Exhausted Mom - Could This Be The Cause of Your Constant Fatigue

Has your mom fatigue become chronic?

You have little ones so it is normal to be tired. All the time. Or is it? Is your constant fatigue caused by lack of sleep or could it be something more serious?

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Exhausted – Many Demands Cause Mommy Fatigue

As a mom you are expected to do so much. You need to look amazing, your kids have to be picture perfect all the time. You should maintain a meticulous home. Provide you family with home cooked meals, everything made from scratch preferably from your own garden.

Of course you have time for all this because you are home ALL day ;). I’ll scream next time I hear that!!

Stay at home moms are not the only ones under the pressure. That is just the only world I have experienced.

Whether you are a stay-at-home mom, work-outside-the-home mom, homeschooling mom, or work-from-home mom you are being pulled to many directions.

Besides all those demands, you as a mom are in a constant heightened awareness mode. You are constantly scanning the environment to protect your kids from danger. Your senses are working nonstop. Even when you sleep you listen to your baby’s sounds or wait for your little one to get up and call for you.

You worry about your child’s health, school, friendships etc.

You are needed 24/7.

On top of all this you are probably not getting enough sleep nor the necessary alone time to recharge.

All this keeps you in a chronic stress mode which can mess up your hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This HPA axis dysfunction is also called adrenal fatigue – a stress syndrome. Maybe it could be called stress fatigue.

Are You Stressed Out – Do You Have Stress Fatigue?

Is your fatigue mommy fatigue or is it adrenal fatigue (stress fatigue)?

I’m not saying that all the moms have adrenal fatigue but it is more common among women than men.

Let’s explore the adrenal fatigue little bit and then I can give you some tips for avoiding it. And healing it.

Do you have brain fog?

Sudden fatigue? Extreme fatigue?

Are you mentally exhausted?

Are you about to explode all the time?

Some of the common adrenal fatigue symptoms include also

Inability to Handle Stress
Nervous Stomach
Upper Back Pain
Salt Cravings
Heart Palpitations
Multiple Allergies
Frequent Colds
Severe PMS
Unexplained and Frequent Headaches

When the HPA axis gets overworked meaning you are under a chronic stress you will experience various symptoms.

Under stress the hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland to produce adrenocorticotropic (ACTH) which in turn tells the adrenals to make cortisol and adrenalin to help you to cope with the stress.

If your stress becomes chronic then overtime this process can dysfunction. Your adrenals wear out and you can’t handle stress any more.

Adrenals affect many functions in your body including sugar balance and blood pressure. They have also a role in producing estrogen and progesterone.

You really don’t want these tiny organs sitting on top of the kidneys to malfunction.

My Struggle with Extreme Fatigue

I suffered from a severe fatigue and ended bedridden. It was not fun. For a long time I thought I had “normal” mommy fatigue.

I have the burden of having weak endocrine system but trying to be a supermom did not help. I completely exhausted myself and paid for it dearly. It took me years to get my life back.

If you are interested in reading more about my story you can find it in My Adrenal Fatigue Story.

Take Care Of Yourself, Mom

What can you possibly do to prevent mom fatigue from becoming adrenal fatigue.

For one lower your expectations. You don’t need to be a supermom. Being a mom is enough work.

Prioritize
Simplify life
Create simple routines to get stuff done.
Delegate chores to others.
Ask and accept help.

Secondly, take care of yourself. Try to reduce stress whether it is by

getting enough sleep (this one is a must)
eating better
keeping your gut healthy
taking time for yourself
exercising (if you have adrenal fatigue… you need to be careful with this one.)
effective breathing techniques
smiling and laughing a lot

Adrenal fatigue is caused by stress and while we can’t completely avoid stress it is good to to take some steps to reduce it.

Thirdly, provide enough nutrients for you adrenals to stay healthy. The most important vitamin for adrenals is vitamin C. The more stress you have the greater your need for vitamin C.

Premier Vitamin C from plant source is gentle on your stomach and very effective. Make sure you also get enough vitamin E. I like this non gmo brand. It is not the synthetic form of E but the natural kind.

If you’d like to know what other vitamins and minerals are necessary for adrenal health check out the Essential Vitamins and Minerals for Adrenal Fatigue.

Treat Adrenal Fatigue

If you are beginning to think that you might have adrenal fatigue, it is time to take some action. Don’t let it get worse before you take it seriously. Read about it, find an integrative doctor who knows about adrenal fatigue and make a plan for recovery.

A couple of articles for you to read: