Feeling "Off" - Chicago,IL

Caffeine won't make a lot of difference unless you're drinking several pots of coffee per day or drinking a 2 liter of Mountain Dew. You have to be taking in a lot for it to make a difference like you're talking about.

I'd say cutting back to maybe a cup or two of coffee per day and a medium pop would be normal caffeine.

I think that what you need to do is get some sleep. You need to take a sleeping pill and have hubby or a friend come over and stay to take care of the kiddo's so you can sleep a couple of nights.

When I would get like this my MIL would take the kids. When she died I had my BF take the kiddo's to her house to sleep over. I got to sleep uninterrupted and after a couple of nights of good sleep I was able to function well again.

Point is, caffeine isn't your issue, lack of sleep is your issue. If you get sleep you'll be back to normal. Caffeine isn't interfering with your sleep or cognitive ability, lack of sleep is.

You have gone from two to three kids and you are adjusting! You sound like me, a planner, someone who likes to think she's got it all under control, someone who thinks she "should" be able to handle the little extras that come up (like that BBQ.)
Taking care of yourself physically is obviously important. Healthy food, rest, exercise and lots of water, you know all that. Water is especially important because being dehydrated can make you tired, and cause headaches and nausea.
I would also say that it's okay to take it down a notch with the kids. Slow down a bit. Again, if you're like me, you're a go getter and want to get the kids out and do all kinds of things, but you ALL need some down time too. And you home school, right? So you're always "on" I imagine. Give yourself permission to chill. And I don't mean schedule in thirty minutes of quiet time a day, I mean give yourself permission to put on a movie for the kids in the middle of the day, close the blinds and put your feet up on the couch.
And accept the fact that being with your kids 24/7 is DRAINING, mentally, physically and emotionally. Since your husband is gone so often I imagine you rarely get a break, but don't kid yourself into thinking you don't need a break. School's almost out, get yourself a teen to work as a mother's helper a few days a week. Having a cheerful face and extra set of hands to help you out during the day would allow you some time to either take a nap or get in a workout (or read or paint or do whatever) it's worth it!

1000 iu vit D3

When you are at your doc, get a vit D level.

You are carring a big load. Give yourself permission to farm out chores.
If you are hosting the BBQ, make it a pot luck.

Make the T-F a time of closeness for your 3 yr old. A picnic in the living room, books all the time. Get him to exercise with you.
Don't try to do everything. Concentrate on your relationship with your 3 yr old and see if it can make a difference in night waking and subsequently, your anxiety. Call a friend. Post here. Love yourself.

I wonder, have you considered that you might be experiencing a manifestation of postpartum depression? Sometimes symptoms don't start until baby is three, four, even six months old. Just thought it worth a mention.

I hope you feel better soon. Big hugs and be kind to yourself. http://www.postpartumprogress.com/the-symptoms-of-postpar...

Would getting out of the house more often help you out, and would your 3 yr old be happy in a stroller while he heals? If so, try to get out and walk in the sunshine. Sunshine always helps my mood.

My husband was telling me that he is going to start taking an all-natural anti-anxiety supplement from a company called Metagenix. It is only available through an M.D., and is FDA regulated. If he has good results with it I will let you know.

I know you have a lot on your plate with your kids, homeschooling, planning house renovations, etc., so it might be helpful for you to hire a mother's helper a few times a week. If I were you, I'd try to have someone come and help out while your husband is out of town. Use it to sleep, or whatever would make you feel happy.

I'd actually cut out the Diet Pepsi. There is nothing of value in it, and it is all artificial.

Try to keep up the exercise. Gradually cut down on the caffeine if you feel like that's a problem. And if it doesn't get better, go to the doctor. Your hormones could be wonky still from the pregnancy. Take care!

I think you need to get back to working out early in the morning. The workouts will help clear your head, and the endorphins will make you feel better.

Your body has been under so much stress from 2 pregnancies, childbirths, being a mother, lack of sleep. You feel you need the stimulant to keep you running even though you feel depleted. The stress on your adrenal system alone can be tremendous.

You say you are eating mostly healthy, but some empty calories in chips. This is a time when you need to maximize the nutrition - replenishing months of needed nutrients is essential. If I had a do-over myself, I would make every bit of -every calorie-I consumed count - i.e. have it nutrient dense. Nutrient dense means foods that are real foods--fresh fruits and vegetables.

Try cutting back on the coffee/soda to one per day, perhaps by first substituting one cup you'd normally have with a big, freshly made in a blender smoothie, or making a fresh-made green juice with a juicer. This will give you a pick-up and it is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.

Another thing I might do is go to your doctor and see if there are extra supplements you should be taking. How is your iron level? Vitamin B12 and B9 (folate) levels? Do you need vitamin D3? How are your adrenals doing? And thyroid hormones - not just TSH, but how are your T4 and T3 levels?

Sounds like you are sleep-deprived, and you are juggling a toddler who may be just a little bit jealous of the new baby and the attention the baby requires. It's not abnormal but it's a big adjustment for him. Wanting to be picked up and carried is pretty classic for a kid who's hurt but also for a kid who sees the baby being carried all the time. We can talk all we want about our kids being a "big boy" or "big girl" but honestly, sometimes they just want to be an infant again!

Getting off the caffeine might help with better sleep, but you don't want to go to one of those dangerous, caffeine-loaded energy drinks which have interfered with people's heart rates and even caused some deaths. It doesn't matter that a few of them claim to have thrown in a few vitamins, they're still junk and no good for you. There is a nutritionally-based product which does help with stress reduction and focus, and maybe that would help you - I can give you more information if that would help. There are also some nutrition-based things you can do for more energy.

This "icky" feeling is very common in people who are run down and have perhaps a reduced immune system. Immunity is affected by a lot of things, including food and rest but also including stress and mental clarity and, believe it or not, inflammation.

I think there's more you can do to help yourself be "up" for the workouts. Working out is great for you in many ways, but not if you don't have the energy to put into it.

You keep saying you're okay with this and that, that you can manage, but I'm also reading all your comments that you're just not yourself. Let me know if I can help you more! There's plenty of info available but I don't want to overload you!

Please take care of yourself - you need to be as good to yourself as you are to everyone else. Most of us women have to be reminded of that now and then!

Good morning
For starters, is your DH home this weekend? If so, then please allow yourself a chance to go out for a couple of hours and get a massage. That may help relax you..

As you may know, cortisol is the stress hormone.. and when you don't get enough sleep, that hormone will run amuck. Additionally, with the lack of sleep, you aren't producing enough Serotonin.. And true, the Caffeine can be a culprit in that it can make your Cortisol levels rise.. Therefore, you may want to have your coffee in the am and then switch to perhaps a non-caffeinated beverage.. otherwise, while on the one hand it helps you stay awake, on the other, it can keep you awake at night..

All that said... Do your children have nap time at all? even IF just for 20 minutes, I have found that sitting quietly in a chair and doing a meditation of some sort really helps me to relax. While I don't have two small children, I have my share of anxiety for other reasons.. but since doing meditation on a daily basis, I am beginning to see the benefits..

Also, as much as I LOVE chips.. Those are something I can't have in the house... as I will eat too many.. Keep in mind that insulin raising foods, such as starch can also be a reason you feel low energy. IF you are constantly raising your blood sugar levels with too much starch , then the spike downward will be even worse... consider adding to your diet a green smoothie.. Whenever I do this (Even just for a few days) I tend to have more energy..

Every little step counts.. start small and then build up... if you try anything too drastic, you might feel more overwhelmed..

good luck

I recently went through the same thing. You are run down. If you don't get some GOOD rest soon you'll end up sick. Your body is telling you it is in overdrive and needs to slow down. Do you have a relative or friend that can take the kids for about 3 hours? If so, you need to let them do that and sleep. The anxiety is only going to get worse if you can't get the rest you desperately need. Caffeine is actually making it worse. I was to the point where I was up to about 4-6 Dr Peppers every day. I ended up in the hospital having my kidneys and liver scanned because of all the caffeine. My kidneys were actually swollen. Not good at all. Last week, I felt the "ick" you talk about. I begged my husband for help. He took 2 days off this week and let me sleep as much and as long as I wanted or needed. I feel completely refreshed!

I could have written this a few months after my third baby if you replaced anxiety with extreme-evil-constant-bad-mood. Get your thyroid checked!

J.:

Congratulations on your new baby girl!!!

Do not cut caffeine out of your diet cold turkey. If you have been consuming it on a daily basis for more than a year? You need to wean yourself off of it. You will still get headaches and jitters - as your body is going through withdrawals, but you can do it. Just don't do it cold turkey.

I am wondering if you are having the beginnings of postpartum depression? But you are good enough and self-aware enough to recognize that things aren't "right". Talk with your doctor. Find out if you can take any sleeping aids to help keep you asleep...

Please keep up the work out schedule!! IT WILL HELP!!

Also - keep a gratitude log. I know it sounds funky - but if this is depression - reading POSITIVE things can and will help you.

Another thing - sorry - maybe you are coming down with something - a bug - and because you are eating right and exercising - it's a LONG battle...can you take some vitamin C or the Ener-C to keep up your immune system?

Hugs to you, girlfriend!!!

I have to second the PPD.

I also know what its like to lay there waiting to hear if you have to get up. You need to make some changes. Put a white noise machine in YOUR room so that you can hear "little" sounds. The other thing is to get a video monitor. When you can turn on a camera and look and see that he is ok without having to get out of bed, then you can do this in your sleep. I think this, along with Daddy being responsible to get up the nights he is home, will make it better for you. It is much easier to sleep soundly when you know that you won't have to get for any reason. I think that will help you a lot! I have been there, actually I still am, but I am mostly able to sleep and not worrying about my kids.
I don't think the caffeine is affecting your sleep, I think depression and anxiety are. Please talk to your doctor and husband about getting help!

Edit: I have to second the Vitamin D. My sister had hers check for some reason and it was super low. I get less sun than she does, so she suggested I need to get mine tested. I didn't know it could be that low and I could function. I take 5000 IU a day, and it makes a huge difference. My sis only has to take that much a week, so talk to your doctor.

Sounds like u may hav had strep throat. When left untreat it travels into the base of the neck and causes swelling of the basal ganglia and that controls anxiety. The bad news is once it travels its not easy to throat swab test positive for it therefor drs will not prescribe antibiotics. They also travel to the sinus area if u had a cold lately or if the kids have had it. If u can get or take a round or two of augmentin do it and see how nicely it works. Hope this is all it is. Kids get this and it is called PANS OR PANDAS. It is a true problem do not let any dr or person say it is not! Trust me it can be a very sad disorder. My heart breaks for some of these families that can't get rid I it or the damage to the brain is unreversable. I think u jus need antibiotics since u don't always have this plus it makes u feel icky!

I always feel that "foggy" in the head feeling when I have eaten too many carbs or sugar. Once I watched my portions, it went away. It used to be a daily thing in the afternoon, but I'm thrilled I figured out what was causing it and can control it. So, yes, I think you might be onto something with your diet. Of couse having an infant can make you feel foggy too. :)