Sunday, February 11, 2007

So tired

I am tired, oh so tired. And apparently I look it. My friend asked me all day long if I was feeling OK. "No, really," she would repeat, "are you OK?" "Just tired," I responded, "not sleeping well."

With my first pregnancy, the first 8 weeks coincided with my summer break. Even when I went back to school, it was a couple of weeks of sports, meetings, and then half days of classes. So by the time things were back into full swing, I was past the worst exhaustion of the first semester.

This time, I'm just far enough into a new semester to have the work piling up. Without any of the energy to complete it.

As the three of us ran a couple errands this morning, I asked Trillian about her recollection of the three trimesters of my first pregnancy, just to make sure I was remembering correctly. And here's what we came up with:
  • My first trimester was by far the most difficult. Although I avoided morning sickness, the exhaustion was unnerving. I would sleep late, pull myself out of bed slowly as Trillian headed to work, accomplish very little, lay down for a nap around 3, wake up when Trillian got home, and go back to bed early. My sleep was frequently interrupted by trips to the bathroom.
  • My second trimester was the easiest. I got the burst of energy many books talk about. I began to show, got to share the news with more people, and felt the baby move. Some back pain, but this was an exacerbation of trouble I already had as opposed to something new.
  • My third trimester was not bad either. I didn't have to worry about trouble with breathing--a definite advantage of my height. I was a little slower getting around and would happily let students carry my bag when they made the offer. After week 37, I was ready, ready, ready for Scooter to arrive, but not nearly as uncomfortable as I'd heard was usually the case.
Now I remember all this? That productivity and the first trimester are mutually exclusive for me? Not that there will be any point in the next calendar year that I would have the leisure of exhaustion. Of course, isn't this the way with pregnancy? It's not until you've committed that you realize what extras are part of the deal.

At least I should get past this exhaustion before I hit my Spring exam period. But in the meantime, it's going to be a struggle to stare at the many, many pages I'm expected to read and actually remember!

*Yawn* Off to the primary sources.

5 comments:

moplans said...

I hear ya. Pregnancy #2 is harder.

cinnamon gurl said...

Belated Congratulations after a considerable absence from the blogosphere!!!

I remember the soul-sucking, constantly dragging your body from quick sand exhaustion of the first trimester... much sympathy and hope that you will feel better very soon.

Anonymous said...

I had the same. WIth my first, i basically SLEPT through the first trimester, i was so tired.

Didn't have that luxury with the second, as i was teaching, and still had the first to worry about!

I also got that burst of energy. With the second I think I got more of the nesting thing in the 3rd trimester. In the 6 weeks before he was born, I managed to buy, and fill a small chest freezer with food. I painted (okay, had painted) 2 bathrooms and my older son's new bedroom. Found and bought bedding for son's big boy room, and our bedroom. Oh, also found and bought a bedroom set for us. And decorated 3 bathrooms.

Yes, I nested. It was cool. Now I'm just a big tired blob again.

Congratulations!!

Mouse said...

I forgot to mention my nesting instinct in pregnancy #1. We had the nursery pretty well set up by that point, and so I channeled that energy into my job, preparing lesson plans for the last quarter of school. My colleagues were amazed at the organized binders I left for them.

Mad said...

Poor you. I remember in my first trimester repeatedly telling my husband that if some freakish hormones came along to make me forget this hell that it was his responsibility to remind me hourly so that I wouldn't start longing for a second.