Exhausted all the time!!!

Hi Mums

I'm wondering if I have something wrong with me. I have a 2 year old and am ttc baby number two and I'm utterly exhausted! By 4pm in the afternoon, I seriously struggle to keep my eyes open. I'm def not pregnant as AF is here at the moment and this has been going on for ages. I take vitamins, get enough sleep most nights and am very active during the day.

Is this just parenting? Or should I be seeing if I have something wrong. I've had iron levels checked and overall health recently has been ok. It just bothers me that I can get this tired!

Thank you!

i feel your pain, i'm constantly tired - motherhood can be exhausting. if you've checked and everything is healthy then i can't offer any advice, but i want you to know you're definately not alone.
actually - are you eating properly? i find if i don't eat enough through the day i'm shattered.

I know what you are going through. I have struggled since the birth of our little boy and it is so hard :( It got to the stage where my doctor sent me for a sleep assessment because all of the tests etc. came back fine. It turns out that I have obstructive sleep apnoea as a result of the weight I gained during my pregnancy. I managed to lose most of it, but now that I am pregnant again, it is creeping back. I am not saying it is, but your tiredness may be as a result of the quality of sleep you are having (or not, as the case may be).

Just also be aware how much more tired you may be should you fall pregnant. I am 12 weeks pregnant now and I have been stumbling around in a haze of fatigue most of the trimester. I have had next to no help and it has been hard with a little 15 month old running circles around me. If possible, you may just want to get your support structure "lined up" to be on stand-by to help before you fall pregnant again. Just a suggestion :)

i agre with pp, im the same i have a son who has adhd who is 3 n im due to pop so my days consist of up n down stairs n in and outside etc u could imagine..
i was going to suggest ur iron n stuff but if they are all fine i would be stumped too.. maybe as a pp said the food ur eating?? if its tired as in cause ur running around all day after him then i would say we r all in the same boat but if its more than that i would consult ur dr again till u have a solution.. GL

Are you still BFing? I found I never actually stopped feeling tired until I stopped BFing - even when it was only twice a day and she was sleeping through the night.
(and 2 months later I was pregnant again :wall:)

Thanks for your replies everyone. Deep down, I think being a parent is exhausting regardless of how many you have and what age! haha

Thepixie, no not breastfeeding. Did it for a year and you are right, it zapped me. I was almost anaemic so was on iron pills for 12 months.

Boobaloo - you might be onto something there. Most people hate me for it, but I struggle to keep weight on. Might go to a dietician and see what they can suggest. I'm a mere 52kg but certainly don't starve myself!!!

Thanks everyone for your comments. It's not all the time, just feels like it when you are this tired. As I said, AF is here so maybe the witch is taking it out of me. If things don't improve soon I'll go back to Dr.

Oh and LIFEISGOOD, I'm freaking out about coping through the pregnancy exhaustion. My friends who just had second bubs said it was torture!!! Hope you are coping ok!

Powelly- not only are our sons born on the same day, but we weight the same too! I'm the same as you- I can usually eat what I want and not put on weight. People tend to hate me for it too, but I get a bit self conscious about all the 'you're too skinny' comments. I mean, people wouldn't feel they had the right to comment on my weight if I was overweight, would they?!

Anyhow, onto your actual question. Everyone has made sensible suggestions about sleep and eating, but I also agree with you that toddlers are just exhausting. I don't know about you, but I don't stop during the day- DS is just so active and I am forever chasing him, cleaning up after him, picking him up etc. Its can be quite physically tiring!

Best of luck TTC number two. I can't even imagine trying to look after DS and being as sick and exhausted as I was during pregnancy, so you have my admiration!

Just a Q have you have you tyroid lvls checked as after pregnacy some womens can go a bit crazy and that can cause all of those symptoms

Motherhood is exhausting - it's one of the biggest adjustments most of us will ever make in our lives. It is so constant and unrelenting....and repetitive. But it's not forever (not that that helps when you are in the moment)
Do get a thorough health check to rule out any underlying conditions.
Importantly - look for things that can sustain you - a coffee with empathic friends can go along way toward making up for the inevitable sleepless nights. Some time out - a walk alone, can help. On that topic - excercise is fabulous. It can be hard to start, but staves off depression and creates energy. Go to bed early - and share out sleep- ins with your partner.
A note on breastfeeding. Breastfeeding doesn't cause anaemia. Breastmilk is low in iron - very little is taken from the mother's body (note - this is as it's meant to be! Formula is high in iron - but the iron is not well utilised by the infant's body. Most breastfeeding mums get a holiday from their period - which = a saving in iron - most is lost via menstrual loss each months, so formula feeding mums are at greater risk of anaemia. Also, research shows that breastfeeding mums get more sleep than their formula feeding counterparts - the hormones help them get to sleep quicker (even though they babies wake more often to be fed)
It is tiring - so go easy on yourself.

Ive been walking more and drinking alot more water. Also cut down on sugary foods and cut out coffee. I have found improvement, I do still get quite tired but before hand I was getting absolutely exhausted!

Thanks everyone.

Amberj! Nice to chat to you again. I hear ya. My little man is non stop! I love him to bits but there are times I'd love it if he sat longer than 2 minutes but it just doesn't happen. That's little boys for ya! Constantly on the move.

Aligator - yup, had all my levels checked and thyroid is fine. Actually all tests came back normal which was great news, but it would have been nice to have an answer and some way of fixing things :-)

Shellbell3 - thanks for your advice. My doc also told me to drink more water as I barely have any during the day and I only drink tea and not much. I exercise daily, more to keep myself sane.

Barb - I really appreciate your post. It is a huge adjustment and I think you get a couple of years down the line and feel you "lose" the right to be tired. My son is sleeping soundly through most nights, as am I, so surely I shouldn't be this tired. Then when I compare life now to life prior to having him, I do so much more now and rarely stop from 7am to 7pm when he goes to bed.

My headbanging question is if I'm struggling to get through a day as it is, am I stupid to be trying to have another baby? We really want two kids, I love being a mum (apart from the exhaustion) but it's going to be harder with two, time and energy wise.

ultimately its ur decision.. i think that u should do wats best for u n ur body i was the same with my son whom is 3 n has adhd n is moving every second from the min he wakes up n i was low in iron n etc so i felt like u did like i was a walking ghost in someones body.. now im preg didnt get any easier but we do wat we do for our kids lol... i think if u wanna do it u can but id understand if u wanna wait till u feel u can cope more.. :p