by Vanessa Arreola

Created on: September 20, 2009

Fatigue and exhaustion during pregnancy, especially the first and third trimesters, is a common complaint of pregnancy. Exhaustion begins to take its toll on a pregnant woman from the moment of implantation. The new demands of sustaining a growing fetus in a woman's body are quite daunting. To prepare for this, her body will begin forming new blood vessels to accommodate for her increased blood supply. During the first four months of pregnancy, the placenta is being formed; This will be the baby's life support system for the remainder of the pregnancy. This in itself takes a tremendous effort from an already exhausted pregnant body. The production of the sleep inducing hormone known as Progesterone is in overdrive during the pregnancy, causing a woman to feel sleepier than normal.

Once a woman's body has adjusted to these changes, and the production of the placenta is complete, energy levels may begin to increase again. This normally occurs during the second trimester. Nausea, an extremely unpleasant side effect, has begun to subside and a woman is more adjusted to her growing belly both physically and emotionally. The second trimester may best be described as the honeymoon period of pregnancy. The belly is not yet too big, and many of the side effects have subsided, or in some cases, disappeared all together. A woman begins to feel the first flutter of movement as well, causing euphoric feelings.

Somewhere around week thirty fatigue often returns with a vengeance. The extra weight a woman is carrying around at this point may be substantial, coupled with the growing needs of the baby. A woman is often awakened several times a night by the urge to urinate, or by the once anticipated kicks of the baby. The discomfort felt at this stage may also contribute to insomnia. As a woman's body grows, sleeping may become difficult, especially if the woman was accustomed to sleeping on her belly, which is no longer possible. Back pains begin to set in due to softened ligaments, loosened joints, and extra weight. Some women will complain of sciatica pains. All of these factors contribute to a woman's exhaustion during pregnancy.

The are many ways to combat the unpleasant side effect of exhaustion during pregnancy. While a woman will most likely not completely eliminate fatigue, she may learn to manage it. The following list are some ideas on managing fatigue during pregnancy.

1.) Accept the extra strain and get extra rest.

The fatigue felt by a pregnant woman is legitimate,

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