Prepare for a Positive Birth with THE BIRTH CLASS
What is infertility?
The Two Week Wait
What is Pre-eclampsia?
Non-invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT)
What is Shoulder Dystocia?
5 Tips for a Calm Birth
Cracked Nipples: Causes, Treatment and Prevention
5 Tips for Travelling With Kids
I distinctly remember the deep, unrelenting exhaustion that signalled the start of my pregnancy. Of course, I didn’t know I was pregnant at the time but I’ll never forget that fatigue that had me crawling into bed at 5pm and not waking till the next morning. I thought something was seriously wrong but it turns out my body was doing the important work of growing a baby.
Fatigue is one of the most common signs of early pregnancy and it’s often one of the first that women notice. If you consider what exactly your body is doing in the first few weeks and months of pregnancy, you’ll better understand your exhaustion which can help you feel grateful for the wondrous things your body is doing.
So why does early pregnancy make you feel so tired and is there anything you can do about it? The hormone progesterone (which acts as a natural sedative) really kicks in around 7 weeks (you have more than sixteen times the amount of progesterone than you do in a normal menstrual cycle) and while its main purpose is to create the perfect uterine environment for the embryo to implant and grow, it also slows down your body and encourages you to take it easy, nap frequently and rest. It makes sense; your body is working really hard to grow your baby so there’s little energy left for anything else.
It’s easy to forget that you’re also growing a placenta; a brand new and incredibly powerful organ and the complexity of its growth in the first trimester is astounding. Other contributing factors include the following which are a prime recipe for fatigue :
There’s also the fact that you may be dealing with a range of new symptoms that can lower your energy levels and disrupt your sleep, including:
It’s important to note that roughly 20 percent of women start their pregnancy with low iron which typically worsens as pregnancy progresses. Your GP will check your iron levels on your first blood test and will encourage you to take iron supplements if your levels are low. This poses a problem if you’re suffering nausea and vomiting as often supplements, red meat and green vegetables (the foods that are naturally high in iron) don’t often sit well on a queasy tummy. Make sure you stay in touch with your GP and care provider about your iron levels throughout pregnancy as low iron can create more issues throughout pregnancy, including depression, heart palpitations and it can increase your chances of pre-term delivery and postpartum haemorrhage.
If you’re attempting to keep the same productivity levels that you had pre-pregnancy, whether professionally or personally, now is the time to be kind to yourself, adjust your expectations and prioritise rest. And remind yourself: you won’t feel like this forever. It’s a new season of life that requires you to slow down and go gently.
In my new online course, Welcome to the First Trimester I talk with five perinatal specialists about everything you need to know about the first trimester, including:
Access it HERE along with an informative workbook and a set of affirmation cards.
We think you might enjoy these articles
pregnancy
Pre-eclampsia is considered a serious pregnancy complication that requires prompt medical attention. It occurs after 20 weeks gestation and in rarer cases, can develop after birth (this is called ‘postpartum pre-eclampsia’). Between five and ten percent of preterm births in Australia are due to pre-eclampsia and its associated symptoms.
Noninvasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) is a blood screening test that determines the risk of your baby being born with certain chromosomal abnormalities, such as trisomy 21, trisomy 18 and trisomy 13. It’s commonly called the Harmony Test and is done at 10 weeks gestation. It’s also an opportunity to find out the sex of your baby earlier than an ultrasound. In these stories, women share the reasons why they opted to have a NIPT.
Following your 12 week combined screening test, results may show low PAPP-A. This isn’t uncommon but it’s also not something that’s commonly discussed between friends or in pregnancy forums, hence it can be overwhelming at first.
If you are preparing for your glucose tolerance test between 24 to 28 weeks (or earlier if you have a history of insulin resistance), you may be wondering what gestational diabetes is and how it affects your pregnancy.
Chances are you’ve never heard of cytomegalovirus, even though you’ve likely had it. It’s a very common virus in the herpes virus family with 50 per cent of Australians having been infected by young adulthood and up to 85 per cent by 40 years of age.
Pregnancy is a common experience but we can’t forget how miraculous it is. The fact that you’re growing new life within you - and a whole new, temporary organ to sustain that life - is mind blowing when you stop to *actually* think about it. And for these reasons, it’s so important that you prioritise rest in pregnancy because it’s true - your body is working so hard to grow and sustain your baby and keep you healthy and energised, too.
If you’re nearing the end of your pregnancy, you’re likely taking note of every little twinge. It can quickly become allconsuming, especially if you’re past your estimated due date and well and truly over being pregnant.
The Miles Circuit can be used as a tool to encourage your baby into an aligned and ideal birthing position.