For the most simple answer to this question, you just have to look within yourself and assess what pregnancy is. You are growing an entirely new human being inside yourself. This is the most basic version of the answer. Your body is undergoing plenty of changes right now to accommodate this new human being and protect them at all costs. You have to convert one cell into millions while nurturing and getting them ready for delivery. This is the main reason why pregnancy is possibly the most tired you would ever feel in your life.
It is funny to note that you will feel the most tired during the first trimester of the pregnancy. Then, again during the third. There are different reasons for this. You will surprisingly be very agile and happy during the second trimester but it’s coming back in full fledge in just a few months. The tiredness that you feel during the first trimester of your pregnancy is entirely different from what you will experience as the pregnancy progresses into the third. Let us introspect each to understand what is going on.
Tiredness During the First Trimester of Pregnancy
Even if you don’t know that you are pregnant, you will begin to experience a lot of tiredness right from the beginning. It is one of the first signs of pregnancy that most women experience. Some women experience a lot of fatigue during the process of implantation. Implantation is also associated with other symptoms like mild spotting and a lot of back pain.
This is not to be confused with PMS. Pregnancy hormones start to run around in your body every cycle quite hopefully and once they are triggered for real, you can call it an overdrive. Not only does this make you extremely tired, but you also experience mood changes and mental fatigue. Your sleep pattern is also affected and your metabolism is slowed. You also experience morning sickness which contributes greatly to the feeling of tiredness (very understandably so).
Tiredness During the Third Trimester of Pregnancy
Source: Bloomlife
The third trimester is a whole other story. The pregnancy has progressed to a point where you have put on a lot of weight and sleeping at night has become a thing of the past. All you can do is rest as much as you can and hope that the tiredness goes away. There is no relief from the rush of hormones flooding your body. Experiencing extreme fatigue during the final stages of pregnancy is very common. It is very advisable to get all your chores and shopping done during the second trimester when you are most energetic. Prepare yourself to be as well-rested as possible before the baby arrives because it is not like you are going to get a break once that happens to recover from the fatigue.
Why is Pregnancy so Tiring?
There is quite a lot happening in your body when you are pregnant. The changes range from psychological changes and emotional changes to physical ones. Your energy levels are at an all-time low because everything that you consume is being used to grow your baby, quite literally. You have extremely high levels of estrogen and progesterone in your body which cause sedation.
Your blood pressure is naturally lowered but your levels of blood sugar are pretty high in comparison which again tends to put you to sleep. But it is not like you will be able to sleep because your sleep is also disrupted due to the imbalance of hormones. Add events like morning sickness and stress to the picture, and top it up with having to pee every hour. Now you have a clear idea about why you are so tired all the time when you are pregnant. Not to mention all the aches that you’re having all over your body during this time which makes even moving around difficult.
How Can You Cope With the Tiredness?
It is important to know that you must not ignore the signals that your body is sending you. If you feel that you are way too tired or are in too much pain, reach out to somebody. It is always good to tell someone (you trust) how you feel. Try to keep your bedroom cold and dark. Do not sleep with the light on so that you get used to a better quality of sleep at night. Try to get at least eight hours of sleep at the night. Whenever you are tired, take a nap. There is nothing wrong with getting a few hours of sleep during the day. Stay hydrated throughout and make sure that the meals you consume are fulfilling and nourish you well. Eat frequently but not in great quantities.
Dealing with the symptoms of pregnancy is easier said than done. However, the fact that they will all be over in just a matter of months is good enough to keep you going. You can try to focus on the result and take simple measures. These include keeping yourself mildly active and eating better to get through the tiredness.