6 months pregnant - how to survive the final 3?

[supergolden88]

This is my second pregnancy and I am going to be 6 months this friday. I have to admit I am not coping very well. I am enormous; frequently out of breath; getting hot flushes (it feels like); suffering from indigestion and headaches; tired most of the time. A day at the office (only doing two a week thank goodness) wipes me out and I need a while to recover.

I am getting a bit depressed - how will I cope with three more months of this?? I seriously think if I get any bigger I wont be able to do anything much at all. It doesn't help that I have had the coughing for the past month and that I haven't got much freelance work to distract me. I wish I could exercise but my energy levels are so low that I find it really hard.

Still moaning here helps

[apenn]

I've only had one pregnancy, but if it helps, I remember the indigestion hitting me in waves. I think I had it around 6 months, then it went away for a while, but came back toward the very end. So maybe all of your symptoms will not persist for the rest of your term! I lived on TUMS for a while. Found they worked better than any other type/brand of antacid.

Also, if this is your second, I'm sure having a child around is making it much more exhausting this time, too! Have you considered starting your maternity leave as soon as you are allowed to do so? (I forget from which week before your due date you are allowed to start). Give yourself a break and don't trudge on till the end! It will be something to look forward too.

[edanna]

Oh dear sg88, I know how you feel. I had such a bad cough when I was heavily pregnant with my second that I coughed with my whole body, if you know what I mean. I found travelling to work the most tiring bit. I wonder if there's anything you cAn do to improve your journey, eg take a different route or get someone to drive you? Can you get extra help/childcare on your days at home so you can rest? Bearing in mind the cough, maybe you could take a couple of days off sick and just sleep? Or failing all of that go on mat leave a bit earlier, though of course that means you will go back earlier. Anyway, thinking of you. Once you shake the cough and rest up it may get easier. Good luck. X

[supergolden88]

I am hoping the cough will go away soon. I have it easy considering - 2 days a week at the office is perfectly reasonable and my daughter is in nursery all day. I guess in a way having too much time on my hands and not doing anything constructive with it is making me depressed - you cant win with me!

My belly really feels very heavy and tight all the time - wonder if a belly band or similar would help... I try to do my pilates dvd and feel the weight might topple me forward!

[Trish]

Hi supergolden! I'm right there with you at 6 months but working 5 days a week with about 3 hrs travel a day so it's killing me! Also have 4 yr old daughter at nursery. I think 3 months will go faster than you fear. It's only a few weeks and do you remember how tough those first 3 months were? You obviously got through those! I'm sure once you meet your baby the pregnancy will be a distant memory!

[Saffron]

NCT has their support belts on sale:

http://www.nctshop.co.uk/searchprods.asp

enter search term "support belt"

Also, I had very bad dyspepsia before and during pregnancy. My GP prescribed omeprazole, which is safe during pregnancy. I find that tablet-type vitamins sometimes make my stomach worse, but Floradix liquid is ok.

:-)

[marscapone]

Poor you! I also found the last stages of pregnancy quite difficult as I developed SPD and could barely move. I know it seems long and tough at the moment but 3 months will pass very quickly and then it'll be over (think about the first 3 months of your first baby's life and what a blur that is now). Chocolate always helps too, and trashy books which you probably won't get a chance to read in 3 months time...

[Lochie]

Have you thought about swimming? Maybe hard to do with a little one as well, but if you can get ANY time on your own I would really recommend it. I really sympathise on the heart burn, it used to make me cry! Being in a pool was the only time I ever really felt all the physical difficulties of being heavily pregnant would disappear. Also nice to have cool water splashing on face and feel totally weightless etc...You have probably been swimming already but if not its defo worth a shot (obviously helps if its during a quieter period during the day so you can go for peace and quiet as well!)

[supergolden88]

I havent tried swimming even though I really should make an effort. Peckham Pulse would be my closest - I guess worth checking out. If anyone knows when the best time for a really slow pregnant swimmer is let me know!

[EmmaCC]

I'm also pregnant and went to Peckham Pulse swimming for the first time last night. I'd really recommend it, was the first bit of exercise I've done in 4 months as have been so knackered but it was great! However, if you have the option to go in the day, rather than the evenings then I'd opt for that. last ngiht was pretty busy even in the slow lane and so not sure I'd fancy being heavily pregnant with all those people around me. If you check on the website there's a timetable showing when the adult lane swimming is on ... oh and don't let the lane swimming thing put you off... the people in the slow lane were very slow... if they went any slower they'd stop so don't worry about that!

[nicolemodesti]

Definitely get yourself to the GP for Omeprazole. I suffered severe heartburn when pregnant and this was prescribed - very safe. Better than drinking the gallons of Gaviscon that had no effect and seemed to make it worse.

Also sounds like your ongoing cough could be sapping you of your energy levels - as if being 6 months pregnant isn't energy sapping enough.

Hope you begin to feel a little more on top of things and if not get loads of rest!!At 6 months and a busy 5 day week I spent alot of time on the weekend resting/sleeping. Know a bit difficult for you with another one at home.

BTW I was enormous and suffered many of what you have described...maybe that's why I have left it at 1 for now....you're a better woman than me!

[Fliss]

I'd have a chat with the midwife. Maybe start your maternity leave earlier than you had planned? Travelling when pregnant is horrible! And so tiring. I think you might need more rest! Already having one child, it's not as though you can just come home from the office and put your feet up!

[linzkg]

I've only had one pregnancy but from the start I was ill with morning sickness and indigestion and SPD so really didn't enjoy it at all but did look forward to my yoga classes and definitely swimming, or should I say wallowing in the shallows. I also have a couple of belts which, if I can dig them out, you're more then welcome to try out (I was constantly holding my bump up as it felt very uncomfortable and tight.)

[Moos]

Superg, have you considered whether your blood iron is low? As someone quite prone to being a bit anaemic, I know from experience how exhausted that can make one feel. If you think you might have low blood iron (v. common in later pregnancy), worth asking your GP to send you for a blood test up at King's.

Best of luck and hope you feel better soon

[supergolden88]

Thanks linzkg another forum member kindly offered a belt which I will hopefully get soon. May even try swimming today as I am off work. My daughter woke up several times last night (with a nightmare? who knows...) so I am even more knackered than usual

[linzkg]

Moos - good point and good idea - I suffer with low iron and took Floridex throughout my pregnancy too as it can make you feel horrible

[supergolden88]

going for bloods next friday. Feeling bit better today even went swimming - got many many leg cramps but it was good.

Now getting another weird symptom: restless legs - not funny although I looked like a lunatic and also floating light in my eyes which I know is a migraine precursor. What fun

[linzkg]

ok - so i sound like a complete hypochondriac now, or I just had a bad pregnancy - I'd completely forgotten about restless legs! very frustrating and makes you want to cry out in a pathetic whine - haha! apparently not much you can do about it. it keeps you awake though because as soon as you get comfy and drift off you need to move your legs about and wriggle. i did find though, if i actually just got out of bed (whatever the hour) and went for a short walk and stretch it did help (sometimes) and also just made sure i was drinking lots of fluids (think i read somewhere that it helps.)

[The Nappy Lady]

Supergolden,

I remember feeling huge at six months second time around but I think it is just that you get bigger faster, you don't carry on the same way if that makes sense.

I would see the doctor about your cough, I had a chest infection for 3 months last year and it really dragged me down.

Hope you feel better soon.

Molly

X

[newcomer]

At risk of being thought flippant, I found eating ice-cream in bed really helped. It's got calcium in it, it's one of the few treats you are still allowed (no wine, seafood, pate, etc etc), and feels decadent enough to temp take your mind off pregnancy symptoms. I had ice-cream A LOT while pregnant (probably why I put on so much weight...). It works particuarly well when combined with reading trashy magazines like Heat! :-)

Hope the last trimester goes ok.

[supergolden88]

Well the cold is thankfully going away VERY slowly so I feel bit better. Heartburn still here with a vengeance - sometimes I get it just by having lost of water!

Swimming has helped and I hope to keep going.

THe thing I have noticed (apart from being as big at 6 months as I was at 8-9 months with previous pregnancy) is I get the occasional day where the baby seems to grow and suddenly my ribs seem to expand more and I find it impossible to breathe.

[millsa]

hi supergolden, I am 35 weeks with my second and I know exactly how you feel! for the last 3 months I have been thinking 'how am I going to survive another xx weeks with such a huge bump, difficulty with sleeping (I can't turn from one side to another without waking up, which happens a few times a night), leg cramps, tiredness etc - I could actually moan here for another half hour how fed up I am, but on the positive side think that we are all going through this and it will all end quicker than you think.

we can moan together when we meet on sunday :)

x

[sanity girl]

I too am 35 weeks and feel like i have reached the end of the line - same complaints as millsa, plus I am starting to get that heavy, pulling down feeling already. I'm really hoping the baby might come early! Looking forward to a good moan on sunday too x

[EmilyE]

Also, remember it's not necessarily just a downward curve, so you might feel rubbish for a few days/weeks, but then have a bit more energy. Even the thought that you might not feel so bad soon might make you feel a bit better:).Hope so.

[supergolden88]

Just got my blood results - funnily enough my iron level is low. You were right ladies! Now what should I be eating...