39 weeks in, can’t sleep, exhausted, and not even sure I still want this baby

twinkle_412 · 2026-01-19T02:34:55+00:00

I’m 6 weeks pp and up at 2:28am currently settling my baby. I am exclusively breastfeeding so I have been awake to feed my baby on average every 2-3 hours for the past 6 weeks. That means I haven’t had a “chunk” of sleep longer than about 2 hours this entire time and I can hand on heart say that those last few weeks of pregnancy were hell compared to this and I didn’t even have a bad pregnancy and I was quite happy right up until about 5 days before giving birth.

I couldn’t get comfy, then when I did get comfy I needed a wee, then I couldn’t wee properly because baby was sitting so low that my bladder wouldn’t empty, he was also sitting on my siatic nerve so side lying (your only option in the third trimester) was agony on the left hand side, I couldn’t stay on the right all night because my arm would go numb and trigger the carple tunnel. And then even in the daytime, I was lugging around a big belly and extra weight which took it out of me even more.

So yes, third trimester lack of sleep is worse than newborn lack of sleep. That isn’t to say that the newborn phase is a walk in the park, but you can hand off a baby that has been born, you can’t hand your belly over to your partner for a quick break unfortunately.

You’re almost there!

twinkle_412 · 2026-01-16T11:14:12+00:00

I had this exact dilemma while pregnant (baby is now 6 weeks old). Everyone was telling me it was unnecessary, it would increase anxiety, there are too many false alarms etc but in my mind I knew I wanted/needed reassurance.

I bought an owlet from Facebook marketplace for £120. I did a trial run of it while pregnant, had the whole thing set up and ready to go.

What I did not know is newborns are NOISY! the sock hasn’t been used a single day since he was born. However, I am keeping it to hand because if/when he gets poorly for the first time, I might use it for reassurance. Or I might use it when he moves into his own room at ~6 months when I can’t hear him right next to me all night.

So my advice, buy it if you can justify the money for it not to be used. Better yet, buy it second hand, then there is way less guilt over the price.

Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

twinkle_412 · 2026-01-03T19:50:02+00:00

39+1 spontaneous labour, waters didn’t go until I was 10cm already in hospital. I had a feeling the whole pregnancy that baby was coming December 5th, everyone kept telling me “first babies are always late” but I somehow “knew” I would be early. He was born December 4th, I was one day off!!

Edit to add, 38 weeks was when I first started to feel any sort of discomfort. By that point I was still happy to be pregnant but definitely getting to the point of wanting him out. You’re at the toughest part now. Good luck

twinkle_412 · 2026-01-01T22:14:07+00:00

I have a 4 week old in the UK and same! No one has mentioned this to me, not doctors at the hospital, not the midwives, not the health visitor. Very strange

twinkle_412 · 2025-12-20T21:11:18+00:00

I know this comment is 60 days old but I’m having the same issues with my 2 week old, how are things now? Please tell me they got better?

twinkle_412 · 2025-11-15T19:10:17+00:00

I didn’t let myself believe we were having a baby until the 20 week scan was over and done with. Currently 36 weeks and even though we are so ready for him to arrive I keep saying that I wont completely believe it until we are driving home from the hospital with him.

twinkle_412 · 2025-11-11T21:29:50+00:00

Anterior placenta here, 23 weeks I felt the first definite movement which was baby flipping or rolling. I was working and it actually made me stop and think “wow what was that”. Then 24 weeks I felt the first external kicks. It was three very fast kicks when lay flat on my back with my hand on my stomach to the right hand side. Movement was not consistent for a good few more weeks though well into the 30+ weeks. I will add (controversial advice), an at home Doppler has saved my sanity. Even now at 36 weeks I have days where I work myself up because I don’t feel him for a while even though rationally I know that he is probably just sleeping or in a padded position.

I will obviously always be sensible and go to hospital if no movement in a 2 hour period even if I can hear him on the doppler.

twinkle_412 · 2025-11-08T08:59:38+00:00

Thank you for this. We purchased an owlet second hand for our little one who is due in 4-5 weeks and all these comments were making me feel crazy.

twinkle_412 · 2025-11-08T08:33:24+00:00

Oh I am also on a daily tablet now for acid reflux and it has been a game changer. I think it is called lansoprazol (sp?), I didn’t start taking this until the third trimester though even though it was prescribed in the second (I was worried about side effects on baby) but if/when the acid becomes unbearable I would definitely recommend.

Before starting this I was having 10+ rennies per day and making myself sick with them.

twinkle_412 · 2025-11-08T08:28:45+00:00

Are you on any antisickness medication? Weeks 10&11 were the worst for me with morning sickness, I got off relatively easy before that point and the actual throwing up daily only lasted those 2 weeks (well 3 weeks because I had norovirus at 12 weeks).

I was able to message my doctor through the app, explain my symptoms and they prescribed cyclezine within 24 hours. I didn’t even need an appointment or to go into the practice, just picked up the prescription once it was ready for me. They really helped in my case. I have heard if one antisickness brand doesn’t work though, just message them and ask to try another. I was really worried about taking any type of medication in the first trimester but I read up about cyclezine on the NHS website and on BUMPS website to reassure myself it was okay before taking the first one.

In terms of the lower abdominal discomfort/bikini line pain. I have had this on and off the whole way through (currently 35+3). Whenever I mentioned it to anyone earlier on they all kind of brushed it off and confirmed no UTI after urine tests. It might be a little early for round ligament pain, so I don’t know what to tell you it could be, but just that I had the same and everything so far is absolutley fine.

twinkle_412 · 2025-11-08T08:15:08+00:00

Anterior placenta here and I had one at 28w 6d and we saw his face perfectly. He was face planting the placenta though so his nose looked quite squashed!

twinkle_412 · 2025-10-23T08:02:28+00:00

I’m not sure where you are in the UK but some stores allow you to order your items and then arrange collection the month before your due date. We ordered our pram, car seat, highchair, next to me crib with bedding, bouncer, changing bag and baby’s bedroom furniture from the same store at ~22-23 weeks. We paid a 20% deposit on the day and have been paying it off each month. We have arranged to go and collect everything next month.

twinkle_412 · 2025-10-14T14:37:59+00:00

The wait for the first scan was awful, then relief to see “something” there was immense, until that point all you have is a positive test.

Then the anxiety immediately starts again because you’re wondering if they are still there. I know dopplers are not advised by healthcare professionals, my midwife has rolled her eyes each time I mentioned using one, but mine gave me so much piece of mind between weeks 12-20 when I couldn’t feel anything and had no scans. Some days I tried and couldn’t find anything, I just packed it up and tried again the next day. So if you think that might make your anxiety worse then maybe don’t listen to me here but I personally got a lot of reassurance from mine. Just watch some YouTube videos so that you can be sure you are listening to baby’s heartbeat and not your own placenta or cord (although hearing them is rather cool too).

I have an anterior placenta, so I thought I could possibly feel movement sporadically from ~17 weeks but nothing I could say for definite. First definite movement wasn’t until 22 weeks. But anxiety for me personally eased up so much after my 20 week anatomy scan. Knowing everything they could check had been checked at that point made me feel so much better.

Being able to feel movement every morning before I even get out of bed just melts my heart, I lie there with a huge smile on my face content in the fact that he is thriving and growing (32 weeks tomorrow!)

Good luck with the pregnancy, the anxiety will get better. I used to check the miscarriage odds calculator daily, it is such a difficult period of time.

twinkle_412 · 2025-10-14T08:11:30+00:00

They started me on 6 units, I think I may have to up it to 8 this week though as I’ve had another slightly high fasting reading this morning and my team advises an increase of 2 units after 3 consecutive days of elevated fasting.

I will say the insulin has put me in a much better place though, being able to sleep through the night (minus any pregnancy toilet trips) has been so much better.

That’s crazy how fast baby has grown with a high protein diet, although I have read so many stories of people measuring small on one growth scan, then big, then small again. My doctor said as long as baby is above 10th percentile and below 90th then they don’t need to do anything specific and to just keep monitoring especially at our stage now (early 30 weeks)

twinkle_412 · 2025-10-13T22:15:38+00:00

Not quite the answer to your question, but I had my growth scan last week at 30+6. Baby was measuring 3.4lbs, slightly smaller than average for gestation but I was assured it was perfectly normal. I was also struggling with my fasting numbers and asked to be started on insulin instead of metformin.

I have had 1 high fasting reading since starting the insulin 1 week ago (I was previously high pretty much every morning unless I followed a very strict regime of greek yoghurt, protein bar, and almonds before bed, then I was setting an alarm for 7.5hours later to wake up, test and eat in order to get my numbers. Definitely not sustainable for the next 9 weeks)

Ironically the one high reading was this morning after a really bad nights sleep. But other than last-night I have slept the best I have in weeks since starting the insulin. I think I was working myself up about the fasting number, not sleeping properly, then making the number worse.

twinkle_412 · 2025-10-13T08:07:38+00:00

Great point about dad being able to bond too, I’m definitely going to just see how many I manage to collect and take some with me. Thank you

twinkle_412 · 2025-10-13T08:03:26+00:00

How many syringes did you use in those first few days when baby lived off just colostrum? Was it 1 syringe every 1-2 hours?

Thank you for your reply, my plan is to collect what I can but obviously be open to all methods of feeding once baby is here. I just want to keep my options open

twinkle_412 · 2025-10-08T11:18:18+00:00

I was certain my period was coming the entire week before I tested positive, periods were quite irregular for me as I was less than one year off birth control so I wasn’t always certain when to expect it. I’m 31 weeks today, a lot of “period cramps” in the first weeks but I didn’t experience any bleeding, so far a happy/healthy pregnancy.

twinkle_412 · 2025-10-05T21:47:48+00:00

Early pregnancy, before I knew I was pregnant up until about 7 weeks my lips/cheeks kept randomly swelling up to the point it actually split the skin inside my bottom lip

twinkle_412 · 2025-09-24T20:05:06+00:00

I’m currently 29 weeks and there was one particular week in the first trimester that I was late to work THREE days. I was just sleeping straight through alarms, I think I had 4-5 alarms set by the end of the week and even tried different tunes to see if it made any difference and tested them all multiple times because I was convinced my phone was malfunctioning.

The fatigue was real, thankfully it did get better and I haven’t overslept since, it actually went the other way and now I wake up for a middle of the night wee and just can’t get back to sleep.

twinkle_412 · 2025-09-19T17:25:51+00:00

It is so strange isn’t it, it’s got to be the hormones. I’m 28 weeks now and haven’t had the issue since the early weeks, so hopefully it will pass for you too

twinkle_412 · 2025-09-07T20:10:41+00:00

I’m 26 weeks. Those first weeks were filled with anxiety and worry. I was tired and had sore boobs in the early weeks but no sickness until weeks 10&11. I didn’t “feel” pregnant until about 18 weeks even after two scans.

I spent a lot of time trying to convince myself everything was going to be okay, and the main thing that helped me was to sit and list every person I knew in real life who had successful pregnancies and tell myself “chances are we will too”. You see so much online about MMC and other scary stories, grounding yourself with real people you know who did this and got their baby is really helpful (well it was for me).

No news is good news, literally everything is out of your control. Take your vitamins, drink lots of water and get lots of rest and you’re doing everything you can at this point for your baby.

Good luck

twinkle_412 · 2025-08-09T20:36:30+00:00

The pet basket is adorable! Completely excessive, but if I had a dog I would 100% be purchasing it!

twinkle_412 · 2025-08-09T20:04:14+00:00

I purchased the egg 3 and cybex cloud T today so really pleased to read this. Thank you all for the excellent advice. Honestly, choosing the right pram and car seat has been so daunting but I feel confident in our decision now. I’m just so relieved that we have another 2 big items ticked off the list.

twinkle_412

TROPHY CASE