Reduce Fatigue During Pregnancy

Many pregnant women experience bouts of fatigue from time to time. You may feel sluggish and tired and your energy levels will be lower than normal. At times, the fatigue can be so overwhelming that you may be unable to be productive at work or keep up with your normal activities. Often, fatigue is most noticeable during the first three months and the last three months of pregnancy. Normal hormonal changes cause some of these symptoms, and the extra strain on your body to accommodate a new life is also part of the cause. In addition, you may have a disrupted sleep pattern or psychological changes that make you feel mentally as well as physically drained. It is very important that you receive regular prenatal care and stick to a healthy diet; however, there are other things you can do to reduce fatigue.

Steps

Eating to Reduce Fatigue

1. Take your prenatal vitamins. Pregnant women have many increased nutritional needs, and if you don't get the proper nutrition, you are more likely to feel fatigued. Prenatal vitamins are specially formulated to help supply the additional nutritional needs for pregnancy. Remember to take them every day.
   • Be sure to use a prenatal that contains vitamin B12, which helps fight fatigue.
   • Also be sure that your vitamin contains at least 27 grams of elemental iron. Pregnancy-induced anemia can cause extreme fatigue for some women, and if your doctor tests your blood and determines that you have this condition, you may need to increase your iron up to 60 grams a day.
   • If you have trouble remembering to take your prenatal vitamins, set them on your dining room table or wherever you eat dinner every day. You can also try setting a timed reminder on your phone to sound an alarm every day when you need to take your vitamin.
2. Eat for energy. Pregnant or not, the body gets its energy from food. A healthy diet can make the difference between chronic fatigue and energy. You need three major macronutrients for energy: protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
   • Protein provides much of the energy your body needs to do the hard work of growing a human. When pregnant, you need about 70 grams of protein every day-- considerably more than the 45 grams recommended for non-pregnant women. Consider healthy food sources such as beans, dairy, tofu, chicken, and fish.
   • Carbohydrates often get a bad reputation, but in fact they are one of the body's main sources of energy and vital to your health and ability to fight off fatigue. About half of your daily calories should be from carbohydrates, but remember to choose healthy sources like unrefined grains.
   • Fats provide the most concentrated form of energy, and also help you to absorb some vital vitamins. While pregnant, you need to ensure that about a quarter of your daily calories come from fat. Avoid low-fat and reduced-calorie food options, which don't provide as many energy-filled calories to fuel the body. Eat healthy, whole foods with naturally occurring fats like avocado, nut butters, vegetable or coconut oil. Avoid margarine and saturated fats.
3. Eat several small meals. Instead of eating three large meals a day, increase the number of meals you eat, but reduce the amount of food at each meal. This gives the body more boosts of energy throughout the day to fight pregnancy-induced fatigue.
   • Despite that popular cliché "eating for two," you shouldn't double your food intake while pregnant; instead, increase your caloric intake by about 300 calories per day. Make sure your added calories contain protein and carbohydrates for energy, but ensure that they are nutritious calories and not junk food. For example, three hundred nutritious, fatigue fighting calories can be found in an apple, sliced and spread with your favorite nut butter; or in a cup of Greek yogurt with a handful of almonds and berries.
4. Increase your water intake. It can be hard enough to drink enough water for non-pregnant women; during pregnancy, you need to increase your intake of water substantially to combat dehydration and fatigue. In fact, one of the first symptoms of dehydration is fatigue!
   • Aim for a dozen eight-ounce glasses of water a day, if you live in a temperate area. In hot, humid areas, you will need even more.
   • If you have trouble stomaching all that water, add some variety to make things more interesting. Try adding fresh fruit to your water or drinking non-caffeinated tea. You can also eat juicy fruits and vegetables like watermelon, lettuce, or tomatoes.
   • Try to not drink water two to three hours before bedtime to reduce the urge to get up to urinate.
5. Don't rely on caffeine for energy. Even if you drank lots of caffeinated beverages prior to pregnancy, it's important that you only consume a moderate amount of caffeine while pregnant. Studies have shown that it is safe to drink a small amount of coffee, black tea, or hot cocoa while pregnant, but keep it to a minimum.
   • Limit your caffeine to no more than 200 mg per day. That's the amount found in one twelve ounce cup of black coffee or four cups of black tea.
   • Never drink energy drinks, energy shots, or pure caffeine while pregnant. These have questionable health risks even when you're not pregnant, and are linked with miscarriage and birth defects.

Changing Your Habits

1. Get more rest. One of the first symptoms of pregnancy is exhaustion, caused by a rapid increase in the hormone progesterone. Progesterone is vital for a healthy pregnancy, but causes sleepiness for almost every pregnant woman. You may find that your typical seven hours of sleep at night is no longer sufficient. Make rest a priority, especially during your first trimester.
   • Go to bed earlier at night, or set your alarm a bit later in the morning. Better yet, do both: pregnant women sometimes need up to three more hours of sleep than they did prior to pregnancy.
   • Take power naps during the day. When you are on break at work, get a quick ten minute doze to help recharge your batteries.
2. Give yourself a break. your activity levels, such as household chores, to a lower level than before you were pregnant. Ask a spouse, relative, friend, or even a hired helper for assistance.
   • While pregnant, your body goes through so many metabolic changes and does so much work each day that it is almost as if you are running a daily marathon! Keep this in mind when you feel like you're being lazy.
3. Reduce your commitments. If it is at all possible, cancel plans for social activities and reduce your schedule at work. In most cases, the fatigue lifts a bit after the first trimester, and you will be able to resume many of your activities at that time.
   • Ask for vacation time or a reduced workweek for a few weeks if you find that your fatigue interferes with your ability to work.
4. Exercise daily. One cause of pregnancy fatigue is restlessness at night and the inability to fall into a deep sleep. But exercising every day can help you to sleep more deeply and have more restorative rest. Try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day.
   • Even if all you do is go for a walk, swim, or do some yoga, daily exercise will also help increase your circulation and keep your muscles toned. This may also help you with the birthing process.

Trying Home Remedies to Fight Fatigue

1. Try aromatherapy. Certain essential oils are thought to uplift and energize. These may also help regulate your sleep patterns.
   • Try mixing a drop each of spearmint, grapefruit, sweet orange, and lime essential oils and diffusing them in an essential oil diffuser in your home.
   • At bedtime, help yourself rest more deeply and avoid tossing and turning by using oils such as lavender, neroli, chamomile, ylang ylang, or bergamot.
2. Relax with a massage or soaking in a warm bath. You can help fight fatigue by increasing the quality of your rest. While there are certain precautions you should take, massages, warm baths, and other relaxation techniques are great ways to experience a deeper rest.
   • Look for a massage therapist who has experience with prenatal massage. You may need to lie on a special massage mat or lie on your left side instead of lying on your tummy or flat on your back.
   • Remember to keep your bath warm and not hot. Temperatures too high can raise the body temperature of both mom and fetus, potentially leading to pregnancy complications or even miscarriage. Try taking a warm bath with a few drops of your favorite relaxing essential oil.
   • Do not use a hot tub! It is fine to take warm baths while you are pregnant, but it is not safe to use a hot tub while you are pregnant.
3. Consider acupuncture. Special acupuncture techniques are trusted in many parts of the world as excellent ways to reduce fatigue by stimulating certain parts of the body and brain. This is thought to release endorphins in the body, which are chemicals that cause a rise in energy.
   • Look for a licensed acupuncturist with experience working with pregnant patients.
4. Try Bach Flower Remedies. These are homeopathic solutions developed in the 1930s, which involve distilling certain types of flowers in brandy and water. While there is no scientific evidence to suggest that they work, many people report feeling less tired.
   • Try olive or hornbeam, which are specifically meant to combat fatigue. You can purchase these online or from some health food stores.

Things You'll Need

• Aromatherapy herbs and oils, candles or other aromatherapy equipment
• Prenatal vitamins
• Nutritious foods
• Home or offsite gym for yoga and other exercise activities
• Bathtub with essential oils

Related Articles

• Use Aromatherapy During Pregnancy
• Cope With Pregnancy Discomforts

Sources and Citations

See also

• Exercise Safely During Pregnancy
• Tell Your Grandparents You're Pregnant
• Tell the Position of a Baby in the Uterus
• Manage Pregnancy Food Aversions
• Plan a Postpartum Beauty Routine
• Find Out Your Baby's Sex
• Tell Coworkers You're Pregnant
• Determine How Many Weeks Pregnant You Are
• Treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder During Pregnancy
• Make Your Water Break

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