3 Tips to Overcome Fatigue During Pregnancy

Tip 1: Stay active to boost your energy

It sounds counterintuitive, but gentle, regular movement tends to give you more energy rather than less. Moderate exercise can ease back pain and help prepare your body for childbirth, and getting outdoors in the morning sun can lift your mood too. Keep it low impact, with options such as walking or swimming, and check with your obstetrician about what suits you. For a trimester-by-trimester guide, see our article on what exercise you can do and when.

Tip 2: Practical ways to fight fatigue

Some days you will simply feel tired, and that is your body asking for rest. A short 15-minute nap can do wonders. Try going to bed a little earlier, since night-time trips to the loo can break up your sleep. Where you can, step back from situations that drain you emotionally, and remind yourself that not everything is urgent. Delegate what others can help with, adjust your schedule to protect time for rest, and go easy on things that disrupt sleep, such as caffeine later in the day. You do not have to do everything yourself.

Tip 3: Nurture your relationship with your partner

With so much attention on you, it is easy for a partner to feel overlooked, yet they are often under pressure too. Make time for each other, be open about how you are both feeling, and enjoy simple activities together, even if it is just a good chat. Easing that shared stress is good for both of you, and a strong partnership makes the tiring days easier to weather. If you would like more ideas, our tips on reducing stress for mothers may help.

Support your energy with good nutrition

Fatigue can sometimes be linked to an unbalanced diet, so nourishing, regular meals matter, as does staying well hydrated. If you would like to support your usual diet, PROMAMA is a maternal milk scientifically formulated with folic acid, calcium and vitamin D, plus DHA, to help meet your increased nutritional needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding. As always, your healthcare professional can advise on what is right for you.

When to rest, and when to seek advice

Remember that fatigue is a natural signal to slow down, so listen to your body and take breaks when you need them. Your health, and your baby's, comes first. That said, if your tiredness feels out of the ordinary, unusually heavy or persistent, speak to your doctor or obstetrician, who can check whether anything underlying needs attention. You can read more about looking after yourself in the start of loving and protecting.

Sources

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Exercise During Pregnancy