. All of this change is stressful to the body and may lead to fatigue.
During later pregnancy, the additional weight of the baby further taxes your body’s strength. Several changes may occur later in pregnancy that make you feel tired:
• Difficulty sleeping
• The need to urinate often during the night
• Late-night cramps in your legs
• Heartburn
Are You Anemic?
Fatigue can also be a symptom of anemia, particularly iron-deficiency anemia, which affects about half of all pregnant women. Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen to your tissues and to your baby. Your need for iron increases during pregnancy because of the needs of the baby, the increase in blood produced by your body, and the blood loss that occurs during delivery.
Fatigue can be a symptom of anemia, particularly if you also have:
• Shortness of breath
• Heart palpitations
• Weakness
• Pale skin
• Dizziness
Talk to your health-care provider if you have fatigue and other symptoms of anémia.What You Can Do
The following tips may help you feel less tired during pregnancy:
Take naps and breaks. Rest when you can during the day, during your lunch hour or before dinner. At work, take frequent breaks to pace yourself and renew your energy.
Go to bed early. You may need to adjust your schedule and go to bed earlier than usual, especially if you find yourself waking up several times during the night. Go to bed when you feel tired. Don’t push yourself to stay awake until your usual bedtime.
Avoid getting up repeatedly during the night. Drink adequate fluids earlier in the day. Don’t drink anything for two or three hours before bedtime so you won’t have to get up often during the night to urinate. If you often suffer from heartburn, be sure to eat your last meal of the day several hours before lying down or going to sleep. Gently stretch your leg muscles before bedtime to help avoid the nighttime leg cramps that are common in pregnancy.
Exercise. Unless your health-care provider has advised against it, try to exercise for at least 30 minutes per day. Even moderate exercise, such as walking, can lift your spirits and increase your energy level. (Be sure to find out from your health-care provider what exercises are safe for you and how long you can maintain your exercise program.)
Drink plenty of fluids. Lack of fluids can contribute to fatigue.
Relax. Avoid stressful situations. Cut back on social events and other activities that wear you out. Instead, spend this time on things that you find soothing and relaxing. Use relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, when you feel that you need a break.
Ask for help. Let your partner, children, or friends help out around the house as much as possible. If you’re feeling overstressed, talk to friends and relatives who can help you feel better. Talk to your health-care provider about finding support groups and other resources.
Eat right. Eat a balanced diet, including plenty of iron and protein. It’s particularly important to eat iron-containing foods during pregnancy: red meat, seafood, poultry, whole-grain or iron-fortified cereals and pastas, dark-green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds. Drinking citrus juice when you eat iron-rich foods can help your body better absorb this mineral. And take a prenatal vitamin and an iron supplement if recommended by your health-care provider.
Seek Help If ...
While the symptoms generally improve during the second trimester, some women feel tired throughout pregnancy. Talk to your health-care provider if you experience:
• Sudden fatigue
• Fatigue that doesn’t go away with adequate rest
• Severe fatigue a few weeks into your second trimester
• Depression or serious worries
Adapted from the March of Dimes Foundation. March of Dimes helps moms have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies. And if something goes wrong, they offer information and comfort to families. They research the problems that threaten our babies and work on preventing them in hopes that someday every baby will have a healthy start in life. This spring, join the March of Dimes largest fundraising event and walk for a baby you love. For more information, visit online atwww.marchforbabies.org.
© 2009 March of Dimes Foundation All rights reserved.