It's normal to feel tired when you're pregnant. Pregnancy fatigue can be especially pronounced early in the first trimester and again later, in the third. Here's what to do about it, and when it might signal something more serious.
Fatigue is most common in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy because this is when your body changes and starts adapting to the development phases of an embryo. This is when the placenta, the main source of life-support for your baby, is growing. There are also other reasons why you are feeling so tired.
Although experience with fatigue tends to vary, most women will feel more tired than usual during their pregnancy. Fatigue during pregnancy is most common during the first trimester. It tends to go away during the second trimester, but will usually return in the third trimester.
During the first trimester of pregnancy, many women have the bouts of nausea and vomiting known as morning sickness. Despite its name, morning sickness can happen day or night. It usually starts around the 6th week of pregnancy, is at its worst around week 9, and stops by weeks 16 to 18.
Fortunately, this is normal. It's a signal from your body to slow down and give it time to adjust to the incredible changes happening inside. Hormone changes play a big role in making you feel tired, especially the hormone progesterone. This hormone rises sharply in the first trimester.
First Trimester (0 to 13 Weeks)
The first trimester is the most crucial to your baby's development. During this period, your baby's body structure and organ systems develop. Most miscarriages and birth defects occur during this period.
For many women, the first trimester of pregnancy is often the hardest. During this period, your body is going through a major transformation and needs time to adjust to the changes.
It's normal to feel fatigued and even exhausted during the first months of pregnancy. Fatigue, even extreme fatigue, is an early sign of pregnancy that nearly all women experience in the first trimester. It's also very normal in the third trimester, affecting an estimated 60 percent of all pregnant women.
Between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each day is recommended at the age most women find themselves pregnant. (Genetics and quality of sleep can affect these numbers, but this is a good general guideline for how much shut-eye is needed.)
The first trimester of pregnancy can often be the hardest. Pregnancy hormones, extreme fatigue, nausea and vomiting, tender breasts, and perpetually needing to wee make life growing a human no easy feat.
For women who know they're pregnant, about 10 to 15 in 100 pregnancies (10 to 15 percent) end in miscarriage. Most miscarriages 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.
There's no standard answer, but three months pregnant is often defined as covering week nine through week 12 or week 9 through week 13. At the end of this month, you'll be ready to begin the second trimester.
Causes. Birth defects can occur during any stage of pregnancy. Most birth defects occur in the first 3 months of pregnancy, when the organs of the baby are forming.
First trimester screening is a combination of tests completed between weeks 11 and 13 of pregnancy. It is used to look for certain birth defects related to the baby's heart or chromosomal disorders, such as Down syndrome. This screen includes a maternal blood test and an ultrasound.
Changes to your circulation and metabolism
As your body adjusts to being pregnant, it produces more blood and your blood pressure may drop. Your blood sugar may also be lower. These changes can make you feel more tired.
When does the placenta take over? The placenta takes over hormone production by the end of the first trimester (12 weeks of pregnancy). Up until this time, the corpus luteum handles most of the hormone production.
Feeling tired
It's common to feel tired, or even exhausted, during pregnancy, especially in the first 12 weeks or so. If you have morning sickness, fatigue can also make the nausea worse.
Don t be surprised if you develop a bit of a 6 weeks pregnant belly. Although your 6 week embryo is still well down in your pelvis, some women, especially those who've been pregnant before, seem to show much earlier. General abdominal distention is usually the cause.
Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a common occurrence in pregnant women, particularly during the third trimester, but researchers warn that it might not always be physiologically normal.