Every pregnant woman is different, and every pregnant woman's symptoms are different. So that means the debilitating fatigue that stopped plaguing your best friend in week 11 could certainly keep hitting you well into your third month. That said, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind.
First of all, it's more typical for exhaustion to start easing up at the end of the fourth month — not necessarily when the first trimester's over, but when the placenta is fully manufactured.
But again, every pregnancy is different, and some women experience fatigue again later in their pregnancies, especially in the third trimester thanks to pregnancy insomnia or stress about their approaching due date.
However, you might want to consider a few factors that could be contributing to your second trimester fatigue:
- Are you eating enough? As your baby gets bigger and hungrier, your food intake needs to increase as well. The best thing to do is try the six-meal-a-day pregnancy diet solution — grazing on small meals and healthy snacks, which will keep your blood sugar levels up and your energy levels high. Skip sugar and caffeine, which can pick you up briefly only to send you crashing soon after. You'll get a longer-lasting lift from foods with protein, iron and whole grains — think red meat, poultry, seafood, leafy greens, iron-fortified whole grain cereal and beans.
- Are you sleeping enough? Make sure you're getting enough — but not too much — rest. Most women need at least seven hours of shut-eye a night. It's best to judge if you're getting the right amount not by the number of hours you're in bed but by how you feel during the day. If you need more rest, don't feel guilty allowing yourself the time (you are building another human, after all!). And keep in mind that, paradoxically, getting too much sleep can also be exhausting.
- Are getting enough exercise? As long as your practitioner has okayed it, you'll get an energy boost from regular exercise during pregnancy. Keep in mind that it doesn't have to mean an hour at the gym — even a brisk walk around the block will pick you up.
In any case, it's probably a good idea to mention your fatigue to your practitioner. While unlikely, it's possible that you're tired because you're anemic, in which case a little extra iron will pick you up fast.
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