Fatigue or tiredness is one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy, which almost all women experience at some time. Creating life inside of you is a job that requires a lot of energy and fatigue is a symptom of the strain your body is undergoing.

Exhaustion early in your pregnancy

One of the first symptoms of pregnancy is the fatigue that you will experience during the first weeks of your pregnancy and probably throughout the first trimester. During those first days your body is working full throttle, creating the basic structures for the development of your baby: placenta, umbilical cord, amniotic sac.

In addition, the volume of your blood will increase greatly in those few weeks, with the added effort that this requires. Some experts have even compared the work that a pregnant woman's body does in a state of rest, with the work done by a climber going up a mountain. Because of this it is very common to feel exhausted and to fall asleep often, anywhere, from sheer exhaustion. 

Giving your body the rest it needs is very important for your wellbeing in these first weeks. Try to go to bed at least two hours earlier than you usually would and take all the naps you can throughout the day, even in your car, in the parking lot, if you have to.

Fortunately, this exhaustion subsides during the second trimester, in which you will probably have more energy and vitality, although you should still rest as much as possible.

Fatigue in the last weeks of pregnancy.

After the initial onset of fatigue early in pregnancy, another stage in which you may experience fatigue is in the last trimester. At that stage your body is not making such an effort to form new structures, but it is harder to move around and go about your daily chores with the excess weight that you are carrying now.

As the weeks go by, the increase in the size of your belly will make your gait and posture change. Now you will walk leaning back a bit to compensate for the change in the center of gravity of your body. This requires an added effort.

In addition, due pregnancy hormones, your muscles are much more relaxed and flexible to make labor easier. Although this is very good when giving birth, this makes you even more tired because your muscles are not responding as they normally would.

Relief from fatigue.

In an ideal world, pregnant women would be able to rest all they needed to, whenever they needed to. But in real life this is not always the case, especially if you work and have to stick to a schedule, no matter how tired you are. Although it's normal to experience some fatigue during your pregnancy, there are a series of things you can do to make it more manageable.

• Rest as much as possible whenever you can. A fifteen minute nap might be enough to shake of fatigue for a while. Don't miss a chance to get some shut-eye wherever, whenever: in the rest area in your office, in your car, in the bus or train (making sure you don’t miss your stop!) or anywhere else.

• Sleep more hours. Not only by taking naps but by going to bed earlier than usual. Forget your obligations for the time being because your job now is to rest as much as possible for yourself and your baby.

• Talk to your partner about your exhaustion and have him come with you to your doctor’s appointments, so that he understands that fatigue is part of your pregnancy. Together, try to design a plan to get the household chores done while you also get the rest you need.

• Keep yourself hydrated. Keeping your body properly hydrated will keep you from feeling so exhausted. Drink as much as you need.

• Exercise. Although you might think it is the opposite of rest, exercise will energize you and will help you ease other symptoms like insomnia or constipation.

And above all, take things easy. Right now there is nothing as important as your health and your baby's.