10 Ways To Boost Your Energy

Pregnancy and the early days of parenting can sometimes zap you of your energy. Here’s what you can do to beat it.

- Sue-Ann Baumgartel

Earlier this year, Serena Williams won her twenty-third singles title at the Australian Open. This would have been a monumental achievement for any athlete. The fact that the athlete in question was eight weeks pregnant with her first child makes it mind-blowing. This victory was a testimony to Williams’ determination, endurance and all-round superhuman abilities. However, for some lesser superwomen, pregnancy can act like Kryptonite on our superpowers. No matter how fit and focused we were before pregnancy, it is estimated that more than 50 per cent of expectant women will experience fatigue during their pregnancy.

Pregnancy fatigue, particularly during the first trimester, is more than just going to bed early in the hope of feeling better the next day. Completing the simplest tasks – like staying awake over dinner – can suddenly seem impossible and pointless. It is an all consuming weight of exhaustion. While your body might not be showing any outwardly visible signs of pregnancy, a joyride of hormones is taking place internally. The first trimester will see a dramatic increase in progesterone levels. Progesterone acts like a muscle relaxant for the uterus, as well as aiding the immune system. On the downside, it can also contribute to a lower blood pressure, increase nausea and cause drowsiness. Add low blood sugars, and the fact that your body is growing an entire life-support system (the placenta) from scratch, it is hardly surprising that you might feel depleted of energy. Here are some ways to find your mojo again.

1 Rest and Sleep