I am nine weeks pregnant, and I’m soooo tired. I feel like I have mono or fibromyalgia. Is there anything I can do to perk myself up (I recently gave up caffeine and am reluctant to consume any)? My job requires I be there 10 hours a day, five days a week, and it’s killing me!
There really isn’t anything you can do to perk yourself up. And I don’t think you should try to.
Few pregnancy books accurately describe the fatigue that most women experience during the early part of pregnancy. But this often overwhelming fatigue is almost universal. I remember it very well: I used to get so tired I couldn’t smile.
Fatigue is partly due to very high levels of progesterone, which has a sedative effect. Also, during early pregnancy your metabolism speeds up in order to support your developing embryo and your vital organs, which have to cope with an enormously increased amount of work.
This can lead to utter fatigue, which is sometimes so great that you just have to sleep. If so, you must get some rest. For your sake and for your baby’s. Fortunately, this kind of fatigue eases after about 12 weeks.