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You never thought the cement sidewalk, the pile of dirty laundry, or the basement steps would ever look like such good places to lie down. Being pregnant can be exhausting for some women, especially in the first and third trimesters. Suddenly, all you want to do is take a nap.

This fatigue is normal, so normal, in fact, that the first thing experienced moms do when they find out they're pregnant again is go to bed one hour earlier, according to Kathryn Lee, Ph.D., a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, who's been studying women and sleep patterns for more than 20 years.

If you're used to being a very active person, you may find...

You never thought the cement sidewalk, the pile of dirty laundry, or the basement steps would ever look like such good places to lie down. Being pregnant can be exhausting for some women, especially in the first and third trimesters. Suddenly, all you want to do is take a nap.

This fatigue is normal, so normal, in fact, that the first thing experienced moms do when they find out they're pregnant again is go to bed one hour earlier, according to Kathryn Lee, Ph.D., a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, who's been studying women and sleep patterns for more than 20 years.

If you're used to being a very active person, you may find it hard to adjust to being so exhausted, but at some point you'll just have to accept that you won't be as productive as your nonpregnant self. However, there are some things that you can do to fight the fatigue:

Cat nap: Many pregnant women find they feel better if they nap during the day, especially if they're having trouble sleeping at night.

Avoid low blood sugar: Your fatigue may be due in part to low blood sugar. Make sure to eat healthy, high-protein foods in small quantities throughout the day. If you're wiped out, try a snack of whole-wheat toast and peanut butter or a banana and some chunks of cheese.

Go to bed an hour earlier: Why wait until you're an experienced mom to learn from your mistakes? If you're tired, don't push yourself by staying up late.

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BuckeyeChristy
April 24, 2008

Completely Exhausted

When I was pregnant the first time, I didn't expect the overwhelming fatigue that would come with it. I thought that I might be tired in the third trimester, when I was carrying around that large belly, but I didn't realize that fatigue...  read more

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