So... did you just fall asleep mid-sentence?

I'm tired. No, really. Exhausted. Totally wiped out. Which doesn't make sense, because I took a nap yesterday, went to bed at 10:45pm, and woke up at 10 am. And still, I am longing for the twisted pregnancy dreams of sleep. In fact, I don't think I've ever been so tired in my life... but I haven't done anything!
Being tired is one of the things people don't really warn you about. Books like The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy by Vicki Iovine and Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy, both discuss in detail how you'll be exhausted during the first trimester as the baby messes with your metabolic rate. Jenny relates about falling asleep mid-sentence! It makes sense; that kid is growing so fast in my stomach that if they were outside of the womb, they'd have some kind of growth disorder. That takes a lot of energy. However, these books also referenced a BURST of energy in the second trimester. Well I'm there. Over a month in. And the energy is not. So I started reading some more.
According to the April 2004 edition of The Australian Nursing Journal, women who experience this kind of fatigue later in their pregnancy, such as during the second and third trimesters, are more likely to have a c-section. NOOOOO!!! I tried to write it off to Aussies being jerks (I wouldn't really know, I've never met any), but then ANOTHER journal, The Journal of Advanced Nursing, in March of 2004 said the same thing. Well, CRAP! I certainly hope I wake up sometime soon. I'd far and away prefer to push one out than be cut open.
Some good news- I'm supposed to not do house work. The May 2000 edition of the magazine Parents reports that overworking myself could bring me closer to such a fate, so I'm supposed to take it easy. The boy will be thrilled to hear this!
Still, more reading points out that a lack of iron in the body can also contribute to the tiredness. This is something I can remedy with iron supplements (which, after checking with my doctor, is fine), and eating more meat. I'm not a vegetarian, but meat is not really my thing, so I'll probably rely on things like eggs more than pork chops. Who knows though? Cravings change daily!
Other websites suggest eating a more balanced diet, taking "cat naps" of 30 minutes a couple times a day, and getting exercise- as this can help increase happy hormones in the body :)
I'll certainly try it all out, but all the same, if you're talking to me and I suddenly seem as though I might pass out- find me a soft, soft bed and let me drift into the wacky world of pregnancy dreams. I'll take you there with me one day... but that's a post in and of itself!