dealing with hair when you are just to tired!

[Scelesta]

I'm 8 weeks pregnant, and TIRED. I feel like my hair is suffering because of this, I dont comb it, i barely condition it(that would take extra time in the shower i just dont feel like spending)..I just sorta leave it alone and lay in bed all day. I did manage to comb it for the first time in two weeks last night and put some coconut oil in it to try to prevent tangles but my poor hair is tangling something awful.

Its not long enough to put up to protect it while i'm being lazy. Is there anything I can do to prevent damage from my complete lack of care until i have the energy to deal with it? (The crazy part is i deeply considered cutting it back off in frustration and not wanting yet another thing to deal with but i decided NO cutting my hair while i'm full of hormones as i'll likely regret it later lol )

[LadyCelestina]

I...don't know if this is normal,I've never been pregnant.But if I were too tired to comb my hair at ear length (because well,there's more to comb out the more length you have),I'd probably get myself checked at the doctor.This kind of tired doesn't sound good :( I hope all is well with you and it's just a symptom of pregnancy.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I'm sorry you are so tired but it is normal to be pretty tired in early pregnancy. You could try just putting your (detangled) hair in a sleeping cap and just keeping it on for a couple of days which would minimise tangling.

FWIW, when I was pregnant I would come home from work, have a quick shower and collapse into bed. My husband would wake me for my evening meal, then I would collapse back into bed until it was time for work the next morning.

[lapushka]

I'm with LadyCelestina. This does sound more than average "tired", if you don't even have the energy for basic care. Maybe have yourself checked at the doctor, and do mention how tired you are and that you don't even care for yourself properly.

[Kherome]

I think I remember another post by you where you said you struggle with some pretty intense mental illness. Perhaps you might see your doctor to make sure that this is normal and not a potential bad effect on your mental state because of hormones? Don't be mad, I'm just thinking it might be worth looking in to.

[embee]

I was like SarahLabyrinth - I was so exhausted, and for a couple months I only wanted to sleep sleep sleep. Later on it got much better and I felt fine. If you need not go out, then the idea of combing out your hair and putting it in a sleep cap is a good one. I hope your hair grows quickly so you can put it up soon. That will be helpful later, when you have a baby to care for.

[ravenheather]

I also think this level of tiredness is worth checking with a doctor.

[allierat]

When pregnanct I am usually so tired for the first 12 weeks that managing to do anything not involving a bed or sofa is an achievement. It can be a sign of low iron though (I know they routinely check this anyway when pregnant in the UK but don't know if they do where you are).
The sleep cap idea sounded like a good one. Maybe a hat or a bandana/scarf could be helpful if you have to go out?
Congrats on your pregnancy :) If you're anything like me then your hair will grow loads more than usual.

[Eastbound&Down]

Do mention it at your next check up, but exhaustion is normal in the first trimester as well as the third. I have a 9 month old so i know from recent experience. I highly suggest prenatal vitamins, they will give your body extra nutrients and give you some energy to work with, right now your body is putting all it's energy in to growing a baby which takes away from you. Make sure you are eating healthy, take your vitamins, get a pretty headband and try to stay moving. Best of luck to you!

[Chiaroscuro]

Sorry you are feeling so utterly drained. Wear a sleep cap, or scarf. If you have cliq claqs*, use a bunch to keep your hair near your scalp. If you have a friend who can cornrow, then invite them over to cornrow your hair down.

*Ordinarily, I wouldn't advise the daily, constant use of cliq claqs because they can cut the hair a little, but any damage from cliq claqs I think will be less than the tangled mess you are describing, especially if you are too tired to lift your hands over your head to work out the knots.

All the best, and hopefully you will be feeling better soon with phenomenal, hormonal hair growth!
H_U_G_S

[AmyBeth]

Both of my pregnancies were normal and healthy. I can assure you that in the first trimester I could easily and happily slept for 18 hours a day! Sometimes it almost felt like some kind of twilight zone sleep disorder! But I was healthy and came out of it a little later in the pregnancy. Most women say that their hair becomes more beautiful and grows faster during pregnancy, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Love the idea of a silk scarf or bandana to provide some protection if you are concerned about it. Staying healthy and well rested is much more important than anything else at this time, for you and your baby. Take care of yourself and your hair will be OK for now.:):blossom:

[ARG]

I'm pretty sure if it wasn't for DD, I wouldn't have gotten out of bed in my first trimester. That being said, always check with your doctor to make sure thyroid, iron, and other levels are normal.

As for your hair, I use pregnancy as the best time to practice benign neglect. I oil and pin it back in a protective style. Since your hair is short, maybe keep a comb and a BBB brush on your bed side table so during your waking moments you can detangle and distribute sebum. If a scarf/cap isn't your thing, a satin or silk pillowcase.

Good luck and happy health!

[GetMeToWaist]

You could wear a satin cap at night. Oiling it might help if you have enough energy. Good luck with your little munchkin! :)

[MsPharaohMoan]

I too remember some threads you've posted prior to this one and think that while exhaustion seems to be a normal symptom (from the results here), it might be worth it to practice some coping skills or reach out to your support group. Ask for extra help around the house or someone to just listen to you, go sit outside (if you're too tired to walk) with a warm blanket and a cup of tea... It's important to keep those stress levels down so you don't become too overwhelmed with daily 'self-care chores' like keeping yourself fed and clean. I think lacking the motivation to care for yourself is a red flag, even if the exhaustion might be a normal symptom.

[chen bao jun]

Chiming in to say that exhaustion like this is normal for pregnancy. I'm normally energetic and all 3 times I was like this. I wouldn't worry about being so tired, but maybe acquire a satin sleep cap, as suggested. It's one of those things people who have never been pregnant simply can't understand.

[ooglipoo]

Silk scarf or sleep cap would be my best idea.

:grouphug: Take good care of yourself!

[kelseyxface]

I'm gonna agree with everyone else here and say silk scarf (: Not combing it isn't bad, either! Excessive combing is bad for the hair anyways, just finger comb it. I know a lot of ladies here who swear by it. Do what I do - claim your new found laziness is you discovering stretching washes and taking on the minimalist hair movement. :P But in all seriousness, I would also invest in a leave in conditioner or look into oiling your hair. Many women in Indian have constant oiled hair, and if you combine that with a nice silk scarf and you minimal burshing maybe the next 9 months will yield some amazing hair results for you. ^.^ Good luck with your pregnancy and hair journey :blossom:

[Hotrox]

I have an 8 month old so the first trimester exhaustion is quite a recent memory, although a little foggy!! It will improve after the 12th week or so.

My advice is just not to cut it, when little one is here you'll be so thankful to be able to tie it back and forget about it for a few months, also holy hormone growth is about to come to you. Mine grew like a weed in the last trimester and even for a good few months after birth.

Hope you'll be feeling back to normal soon and able to start enjoying the pregnancy.

[Scelesta]

thanks :) Yeah i have a satin sleep cap i need to dig out i cant remember where i put it.. I already keep oil in my hair 24/7 it helps keep it from getting frizzy but not so much from tangles unless its a heavy oiling which i may start doing just to protect it. At least i'm not washing it as much so that is a good thing, despite the tangles and lack of care it feels soft, and is growing nicely my roots are out like 2 inches but i wont be redying it or anything as suddenly my priorites on money have shifted i no longer see hair dye as a "I HAVE TO HAVE THIS" thing its now WAY on the bottom of the list. So this is a good time for my hair I think.

I also thought about it and realized my tiredness was getting worse since i started taking Doxylamine (docs suggestion for nasuea) it doesnt make me sleepy but once i'm asleep man do i sleep, and waking up is hard. So i think im gonna not take it at night anymore so maybe i'll get a little more energy to at least oil my hair nightly before bed :) I'm also not eating enough so thats probably making things so much worse for me, and no i'm not doing that on purpose i just am never hungry and find it hard to force food down x.x

I do plan to talk to my doctor though regardless if i'm still this tired come the 5th see if she has any ideas as to how I can not be dead on my feet lol my usual methods of dealing with extreme tiredness are out of the question (large amounts of caffiene and nicotine...I quit smoking completely and only have a small amount of caffiene in my coca-cola nowhere near what i used to down lol)