Input requested: Pregnancy with littles
Would all of you experienced moms like to share your great tips, strategies, stories, and just plain ole' encouragement for how you've dealt with morning sickness/first trimester exhaustion when you have littles in your home?
posted by Crystal Paine at 9:09 PM
34 Comments:
The best thing for my 2nd-pregnancy nausea was walking. I would just load up my first child and hit the trail. It was great for my sickness and I stayed in MUCH better shape than I did the first time around! :)
Kate
Hi there! Taking it slow is the best thing I've done this time around (pregnant with number 3). In the first trimester, I made sure to get up before my little ones and have a bite of toast or something small that I could stomach, while praying/reading.
Now that I'm heading into month 8, I'm starting to see the need to pray for a God-ordered day; I simply can't do as much in one day as I could just a month ago! The slowing down is hard to adjust too; having a good balance and not feeling guilty about taking rests. Also, taking naps and trying to get the bulk of the work load done before lunch has really helped through out this pregnancy.
Sorry I can't relate to your specific circumstances, Crystal; my hormones were abnormal in general for a good part of my reproductive years and both pregnancies were more positive rebalancing than not. Eating something before bed and soda crackers on the bedside table to eat before rising were suggested to me but the worst was the tiredness(and sleep was the remedy).
Have had terrible nausea for a lengthy time(years, actually) with adverse reactions from meds...ginger or peppermint tea helped. Promoting and rebalancing digestion helped most...yogurt, acidophilus, bitter encapsulated herbs and fresh endive greens, a little apple cider vinegar and honey in water. Walnuts and almonds as protein for the hypoglycemia and nausea aspects. A glass of perrier water helped some. A herbal vitamin/mineral supplement to combat nutrient deficiencies that can also cause nausea. Not sure if any of those appeal. In searching google, this website had suggestions that you might find useful. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0838/is_n52/ai_7723427 Hope you feel better very soon!
Crystal, I suffered from severe nausea with all three of my pregnancies. My first 2 children were 13 months apart, and so I could take naps whenever my daughter did (which was alot since she was so young). Last summer when I was pregnant with our third, the older two were 2 1/2 and 1 1/2 years old. IT WAS HARD!! They didn't understand why mama wanted to lie down all the time! As far as fatigue, they both took naps in the afternoon, and so did I. I struggled with feeling lazy and wanting to get other things done, but really it was necessary. And for the nausea, it was a nightmare until I started taking B6. It was my miracle vitamin. Didn't completely eliminate the nausea but wow, made it bearable most of the time. Ginger helped somewhat, too. Try not to get discouraged. This time will pass, and for now, only the basics need to be attended to. Actually my first trimester memories are a bit hazy; I think it was just such a bad time, I don't want to remember it. Yes it's difficult when you have another child (or two) to take care of, but again, only do what is necessary. And try the B6!
This is just plain old encouragement. Your body is doing a great work right now and you need to rest when you are tired. I was always exhausted during everyone of my five pregnancies in the first trimester. This is when videos might be a wonderful option for your little one. During my last pregnancy I would put in a favorite video and lay down with them to watch. It is amazing what a short rest will do. Remember it is just for a season and you are not alone in the way you feel. I over did it with my 2nd pregnancy and ended up dehydrated and on an IV for a week, which than I couldn't do anything.
As much as I hate to say it...videos. :-P
SURVIVAL MODE is my mantra. If it could POSSIBLY wait until the 1st trimester is over, it does. Super simple meals, and some cleaning simply gets put on the backburner - only the bare essentials get done.
But yes, when it comes to my little ones, videos have saved me many a time.
my question: what to do if your little is refusing to take naps? He's potty trained, so I can't just leave him in there and take a nap on the couch, since he does sometimes have to poop during his "naptime"
I'm currently expecting our fifth child...our older blessings are 7, 5, 3 and almost 2. So I've always had little ones around during pregnancy. :) My advice is to do the most important *to you* things when you have the most energy. That may be early morning, late afternoon, whenever. Keep things simple. Get lots of rest. If you have family or friends nearby, don't hesitate to ask for help. I have a good friend who is always willing to bring her children over to play with mine while I take a nap. I think the last trimester is harder than the first...lifting & bending become trickier. I'm just 8 weeks (I hope!) from welcoming our new one and I'm once again completely exhausted by the demands of an average day. It's time to slow down and only do the basics.
BTW, Congrats!! I do hope and pray your pregnancy goes smoothly. :)
Hi Crystal!
Just little information ,and who knows maybe can help you! Few minutes ago i have read on the "All About" - a cooking site ,that ginger helps prevent nausea - a pregnancy morning sicknes.Maybe you must try to drink a bit of ginger thee( fresh ginger cut in very small pieces and pour hot cooked wather over)with a bit of honey! I hope it helps you. May God richely bless you and your family!
My first was about 18months when I was pregnant the second time around. I have friends very close by who would gladly take dd so that I could rest for an hour or so. I didn't experience morning sickness during the day - only at night, so my biggest issue was being exhausted. I also would walk all over our town when it wasn't raining or snowing. It really does help to keep moving even when you don't feel like it! Housework took a back seat for a bit too. DH was very understanding and helpful!
I used to eat lots of crackers,one day I saw my daughter grab a whole handful and try to eat them.I asked what are you doing-Allison replied the baby is bothering my stomach real bad today.She had just turned 3 when I was expecting Gregory.
I agree with what Meagan said. I had three pregnancies. I finally had to cut myself some slack. I just ALLOWED myself the morning on the couch, reading to my littles, reading the Word, putting on music and singing with my littles, cuddling, etc. It's quality time, even though it's not cleaning your house or anything! AND, there was a product I used, forget the name of it, but it was an aloe vera drink. All natural. I would just take 1-2 huge gulps, and within 10 minutes, my nausea was GONE! I only found this in my last pregnancy, but sure wish I'd known about it with all. If you want the exact name of the product, let me know and I'll do some research.
I got pregnant the 2nd time when my daughter was only 7 months. I always get so sick so we spent most of the time lying in bed and me nursing her. I am thankful that she wasn't a really active baby at the time. Now that I have 2 kids I wonder how I will handle it next time!
I agree with what meagan said about getting most of your work done in the mornings, unless your most severe morning sickness is early. Then you can just do most of your housework in the afternoons and evenings. Another thing is remembering to eat on a regular basis, and maybe even more often than normal. With four kids to care for, I sometimes rush around and forget to eat, then wonder why I'm feeling so sick an hour later! Try to keep something on your stomach at all times, and protein helped me with my morning sickness. Take a nap when Kathryn naps, or if she's done napping, teach a 1 hr. 'quiet time' every day after lunch where she can look at books or listen to a tape.
I know during the fall and winter you want to simmer a soup or chili all day long, but during my 1st trimester I couldn't cook anything that had a smell, so we ate a lot of sandwiches, salads, and things we could grill, so the smells would stay out of the house. Baked potatoes, too, they don't smell.
Hi:
I think my son was a bit older than your daughter but here are some things we did. I seem to have morning sickness from beginning to end so I so feel for your struggle right now.
I found every storytelling site in my town and we went. Check libraries and local book stores. Getting out of the house helped me focus less on my morning sickness and the fresh air was great too.
We found money for our local gymboree and Y toddler activities. The money was well worth it as DS got to run around and was supervised and i could sit and watch. We did a music program too. We also did the mom and me zoo program. Basically, I found tons of activites in town that kept him busy and running around with little physical energy on my part.
We sat and read on the sofa A LOT.
I'd fill up the bathtub and toss in a bunch of toys. He'd play forever in the bath tub and I could just sit and relax . He was a very squeaky clean child!
We have a sand and water table. I brought it into the kitchen and filled it with just water. He'd play forever in the table.
The crockpot is your friend when you are pregnant. DH helped a bit since I have an aversion to raw chicken during pregnancy. He put it in in the morning after I had prepped the veggies and such.
I slept during his nap no matter what. I was just so tired with the second pregnancy.
Peppermint candies helped with the waves of nausea.
All the best
caroline
Thank you, thank you, and keep it coming! These comments have been so helpful and encouraging to me. Thank you for taking the time to write.
I'm now pregnant with my first, and the thing that got me through the first trimester was two ginger cookies before I got out of bed every morning. You can get them at Kroger, they come in a brown paper bag and are very inexpensive. The ginger helps settle the stomach, and taking the time to eat them before I even sat up really helped keep the nausea at bay - they were the only thing that worked for me. Good luck!
Gracie
Hi Crystal,
I can remember that feeling like it was yesterday. In my later pregnancies, I had older ones to help entertain the little ones when I was feeling poorly. Remembering back to my second pregnancy, we had a little playroom and I would go in there with my two year old (at the time) and lie on the floor while she played around me. She would think I was playing with her. I would make the appropriate, "Oh, that's nice." and "Good job!" and "This is fun!" comments to make her feel like I was 'involved'... which I can assure you, I wasn't! Ha! So, you might go into Kathrynne's room and lie down while she plays or, I would second the above suggestion of videos! They are babysitters but at times like these, that is what is needed. And, it's only for a short season while you rest and allow your body to do its work. So, don't feel guilty!
As for housework, it didn't get done. I have a wonderful husband that picked up the slack for me and did the things I couldn't do. He cooked, cleaned, caught up the laundry, etc. I just did what I could do on a given day. Some days it was more, some days less.
As for sickness remedies. I found there was that 'one thing' with each pregnancy that helped. And, it wasn't always the same thing! One pregnancy it was peppermint. For another one it was hot cinnamon candy. Another one it was Zots (which is a sour fizzy candy... do you sense a candy theme here?) Basically, the overall theme is something strong. For me, a strong flavor - whether hot, sour, minty, etc. - seemed to appeal more to me than bland food. That was just me, though. I know many people that can't handle anything but bland. Listen to your body and eat when it tells you to (sooo important, nothing made me more nauseated than to let myself get too hungry!) and eat what you feel like eating even if it is strange... breakfast food for supper, etc. I'll pray you can find some things that will bring you relief!!
Also, getting outside in fresh air really helped. When I was feeling most sick, a drive in the car with the window down really helped... cold air blowing in my face helped, a cool rag on my face also was a life saver many a day.
I hope you can glean an idea or two from all these great tips the other moms have given! My morning sickness lasted only from about 6 weeks and started easing up by week 10. I'll pray the same for you!!
Crystal~I'm on my third, but I will share what I can recall:-) When I had my second, my first was about 2 or so. She was still napping during the first trimester...so I napped at the same time.
I think it is critical to make sure you don't overdue it. If it isn't absolutely necessary, do it later :-)
Take the time to just sit and read with your daughter...it is very relaxing and she will not feel neglected.
Take it as easy as you can and run as few errands as possible.
Thinking of you,
Sommer
I had terrible all day sickness with all three of mine lasting until the fifth or sixth month at least. Ginger and pepppermint never worked for me, but a B6 and Unisom combo worked great with my second(didn't help with my thurd). The Unisom will knock you flat for 24 hrs, but you'll adjust. I think I took half a unisom and a B6 four times a day. With my third I was desperate and there is a mew drug called Zofran that is a miracle. I hate drugs, but this took me from beyond hope to operational in ten minutes flat.
And as far as the kids go. Yes, I made peace with lots of videos. It's temporary.
Hi Crystal,
Rest, exhaustion makes you feel worse. Eat small meals throughout the day, don't let your stomach get completley empty. Remember, if your feeling sick and tired, it is a sign that everything is going as it should.
Rest your eyes on the couch. I personally can't fall asleep, because I end up groggy, so I just lay down and rest my eyes, but don't fall asleep. Laying on the couch means that I can be aware of what's going on with my children and be accessible, but still be resting. This worked especially well expecting my 2nd; my 1st just played on the floor near the couch.
Heather (mom to 3 children 5 & under, plus #4 due in June)
With my first I was bedridden sick. Everytime I would get up I would throw up. It was horrible. Second one I was still sick, but not as bad. I took Zofran as I did with my first. I didn't take it as much with my second. It is a pretty expensive med (btw). I tried everything to help morning sickness with my first and nothing worked except the Zofran. However, it wasn't a miracle fix for me. It didn't get rid of all the nausea just helped me keep food down. During my second pregnancy I didn't have the luxury of layig flat all day. I would just take care of my boy and run to the bathroom during intervals (I don't fight nausea, you feel so much better after you do throw up, anyway). At one point I would just keep a bucket with me where ever I went. Baked potatoes was a good thing for me to eat. I would also suck on popcicles and crushed ice. I would encourage videos, too. Einstein videos were good for me. There isn't too much offensive in there and the music isn't annoying. Lay on the couch and sleep/rest while you have them on. I had wicked bad migraines with my second pregnancy that knocked me flat and actually prevented me from seeing clearly. One was so bad that I couldn't stop throwing up all day! (Looking back, I probably should've gone to the hospital, but I'm a nurse and nurse's hate to got to the hospital ; ))If I didn't have help during my migraines I would put a video in.
Don't watch the news because that will just depress you. Try to surround yourself with positive things.Take this time to put photo albums together. Listen to sermons or relaxing music. Look at baby name books. Reading, sometimes, made me sicker, but read up on positive things. Remember that morning sickness is a good thing. Women who have morning sickness have a better chance of keeping their pregnancy.
I was sick all three pregnancies, each time the sickness lasted for a different length of time. With the first, I just endured until it finally eased off. With the second, I noticed that on days when I ate meat I felt worse than on the days I didn't. I tried cutting meat completely from my diet and when I did, I ceased to throw up. The sick feeling didn't completely go away, but I was able to keep food down. With the third pregnancy, I again became sick and started throwing up every day. This went on for a while and then I remembered how I'd felt a little better the time before by cutting the most troublesome food from my diet. Meat wasn't the problem this time, but dairy was. My husband and I both watched closely and on the days when I totally avoided all dairy products, I felt sick but didn't throw up - and didn't even need to stop myself from throwing up, I just didn't feel that bad. However, whenever I ate something dairy, within two hours I was throwing up again - no matter what time of day it was when I ate the dairy product.
I don't know if this will work for you or not, but I do know it was a life saver for me! With little ones underfoot, I had to be on my feet. Some people have laughed at me (a doctor among them) but I know that it worked. I can't explain why - it just did!
(Note: while I felt sick before I ate, the greater part of my problem with #2 and #3 came in keeping my food down once I had eaten.)
I tried eating crackers before getting out of bed in the morning, but it didn't help me feel better.
Peppomint lifesavers also helped a lot in getting rid of the sick feeling.
Oh and one more thing...ASK for HELP from the women in your life.
We live far from family and I have come to believe that we are not meant to do this by ourselves. Our grandmothers had extended family members (aunts, grandparents etc) down the street or in the same house helping with children. It is ok to ask for help from others. Raising children was an extended family experience in past generations.
Caroline
After I was sick 24/7 for 4 months with #1, I had three 5 minutes waves of nausea with #2. That's it. I bounced around for 9 months like I wasn't even pregnant - except for the lump sticking out of my tummy... So I can't help ya there.
With #3, I got promptly "morning sick" at 2 in the afternoon and couldn't eat a thing after that. I didn't get really get tired, until DH walked through the door about 4-ish. Then I crashed like clockwork and he took care of the rest of life while I slept.
Now, #4 almost did me in. I distinctly remember 4 days where I did nothing but lay in bed and wonder if I was going to live I was so sick. My three bouncy boys sat in bed with me and read, played cards, ate crackers and shared the crumbs. I laid on my back like a stone and couldn't move. My oldest was 8 at the time and pretty able to help make sandwiches, get drinks and such. I'm sure I wouldn't have made it otherwise. :)
Like so many others, I'll be praying for you.
Crystal, take it slow and do what makes you feel better, even if that means you spend a lot of time lying down. It's ok. ;)
Getting out in the sunshine and fresh air is also helpful, even if you're just sitting on a park bench watching your daughter play.
I was very sick with my first two pregnancies, mostly just nauseated with this third one. Gingerale and flat Coke are good to settle the stomach, and saltine crackers or salty popcorn. If I remember rightly, I pretty much live on starches during the first trimester, because everything else makes me sick! Make sure you keep your blood sugar up and don't go long between snacks/meals. That really does help a lot.
Crystal - Does it help to know that lots of us have been there? :) I had terrible all day long sickness every time. WHat I did was use gates to close off the living room/playroom and SUPER babyproof. I had nothing in those rooms that might hurt Levi and Brenna or that they might hurt unless it was well locked. Then when I was desperate for some rest I'd let them watch a video whie I took a nap on the couch. Since Brenna was still little I'd sit her behind my legs on the couch so that she'd have to crawl over me (waking me up) before she could get into anything. Also we put the pottychair in the living room sometimes, just for emergencies. ANd I bought lots of convience snacks that I don't usually buy - healthy stuff like yougurt in tubes, string cheese or cheese cubes - and I preprepped everything so that all I had to do was grab something out of the fridge (even that seemed to take so much energy!).
Also, I just wanted to leave you with a thought that encouraged me. My doctor has a theory that goes like this...it's pretty commonly accepted by doctors that the body heals itself while you sleep. So doesn't it make sense that a baby would grow best while you sleep? So getting enough sleep, especially in the 1st trimester, is VITAL. Get your rest, girl:)
I haven't read all the comments yet, so hopefully this won't be redundant. When I was pregnant with my second, the doctor placed me on bedrest. My oldest was 2. My husband came up with the idea to pack a small cooler for me each morning with cold packs, water bottles, sippycup, sandwiches, nuts, cheese/crackers, etc. This he placed by the couch. Then he filled a small laundry basket with 4 or 5 diapers, wipes, an extra outfit (for 2 year old), books, colors/coloring books, notepad/paper, a few toys and anything else he thought might help. Oh yeah, the phone!!
This made things significantly easier for me during the day when my husband was gone. Hope it helps:)
I had 5 children in 10 years. I will say it was an adjustment going from 1 to 2 children. With my morning sickness, which was really ALL day sickness, I found it quite difficult to feed my toddler with any sort of enthusiasm ;-)
I discovered with my 5th pregnancy that my prenatal vitamins actually accentuated my nausea symptoms. I only discovered this because I forgot to refill my prescription. Someone told me to eat 2 bowls of Total cereal, one in the morning, one at night, instead of taking the prenatal vitamins. I was utterly AMAZED at how much better I felt in just a couple of days.
I found it very wise on your part, Crystal, to slow down on the mega schedule. It's important to keep in mind that the raising of our children is a marathon, not a sprint. All does not have to be taught and mastered in the toddler years. Sometimes new moms try to, as my husband says, "Feed the entire loft to the horse" with their firstborn. There's nothing quite like having another little blessing on the way to help us really prioritize what must be done. We need to be realistic about our physical limitations in terms of nausea and exhaustion. Nausea can be directly correlated with the amount of tiredness we experience.
I was also told by my doctor to take B6 daily, and be certain to take in protein often.
'Hope this helps!
Okay this sounds backwards, but it worked for me. I kept busy and upright. It forced me to deal with life and forget every ache, pain and wave of nausea. The more I laid down, the worse it became. I would feel worse if I closed my eyes; I was more aware of the nausea. Hang in there, dear one!
With my 2 pregnancies, Cinnamon Altoids were very, very helpful. I sucked on them whenever nausea came on and they seemed to stop the wave of nausea after a few moments. What a godsend!
As others have said, I considered myself to be in 'survival' mode until the 'all day' sickness was over.
You need to let the schedule and chores go as much as you can. Do the bare bones minimum. You can clean, organize and bake like a madwoman when you are feeling better!
Sleep whenever and wherever possible. Sleep is so good for you now. Make a date with your pillow! ;)
Shower daily - it really helps you to feel better. Find scented bath products that are appealing to you.
Babyproof everything (gates, cupboard locks, drawer locks, doorknob guards, outlet plugs, no knick-nacks, nothing that could be dangerous) so that you can rest and not have to watch Kathrynne every waking moment. Let her play with her toys on the floor while you rest on the couch or bed.
Videos - I hated to rely on videos but I was so utterly exhausted and nauseous that it was all I could do to get out of bed, let alone care for my 19 month old. The videos I used were Christian children's sing along and bible stories, Baby Einstein and Beatrix Potter DVDs. Maybe Vision Forum has something that would appeal to you and Jesse? Maybe Kathrynne would enjoy their Moody Science Classics videos that they offer?
Crystal - is it possible for you to go 'home to Mommy' for a few days? I don't know her situation, but if I had a Momma that was as wonderful as yours sounds, I'd want to run home to her and let her baby me again! :)
You and your sweet little family are in my prayers. Mrs. Callard
My mom had pretty bad morning sickness and since she had 11 children and I am the oldest I experienced morning sickness second hand before experiencing it myself.
Mom said there was a huge difference in how bad it was the first while then the last 2. The thing she did was sleep more with them, where the others she forced herself to get up and move and she threw up alot. She had much better pregnancies that way.
I second cut down on smells.....no crockpot cooking! I could not eat dinner if I smelled it all day. Sandwiches and salads are great. If you can cook a huge pot of soup and put it into jars in the back of the fridge or in small containers in the freezer and then your husband and daughter have something even if you are unable to cook or eat. I couldn't even do this, but talked my husband through the steps the last time. I was so sick though with my first and my fourth.
Also, I got some good books and read those, not ones I would usually read, but ones that kept my interest so well I couldn't think about much else. I had my son who was under 2 lay down on a blanket or play right where I could see him and I would read. I have a hard time with fainting and dizziness with pregnancy so that was an issue for me also.
My mom tried everything and the best things were ginger ale (not cheap stuff), real lemon water, and eating protein before getting out of bed and rest.
I used sparkling water without sugar with lemon. I could not handle sugar, it was the worst trigger. Also, warm tea and butterless toast.
She also counted out the weeks as usually around 12-16 weeks most people feel better. It helped her to count down how much longer she had an gave her an end in sight.
Then get enough sleep.....if you have a place to have your daughter so you know she is safe. With me, I would be doing something and just go to sleep and not realize it until I woke up. The worst time I was at someone's house and and fell asleep, woke up and found out my son had made alot of problems for my hostess including unrolling a roll of toilet paper etc. I wait to tell people until I have to that I am pregnant, but she knew something was wrong as that was not normal for me so I had to confess. For me being able to take a nap is a sign of being pregnant if it occurs over and over! Another thing that was good for me to remember, you are not being lazy, your body is hard at work building a baby!!!
I was just wondering if you're still taking Supermom vitamins? While I was taking them I felt wonderful, then I ran out and decided to see how I did with regular prenatals. I feel absolutely horrible--so fatigued that I literally cannot do anything.
I have a 4yo, 2yo and 14mo, and this is how I'm handling my first trimester: I've accepted that my first trimester is a short season and to just embrace it. I utilize the tv and computer to keep the boys occupied when I need to rest. I sleep when I want to, I eat when and what I want to, and I only do what I feel up to doing. Most nights when the boys go to bed I feel kinda energized by being alone, I grab my mp3 player and am able to spend 30-45 minutes cleaning up the messes of the day.
I figure when my second trimester rolls around and I'm not feeling so tired I'll be able to make up for all the housework I didn't do now. And when that trird trimester nesting comes,things will really come together.
I saw just relax and go with the flow--do whatever your body is telling you you need to do. This season will soon pass. And you're not alone!00000
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