I find carrying a baby exhausting! Is there a natural stimulant that's safe to use during pregnancy?

Fatigue is a common symptom of early pregnancy. If anemia is not the actual problem, it may help to consider that there is a major construction project underway—it takes energy to build a baby and a placenta. Also, tremendously increased levels of hormones have to be manufactured and broken down. It's natural to feel the need to rest more.

It's important to practice good self-care methods to optimize your health and wellness, especially during pregnancy. If you're eating every two to three hours, taking a good prenatal or multivitamin/mineral supplement, keeping your bowels moving, getting more than eight hours of sleep every day (much more when you're tired), drinking plenty of fluids and getting some physical activity daily, I would not suggest doing anything to increase your energy level. By the second trimester, most women feel more energetic again.

As for the "brain fog" or "pregnancy brain" some women experience, if all of the above self-care methods are being optimized, I can only suggest that we reframe the way we look at these symptoms. Think of this as a time to focus inwardly, to delegate external responsibilities and to honor the mysterious bodily process that is gestation. Slow down. Make and take time for yourself. Pregnancy is a job all in itself.