How do I deal with low energy during pregnancy?
Everyone warns you about how tired you’ll be once the baby arrives… but what about before they’re even here? Low energy during pregnancy is very common but there are also things you can do to help reduce pregnancy fatigue.
Before we talk tips though, I need you to keep this in perspective. You are growing a human from literally nothing. That’s where all your energy is going, even though it’s not something you have to consciously think about. So while the following ideas will help to give you energy during pregnancy, I want you to also give yourself the grace to go easy. Being pregnant is kind of a big deal, you know?
Low energy during pregnancy? Try these five ideas
1. Eat more often.
Your blood sugar levels are harder to keep stable during pregnancy. Maybe you’ve even noticed that you start to feel sick or dizzy as soon as you haven’t eaten in a while? That feeling is your blood sugar levels dipping low. Try eating more often to keep your blood sugar and energy levels stable. Not letting yourself get HANGRY (hungry and angry) also means you make better food choices too. (Because really, no one is choosing to eat broccoli when they’re starving… right?)
2. Ask for help (from your doctor or naturopath)
Your extreme tiredness during pregnancy could be caused by nutritional deficiencies or an infection, so it is important to get yourself checked out if you’re worried. Other conditions that are linked to exhaustion during pregnancy are gestational diabetes, anemia, and an under-active thyroid. If in doubt, ask.
3. SLEEEEP
Look, I hate to state the flaming obvious but you need to sleep more during pregnancy. Your body is doing more and therefore just needs more rest. I know sleep can be tricky during pregnancy. Especially as you become increasingly uncomfortable in your body or if you suffer from pregnancy insomnia.
Try creating a night routine for yourself that helps encourage sleep (much like what you will need to do for your baby when they arrive). Turn off stimulation (screens, lights, etc). Give yourself some time to wind down (bath or shower, read, etc) and try to go to sleep at roughly the same time each night. If you are struggling to get a full nights sleep, you could also try having a short 20 minute power nap in the afternoon to top up your energy tank.
4. Move your body
I know it sounds counterintuitive but hear me out. While you may feel like you have no energy for exercise during pregnancy, it’s actually a chicken and egg scenario. It’s hard to know which one comes first. Sometimes just getting your body moving and circulation flowing, helps to increase your energy and makes you want to move more. Walking, swimming, and cycling are great options. Obviously so is yoga. Try this pregnancy yoga class for energy and see if it helps.
If you are brand new to pregnancy yoga, start by downloading my free pregnancy yoga guide here.
5. Drink more water
Right now your body is creating amniotic fluid, producing extra blood, creating new tissue, flushing out extra toxins and waste and carrying nutrients for two people! It’s unsurprising that you are going to need to drink more water. Low energy during pregnancy might simply be a sign of dehydration. Try increasing how much water you drink by sipping water throughout the day and see if your energy levels improve.
I hope that you’ve found some ideas here to help you improve your low energy during pregnancy. Remember to give yourself grace though. You don’t need to be doing as much as you were doing pre-pregnancy. You don’t need to get everything perfect before baby arrives. You just need to BE. You are everything your baby needs.