Every woman, at some point or another, is likely to experience some tiredness or fatigue during their pregnancy. Even a woman who is usually full of energy may discover that, at least at certain times, she’s especially tired during pregnancy. This tiredness during pregnancy goes way beyond just feeling a little bit sleepy for some women. Some women even feel a full loss of energy, and even feel lethargic.
There are some specific reasons why women tend to feel tired during pregnancy. During the first trimester, tiredness is often attributed to the changing levels of hormones in a woman’s body. In addition to throwing off your mood and causing other problems, this can make you tired. In particular, the hormone progesterone is elevated when you’re pregnant, and this hormone can cause a feeling of sluggishness or tiredness.
You might also experience tiredness when you’re pregnant because of how much sleep you do (or don’t) get. Some women may find that they are insomniacs during pregnancy, which throws off the rest of your day. Other women find that, at least during those last weeks of pregnancy, sleeping for more than an hour or two at a time is nearly impossible.
Fortunately, there are some things you may be able to do to combat tiredness during pregnancy. Some of them include:
· Exercise. Getting a little bit of exercise can help you to feel less tired. During exercise, your body produces endorphins. Endorphins can cause you to feel more energized, and also help to improve your mood.
· Diet. One of the key ways to keep energized during pregnancy is by watching your diet. You need to be sure you’re getting enough calories during pregnancy. You should get about 300 more calories a day during pregnancy. You also need to make sure you’re getting a balanced diet, and that you’re taking your prenatal vitamins.
· Cut out caffeine. Now, at first, this will cause you to be more tired. However, in the long run, breaking that caffeine dependency will increase your overall energy levels.
· Get some rest. Sometimes, tiredness is your body letting you know it’s time to slow down and get some rest for a bit. Listen to your body, and give it the rest it needs when it needs it.
