So Tired During 2Nd Pregnancy

Hello Dayla,

Let me congratulate you on the upcoming birth of your second baby! I am a labor doula, and I hear the same thing over and over. Part of the tiredness with the second baby is that you are chasing after a little one, which you were not doing the first time you were pregnant. But, take heart, I always tell my client's that most often second pregnancies are more difficult, BUT second labors usually go better. i would recommend getting your iron checked, and try to eat protein several times during the day...even cheese, or peanut butter if you are vegetarian.

Best of luck to you and your growing family!

T. Nelson CD

I am in the same boat as you!! Due with #3 in December. The best advice I have gotten is to simply get those extra hours of sleep.
The previous reply was exactly what I heard from my midwives, more energy spent on chasing the little one around the house means more energy that needs to go to the growing little one inside your belly.

Good Luck!

Dayla,
Been there. My second pregnancy wasn't a walk in the park. I was sick the entire pregnancy and we had a 2-1/2 yr old also. I would put in a Barney video for him while I napped beside him. The doctor had me drink lots of Gatorade for dehydration as well as water. I'm not much of a meat eater and she said that it was very important to get plenty of protein each day. I ate lots of small meals with protein, vegatables, fruits and grains. I even ate salads with cheese and lunch meat for breakfast. (I also had gestional diabetes) The food and water are what helped the most.
If you can get a friend or family member to watch your other child twice a week to give you some down time that would give you some relief.
Being pregnant and taking care of another little one is exhaustive. Don't worry, things will be fine.
Congratulations!!!!

I have been the same way this pregnancy. I was sort of this way the first time too. I just try to get a nap in when ever I can. I need my husband's help big time. I am just so exhausted all the time. But, some days are better than others, so it gets better. The second trimester was easiest.

I agree with #1 and #2

About iron:
1) Supplementing with iron completely solved my exhaustion problems once I really paid attention to what my body needed during pregancy 2 (I forgot after baby 2 and had to rediscover it on baby 3, but was on it from the beginning of baby 4). During pregnancy 1, I think I took the pills for a while but couldn't handle the nausea. Which brings me to point 2:
2) Practical tip: look for capsules with bio-available iron, not those horrid solid-state iron pills that turn up the nausea and don't actually absorb. I think the capsules brand was Nature's Way. (I had a friend whose doctor prescribed iron pills--but they're no good if she can't keep them down! She did great with the capsules.)
3) Further practical tip: if you crave chocolate, that can mean an iron deficiency (which as I type this, I realize I need to consider again--although I use chocolate as a pain med, so maybe it's not the iron).

This is your very last chance to follow that advice, "take a nap when your child naps." After your second child gets out of the sleep-all-the-time stage, they probably won't nap at the same time ... but for now, gather your sleep while ye may!

Simply can't not fall asleep? put a matress in his favorite playroom, close off the door (babygate? closed door? locked door? whatever he can't get out of without waking you up first), and sleep while he plays.

that's all the wisdom I have ;)

God bless!

Hi Dayla,

I was like that with my second baby too. They were only 18 months apart so I guess I just figured that was why I was so tired, but I was EXHAUSTED. I couldn't function. I would get up with my oldest, get her a sippy cup of warm Ovaltine milk, put her in the playpen in front of Barney and sleep with one eye open on the couch behind her (mind you she was still such a baby I could do that and have it not be a problem). Of course that goes against pretty much all parenting advice you will ever get and I wouldn't recommend that as a general rule, but it was the only way we survived. My now exhusband was in Afghanistan at the time and I had no support system to help with the baby.

It wasn't that bad the whole pregnancy but I did spend a lot of time napping! Make sure you are getting enough protein (80 to 110 grams per day) and nap when you can. Given all our bodies go through when we are pregnant it is little wonder you are exhausted what with this being the second time in 3 years.

Take care of yourself!