I've heard that women in their second trimester feel fantastic.
So I've been awfully concerned about how I've been feeling. I posted to the SMC (that's Single Mothers by Choice, in case you forgot) Pregnancy listserve, worriedly asking for advice about why I'm so tired.
I think I was pretty much... laughed at. Gently, of course. With love.
Apparently, this baby growing enterprise can be, like, waaaaaaay tiring.
It all makes sense, but I wish somebody had explained that to me before I got my hopes up and, silly me, thought I could accomplish things like I did back, pre-pregnancy.
I called in sick for tomorrow. I feel like I'm still not recovered from Friday and Saturday's busy days... and the cumulative effects of last week, in general.
How am I possibly going to survive another 19 and a half weeks of this?
I was feeling like twenty weeks was such a major milestone... and it is... but now it's occurring to me, my god, I'm only halfway done! I have twenty more weeks of this... and right now is as good as it's going to get?
Please don't get me wrong, I'm ever so grateful to be having this baby girl. I still can't get over my good luck.
But the reality of being pregnant is scaring me. What if I don't want my belly to keep getting bigger? What if I am scared by how soon, already, my feet start hurting (this morning, while showering, after just shaving my legs for example)? Is there some loophole wherein I could still have the baby, but not have my body become completely and totally foreign?
And exercise... I'm scared it's becoming a thing of the past. I'm just too tired all the time. Who am I becoming???
Advice and encouragement eagerly sought from those that have survived this.
I wish I could tell you it gets better...but it gets "worse" these next 20 weeks...you'll be more tired, you'll keep getting bigger & bigger & become more & more uncomfortable...but take heart because before you know it, you'll be holding your daughter & not remember all of this...it goes without saying that it's all worth it...if you try to focus on the "end game" it might make these next 20 weeks easier to endure. Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteTake it day by day. I had a couple months in the second trimester that were great. The fatigue will come back but you will be closer to your due date so it won't seem so far off.
ReplyDeleteI was tired all through my pregnancy. And I needed foot surgery (which I had when my daughter was 4 weeks old), so my feet (and back and hips) really hurt. But you can get through it. Feeling her kick made it easier to deal with. It's such a strange feeling, but wonderful. You will be even more tired once you're a mom, but you'll have your little girl's sweet face to get you through.
ReplyDeleteBut feel free to whine about it. Just because it was a hard road to pregnancy, doesn't mean you don't have a right to bitch about how it makes you feel.
I found that I had a lot more energy between 24-30 weeks than I did the entire pregnancy - I got so much done! I'd still be exhausted at the end of the day, but it wasn't impossible to get things done, like it felt like it was earlier. And, quite honestly, my back and hips hurt less right now, at 34 weeks, than they have the ENTIRE pregnancy.
ReplyDeleteSo I guess the moral of my post is, everyone is different, but you may find that things do get better! And really, once you start feeling her move, it gets SO much better, because it feels so REAL.
Thanks for the encouragement, everyone! And Shannon, especially great to know that it's possible that things could keep getting better!
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