5 Ways To Cope With Pregnancy Fatigue

Pregnant and always feeling tired? It’s completely normal to feel tired when you are pregnant. This is largely due to the fact that your growing baby requires extra energy. Sometimes, it’s a sign of anemia (low iron in the blood), which is common during pregnancy. First of all ask your doctor to test your blood for anaemia, before following the recommendations on how to cope…

Recommendations:

Eat often. Like so many other pregnancy symptoms, fatigue responds well to the six-meal solution. Keeping your blood sugar on an even keel will help keep your energy steady, too — so resist meal skipping, and opt for frequent mini-meals and snacks (the sustaining kind, comprised of protein and complex carbs).

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Moderate exercise. Yes, you heard me right, exercise! Commit to daily exercise even when you feel tired—aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, almost always makes you feel better, all the more so if you walk outdoors. Moderate exercise daily boosts your energy level.

Adjust Schedule. If your current commitments or activities prove to be too draining during pregnancy, you may have to temporarily adjust your schedule to be less busy. This can include cutting back your hours at work, if possible, or asking friends and family to assist you with housework/errands.Keep a regular schedule when possible.

Listen to your body’s signals. Try taking catnaps or have an early night. You’ll need more sleep in early pregnancy, so rest and get plenty of sleep whenever you can.

At work, even a 15-minute nap can make a difference, so if you’re lucky enough to have an office door, close it, put your head down on your desk and rest. Or have a nap in your lunch hour in your car if there’s nowhere else for you to sleep. If you are at home, make time to sit with your feet up during the day.

Pace yourself. Balance activity with rest.

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Ask for help. Don’t play the mother-to-be martyr. Let your partner know exactly how sapped you are, so he can do his fair share (and then some). If your friends or family ask if they can give you a hand, say yes — always! Having a pal pick up some groceries for you can mean you might actually have enough energy left to drag yourself out for a walk (before you drag yourself into bed).