At 34 weeks, I’m nearly 8mos pregnant and man am I feeling it. I’ve been having some trouble sleeping, but last night was the worst. Exhausted from not sleeping well the night before, I went to bed at the ridiculously early time of 8:30pm. That was the best part of last night’s sleep.
I woke up at midnight, hot, sweaty, thirsty, and overall uncomfortable. I went to the bathroom to see if that would help, then drank a bit of water. I got back in bed and lay there, dozing a bit here and there but not really sleeping. I know I looked at the clock at something like 1:45am. At some point, I kicked off my sleep pants (still hot) and got up for a bottle of water (still really thirsty) that I rapidly guzzled. I went back to bed and managed to snooze, I think, as I didn’t see the clock again until about 4am or so. I tossed and turned and half dozed a little more, but at 5am, I gave up and went into the family room, hoping the change of scenery would help me nap.
Nope. Within a half hour my 3yro son was up, and though my husband attended to him, there was no rest for me.
I tried taking a nap this afternoon and got maybe 10min or so on the couch. When I moved to the bedroom, I just couldn’t get comfortable and never managed to really sleep.
Have you had your glucose test done for gestational diabetes? I was borderline with my second pregnancy and I definitely felt a difference. And, of course, after having had my first 10 days early, this one was two weeks late! Talk about discomfort.
My sincere sympathies. Even when you can’t sleep, at least your can “rest your body” by relaxing. I know it’s not the same and I hate that feeling of never getting enough rest, but it may help a bit. Best of luck!
vivalostwages, I have a pregnancy pillow that I looooove. It would be complete misery without it. Music would be a distraction for me–I’d want to listen to it–and a bath or anything else sounds great, except I don’t want to get up. I have no problem falling asleep, I have a problem staying asleep. And when I do wake up, groggy as I am, I’m not quite awake enough to want to get up and go watch TV, or make tea, or take a bath…I’d still rather just lie there and rest, even if it means no sleep. Best options are getting up to use the bathroom and asking hubby to spoon me; it seems feeling his body against mine and his relaxed breathing helps me relax my own.
Salem, I was tested for gestational diabetes at something like 26 weeks–it’s negative. I will say this pregnancy is all kinds of “feeling a difference.” Everything is more–more sick, more uncomfortable, more palpitations, more fatigue, more pelvic pain, more illnesses, more swelling, more insomnia. Oof.
I know Tylenol PM is safe (just Tylenol and Bendryl, both totally pregnancy safe), so I’m taking a full dose tonight.
I can hardly think straight right now.
I consider it training for the newborn sleep deprivation stage. Gah.
When I was pregnant, I loaded my iphone with lots of podcasts - when I woke and couldn’t get back to sleep, I could easily reach for it without having to turn on lights etc, and usually found by distracting myself by listening to them, that I quickly dropped off again.
I hate hot pillows against my face … in the summer when I am headachy and cant get to sleep, I take an ice pack out of the freezer and sort of iron the surface of my pillow with it to chill it back down. Maybe a combination of that and a spritz of lavendar/rosemary onto the pillow?
I’m pretty sure that nature designed all the discomfort of the last month or so of pregnancy to reduce you to such a frazzle that you don’t care what it takes, you’ll go through anything at all to get it over with, thus giving you incentive to deal with labor and childbirth. I remember wanting to be done with pregnancy so that I could finally get some sleep again. WAHAHAHAHAhoohoo!! ::wipes tear away:: So cute, my pre-child-having self!
This too shall pass, and someday all of your offspring will sleep beautifully and long and simultaneously and you will have glorious, lavish, luxurious amounts of sleep again.
I’m sorry that this pregnancy has been so rough on you, Ruffian. I know that six weeks seems like a long time now, but I think it’ll go by really fast for you. I hope. Back in th early 90s when I had intractable morning sickness, my doctor had me take a Unisom (over the counter sleeping pill) and a vitamin B6 before I went to bed at night. Have you asked your doctor if there’s anything you can take? Melatonin, even?
Insomnia sucks. Double so when someone lives inside of you.
Heh heh, shantih–that is rather cute of your pre-child-self. Since this is my second, I have a vague memory of what I’m in for. I just hope and pray that this little boy is a better sleeper than his big brother. 3 1/2, and RuffLlama/Son 1.0 is still a very sensitive sleeper (any amount of change or stress comes out in his sleep–he has nightmares, or nightly freakouts about things like his pillowcase coming half off his pillow, when there’s change–like, oh, remodeling an office into a nursery) who will not sleep past 6am no matter what time he goes to bed or how tired he is.
I took the Tylenol PM last night and slept like a rock from 9:30-4:00ish. Ahhhh, much better. It was odd; I expected I’d be going to bed earlier, but I had apparently reached that weird phase of exhaustion where I was completely worked and wiped out, yet not sleepy. After getting up for my 4am pee break, I managed to actually go back to sleep for a change. I didn’t wake up until a very cold, very tiny little hand touched mine to give me a car to play with. (Apparently, Son 1.0 had gotten up and 6, and wonderful, wonderful hubby had intercepted and brought him into the kitchen for cereal. He told our big little man that mommy was sleeping, and to leave her be. RuffLlama apparently sneaked into the room without hubby’s knowledge to give me that car. Heh.)
Thanks Alice the Goon for the Unisom tip–I know that’s a good one, as is the Tylenol PM. My OB actually prescribed me a strong cough suppressant the other week (still recovering from what is assumed to be H1N1; I was almost better when out of nowhere I developed bronchitis) that also serves as a prescription-strength sleep aid. As my cough isn’t bad at night, I’m no longer taking it and don’t feel right taking it–but going without was UGH.
Thankfully, I don’t have six more weeks of this–I have no more than 4. We cook 'em big and we cook 'em fast in my family; my sisters and I all delivered between 34-38 weeks, and all the 37-38 babies (including my first) were around 8lbs. This little guy has a scheduled C-section (as I have had two back surgeries since m first was born–I’m protecting my spine this time) on December 21, at 38 weeks, 1 day–if I don’t naturally go into labor earlier.
I feel much more rested today, thank you. Crossing my fingers for tonight…
Here’s hoping for some solid sleep for you! It’s a bitch when you’re pregnant, and there’s so much you can’t take, huh?
If the Tylenol PM works for you, have you considered just regular Benadryl? It’s the same “sleep agent”, but without the Tylenol! Unless the Tylenol is really beneficial to pains and such, no use taxing your liver unnecessarily!
Well, that’s a new one. I woke up at 4am today notsomuch because of the insomnia or a need to pee, but because of screaming hunger pains. But, as I have been missing out on sleep, I value it more and let the hunger pains growl until they quieted, allowing me to snooze a teensy bit more. When 6am came, however, I bolted to the kitchen to do some eatin’. Om nom nom.
I think it’s partially because my appetite is reverting to first trimester patterns–after about 3pm, my stomach feels sour and I have no interest in food. I have a bowl of Rice Crispies or some similar light cereal for dinner just to make sure I eat something, and snack on crackers or something similar before bed. Apparently that’s not enough for baby and me. Ugh.
norinnew, there is more Benadryl in two Tylenol PM than in two regular Benadryl, so it’s a better sleep aid–plus, I don’t mind the Tylenol as getting up to pee often hurts as my pelvis and joints hurt like a mofo.
I took the Tylenol PM last night and it helped, again, though my 3yro’s screaming at 11pm briefly awakened me (again, wonderful hubby intercepted). I slept through until my growling tummy made itself known. I used of the Tylenol PM last night and aim to go get more today, though I don’t like the idea of taking it every night. Then again, I don’t like the idea of getting 3-4 hours of interrupted sleep, either.
Ruffian, all I can do is sympathize, and cheer you on as you head down the home stretch (no pun intended).
I went through the same thing (and both kids were July and we had no AC.)
Getting a good night’s sleep becomes a sort of hobby, or honed skill.
I am glad there are some things you can take, so much was forbidden back in my day.
I knew a co-worker and she slept for the last month of her pregnency in a recliner chair. It was the only way she could get into a comfortable position.
Okay, my body faked me out with two decent night’s sleep in a row.
It’s currently 4:48am. Last night, despite taking two Benadryl, I popped awake and peered at the clock at 11:30pm, then again at 1am, then got up to pee at 2am-something, then peered at the clock at 3am-something, then woke up hungry at 4am. After tossing and turning and trying to go back to sleep, I gave up at 4:30am. I just had a bowl of cereal and now I’m perusing the Net before attempting to nap.
Thankfully, Son 1.0 is going to preschool today, so unlike Sunday–last time this happened–I can lie on the couch and veg, hopefully nap, without having to chase him around or entertain him.
I think TLC is on to this problem. Their viewing schedule is loaded with all things pregnant and baby for the next few hours. I shall watch and hope sweet sleep finds me again.
