Lacking Energy! Need Advice!

Let's see, you already have 3 kids, two are 4 year old boys, you're pregnant, and tired. I'd be shocked if you weren't!!! I got sympathy tired just reading your message.
Sorry, I don't mean to joke, you are obviously tired to the point it concerns you.

I'm not a health provider, but I'll make a couple of suggestions. First of all, could you be suffering from depression? Be honest.

If that is not your issue, are you hydrating? are you eating high energy foods throughout the day? are you getting rest, not necessarily sleep throughout the day?

Not all pregnancies are alike. You just may be more tired this time, you are 37. I had my first child when I was 31 and never felt younger. I had my second when I was 36 and never felt older and I'm 53 now. Also, you may just be this tired now, your whole pregnancy may not be this way. It may be like morning sickness that passes after a few weeks.

Take care of yourself, the next time you visit your dr, talk about it. Maybe you could get a different vitamin (you may want to consider splitting the pill and taking half in the am and half in the pm.)

Good luck and take care of yourself!

Some fatigue is hormonal related to the stage of pregnancy you are currently in. I would rest even if you are not sleepy at least a couple short naps per day and try to get all the sleep you need at night. Are you drinking enough water? Dehydration can cause such fatigue. Also low potassium - if you have vomiting or diarrhea this can be a result, causes muscle weakness. You said you were eating well though. Mention this to your doctor as well, assuming you are having your first pre-natal visit soon. During my pregnancy I drank (only 1 per day) Vitamin Water - the Revive one that has extra potassium, my OB recommended it. It made me feel more hydrated and helped with the fatigue

How is the quality of the food you are eating? If you are eating things like microwave/frozen meals, white breads/pastas, little to no fruits and vegetables, high sugar/artificial sweetener, that could be a contributing factor. I have switched my diet from foods with few nutrients to foods filled with all kinds of nutrients, and have noticed a lot more energy. I now eat whole grains (no white breads), fresh and organic fruits and vegetables, more whole foods, and little to no processed foods.

I know this seems daunting with four kiddos, but a great book to read on this which includes recipes, easy ways to shop for and prepare healthy foods, and cost saving tips, is "If It's Not Food, Don't Eat It" by Kelly Hayford, C.N.C. It is really interesting and informative. It could really change they way your family eats and it's not as hard as most people think. I now have way more energy and don't even want to eat anything unhealthy now because I know how my body feels after eating it. It would also set your family on the right path nutritionally while they are young and these are values they will most likely take with them for the rest of their life.

i remember ALWAYS being tired during my pregnancy, especially the first trimester. i found that LOTS of water (like 6-7 bottles during an 8 hour workday, i'm not kidding!) and small snacks throughout the day helped...as this is #4 these might be no-brainers to you (i've only had one!) but that's what worked for me.

At your first prenatal visit, have them check to see if you're anemic. If you are, they will have you take an additional iron pill daily. I know you feel drained, but if you can muster up enough energy to exercise, that should raise your energy levels tremendously. Good luck with your pregnancy!

Fatigue is normal, I had it really bad through my entire first trimester. If you think this is worse than the normal pregnancy fatigue talk to your doc... you might be anemic.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_fatigue-during-pregnancy_2911.bc

Also... I disagree with those saying caffeine will help. Caffeine can be addicting, even in smaller amounts and cause headaches, plus you can get even more fatigued as the caffeine wears off. Also, a newer study has shown women who have 2 cups or more of coffee a day are twice as likely to have a miscarriage. It's not worth the risk to me. http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2034583320080...

Your body is working very hard on making this baby. You should do what your body tells you and REST. With the amount of children you have, you probably don't notice how active you are compared to the other pregnancies you had. I had my 4th when I turned 40 and I think age could play a role as well. If you need a little pick-me-up, a little caffeine won't hurt. My addiction is Mountain Dew, although during all my pregnancies I cut it way down, but never did stop totally. Good luck!

wow. baby number 4 and no energy, eh? NO WONDER!! lol. if you are used to caffeine a little bit won't hurt you two (or three, considering your track record, lol), and may help with the headaches at night too. i was like this with my daugher...just dead freaking tired. i took midrin for the headaches...tylenol caffeine combo and it did wonders. good luck!

Hi S.,
Every pregnancy is unique. Just because this never happened to you before, doesn't mean that anything is necessarily wrong this time. Frankly, I am surprised you got all the way to a fourth pregnancy without noticing something different about each one !
In my first pregnancy I noticed symptoms just like you are describing. I could hardly lift my arms and legs at one point in the first trimester. I couldn't even go up a small set of stairs !
The good news is, it's normal (although annoying) and it goes away pretty quickly.
BUT .... please, by all means, call your doctor. Anything that concerns you should ALWAYS be checked out, but I am pretty confident you are just fine.
Go ahead and give in to the urge to rest, or even nap whenever you are able. You really need it right now.
Is there someone that you can make an arrangement with to watch your other children while you nap a little while each day ? The need for the daily sitter wouldn't have to be for long, because this stage does pass quickly, but it sure could make your life easier right now, as well as insuring your vitality for the rest of your pregnancy.
Also, try some natural, healthy pick-me-ups. I have heard an apple will give a person a better energy boost that a cup of coffee, and without the sudden "let down" that caffeine and sugar can leave you with. Nuts and raisins are good for energy, too, as well as peanut butter. One of my favorite snacks (discovered during pregnancy)is a sliced apple with peanut butter on the side for dipping.
I wish you all the best, and I am sure all is fine.

I went through the same thing with baby 4, and I, too, was 37! The doctor explained that my "advanced maternal age" was a big factor and we did the routine bloodwork. As it turned out, I was dangerously anemic. So I was put on iron supplements and felt a TON better (though still exhausted!) within 3-4 days.
WARNING: Do NOT put yourself on Iron supplements! Overdoses of iron can be harmful. Discuss this with your doctor!

Hope this helps!

Congratulations! Please have your iron and blood pressure checked. I think you'd enjoy the results of prenatal yoga. I do not recommend "a little" caffeine for lack of energy OR the headaches. As we all know, caffeine, like sugar, has a rebound effect, and you'll end up feeling more tired on as you come off the caffeine fix. Headaches come with the rebound effect, too, so you might be filling one hole, but digging another. Good luck to you, and blessings to you and your growing family.

I would let your doctor help you get to the bottom of your fatigue. Most women are more tired than usual during pregnancy, especially during early and late pregnancy. At these times, your body is producing new hormones and making a lot of changes to prepare for the hard work ahead.
Causes of Fatigue During Pregnancy
During early pregnancy, your body makes more of a hormone called progesterone. This can make you feel sluggish and sleepy. In addition, your body produces more blood to carry nutrients to the baby. This causes 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 for your body and may lead to fatigue.
Physical and psychological changes during pregnancy can be stressful mentally and emotionally as well. This stress can add to your feelings of fatigue.
During later pregnancy, the additional weight of the baby further taxes your body's strength. Several changes may occur later in pregnancy that makes you feel tired.

You say you don't feel sleepy, neither did I but when I got home from work I was zapped too. I didn't even want to cook dinner. Then at 32 weeks I ended up staying home from work due to pre-term contractions. I was just one step away from bed rest. Since I counldn't do anything around the house I would end up taking naps. I would feel energetic and want to do lots of things around the house when I woke up. It drove my husband crazy, since he had to do all the work. Maybe you should try a nap.

I had the same problem with #4. I was anemic and needed iron supplements. Make sure you ask the doctor to check it out first before taking supplements on your own. My doctor also recommended that I eat more protein and less carbs. That helped a lot too. Having four children is the best thing that happened to me and my husband. Good luck and many blessings.

Hi. It may be your iron level. I've had four kids and I was worse with my last one...Have your doctor check you for anemia. You may need some iron supplements. In the mean time snack on raisins, and make sure to eat high protein stuff to up your levels a little. Iron can cause stomach trouble, so you may have to be careful not to overdo it...
Anyway, that's my suggestion.

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Congrats on number 4!
D.

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Good luck to you, twins and baby #4 on the way, no wonder you don't have any energy!!!

D.

Check with your doctor to make sure that nothing serious is going on, and if not, I highly recommend a bit of prenatal yoga. You can usually find a dvd at the library. Start out very slow and ease into. I find that it really helps with my energy. I know that it sounds counterintuitive to exercise when you feel tired, but it really works. I can tell when I've skipped a few days because my energy level drops dramatically.

I would have your iron and thyroid checked.

Have you talked to your doc? Maybe your iron is running low this time. Or your body could still be adjusting. Check to see what all is in your vitamins, could be that a different one will work better for you this time around.

Take 100 calorie snacks w/you! I fill plastic baggies w/cereal, pretzels or anything tastey that doesn't melt & stash them in my car, purse, diaper bag...everything. They really help me. Also, energy bars for runners are a good idea. Luna bars are good, especially the lemon. Give them a try!

Also, a cup of joe can't hurt!

Try vitamin b-12. That helped me but of course make sure it is ok with your ob doc.

This is probably a rare case, but I was like that with my first pregnancy. It finally got to where I couldn't stand long enough to take a shower or hold my arm above my head long enough to curl my hair. People said it was part of being pregnant, but I finally went to the doctor with it & I had a very severe case mono & wound up on 6 weeks bed rest.

It is normal to be tired in your first trimester. It will most likely improve in your second trimester. Also, caffeine in reasonable amounts is not a no-no. Drinking more than several cups of coffee a day can slightly increase your miscarriage risk. This only applies to the first trimester, and does not apply to the first cup. To all those caffeine naysayers out there, a study was done of middle aged women who were heavy coffee drinkers versus those who drank no caffeine. The only difference in health was a decreased suicide rate in coffee drinkers.

Try to get more sleep at night. It may take 10 to 12 hours at this point in your pregnancy.

With three children and one on the way, no wonder you're zapped! But you should talk to your doctor. It could be low thyroid, low blood pressure (common in pregnancy), nutritional, low iron (anemia), mild dehydration or something else. You ought to find out, and in the meantime, take care of yourself and drink plenty of fluids (but not too much- that's not good, either). Good luck.

Hi S.,

I would definately talk to the doctor abuot it. Could be your iron is very low. That happened to me with one of my pregnancies and it turned out I was very anemic and he gave me iron supplements which helped. Once the baby is born and you still need that energy boost, I would be happy to share with you about some all natural products that might help, especially our NRG3 GoFizzy Tabs. An all natural energy drink that boosts metabolism, keeps your energy level up and aids in loosing weight. I love them and can really tell when I don't drink any for a few days. Good luck and congrats on the little one coming.

V.
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Go ahead and have a Coke. They have found that under 300mgs a day is not harmful for the baby. That is almost 6 cans of coke! I surely wouldnt recommend that, but if you feel caffenine will help your energy level, by all means, have 1. Just make sure you take plenty of water in too! Congrats.

I have 5 children and I understand how zapped you are with your 4th. Have you had your blood checked to make sure your not anemic? That will make you more tired. But I don't understand why you think that caffine is a no no. I drank my morning coffee through all of my pregnancies. A cup or 2 of coffee in the morning is not going to hurt your unborn child. As long as you do things in moderation your not hurting anything.

please consider having your blood sugar/glucose levels checked. Fatigue is quite common with elevated levels, & could be a sign of gestational diabetes. Very easy blood test, so just ask your ob!

I had a similar problem with both of my pregnancies. My doctor recommended a high protein diet. Lots of nuts, meats, eggs, etc. This was tough for me since I'm not a big meat eater. Not a vegetarian, I just don't eat a lot of meat. I carried around a ziploc full of trail mix to snack on. It seemed to help. Especially when you get so big you can't eat a full meal. Hope this helps!

you might have your thyroid checked. after my twins were born which was 7 years ago, and they also totaled me to 4 kids, everthing went haywire, especially my thyroid. i had never had any thyroid problems and couldnt tell you what my thyroids purpose even was for my body. but thats what it was. at least mention your tiredness to your doctor. good luck