It's common to feel tired, or even exhausted, during pregnancy, especially in the first 12 weeks. Hormonal changes at this time can make you feel tired, nauseous and emotional. The only answer is to rest as much as possible.
For most women, the extreme fatigue of the first trimester is soon forgotten with the glow and boost in energy that comes with the second trimester. So, if it seems like all you're doing these first few weeks is lying around, dozing, or napping, don't worry. It's normal.
Feeling hot, tired or faint is quite common during pregnancy. Hormonal changes taking place in your body at this time can make you feel nauseous and emotional. Being tired and run-down can also make you feel low.
Pregnant women carrying girls have a greater chance of experiencing nausea and fatigue, according to the results of a study from the USA's Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Fatigue in early pregnancy is common, and some women might notice it before they know they're pregnant. In fact, fatigue may set in as soon as one week after conception. This is thanks to those sudden changes in hormone levels, particularly increasing progesterone.
Week 4 of pregnancy
For example, a fertilised egg may have implanted in your womb just 2 weeks ago, but if the first day of your last period was 4 weeks ago, this means you're officially four weeks pregnant! Pregnancy normally lasts from 37 weeks to 42 weeks from the first day of your last period.
Pregnancy hormones, extreme fatigue, nausea and vomiting, tender breasts, and the frequent need to pee are common symptoms that make the first trimester the most challenging time for pregnant women.
Your nausea and vomiting may be worse than ever: Morning sickness peaks around 9 or 10 weeks of pregnancy for many women. That's when levels of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) are highest (morning sickness is thought to be linked to rises in hCG and estrogen).
Sleeping for more than nine hours per night, without disturbance, during pregnancy may be associated with late stillbirth, according to US researchers. Their study suggested that maternal sleep habits, including lengthy periods of sleep without waking more than once in the night, may be associated with foetal health.
Water. Okay, this one isn't food, but if you're wondering how to get energy while pregnant, making sure to hydrate is one of the best ways. Water is the main component of blood and helps carry key nutrients to your cells, and fatigue is one of the first signs your body is low on fluids.
It's best to avoid lying on your back, especially in late pregnancy, when the weight of the heavy uterus can press on the large blood vessels in your belly. When lying on your side, keep your body in line, with your knees bent slightly, and avoid twisting.
Most miscarriages - 8 out of 10 (80 percent) - happen in the first trimester before the 12th week of pregnancy. Miscarriage in the second trimester (between 13 and 19 weeks) happens in 1 to 5 in 100 (1 to 5 percent) pregnancies. Pregnancy loss that happens after 20 weeks is called stillbirth.
The risk of miscarriage drops significantly as pregnancy progresses. In one study, researchers found a miscarriage rate of 9.4 percent at 6 weeks of pregnancy, 4.2 percent at 7 weeks, 1.5 percent at 8 weeks, 0.5 percent at 9 weeks and 0.7 percent at 10 weeks.
The chance falls to below 1% after 10 weeks. Though a missed miscarriage can be detected after a 12-week scan, the chances are much lower at that stage of pregnancy.
For many expectant mothers, the second trimester is the easiest three months of pregnancy. It is full of new and exciting milestones for you and your baby. However, despite leaving behind morning sickness and food aversions, some new pregnancy symptoms will begin to take their place.
Turns out that most successful people were born in October, with June and July not far behind.
We know that miscarriages occur in at least 15% of confirmed pregnancies. The actual miscarriage rate is likely to be much higher – we estimate it to be around 1 in 4 pregnancies. Based on these rates and the number of births each year, we estimate around 285 miscarriages occur every day in Australia.
More than 80% of miscarriages occur within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. After 12 weeks, the rate decreases rapidly (Dante et al, 2013; Houry and Salhy, 2014).
The 12-week rule is the unwritten rule that says you should not share your pregnancy news until you hit the 12-week mark, the point at which most pregnancies are considered safe and likely to be successful.