Surviving Pregnancy with a Toddler

surviving-pregnancy-with-toddler

So we’re expecting baby number 2! I’ll wait a minute to give you all a few minutes to run around the room in excitement…

When I’m pregnant, I’m sick… and I mean REALLY REALLY sick. I feel kind of like a baby saying that but I’m sure most of you know what I’m talking about. The first trimester is brutal. Let’s all lament for a while… you’re exhausted in a way you’ve never been exhausted, you’re sick, you’re moody and now on top of that you have a little ball of energy that requires your constant attention – the toddler.

So as I’ve been going through this process the last couple of months, here are a few things I’ve learned.

1. Let your standards go – ย a little. ย We’re not a TV watching family – TV is definitely used for necessary situations. Like when its the only way my daughter, Caroline, will drink her bottle because she’s too distracted to protest…you all know those type situations. This changed in my first trimester. We watched TV. A lot of TV. WAY more TV than I wanted Caroline to watch. I let my cleaning schedule go. In fact, at one time I actually wondered if someone made a dishwasher that would load itself. My floors weren’t as clean as I would like them to be and Caroline’s lunches weren’t as healthy and thought out as usual. I mean, crackers and cheese count as a meal right? In the end, we all survived. We are getting back into normal routines with playing outside instead of watching TV. ย Thankfully, Caroline didn’t hardly notice the difference.

2. Think of activities you can do while lying down. This kind of goes hand in hand with letting your standards go a little. Caroline is VERY active. She plays hard and sleeps hard. I could totally get down with the sleeping time, but it was hard to keep up with the playing time. I spent a lot of time lying on the floor thinking of new games to play with her so I could just continue to lie there. Lying down is sometimes a life saver when dealing with morningย all day sickness.

3. Accept help. I am the worst at this. I typically always turn down offers for help. Even when my mom is offering to come and I’m almost in tears saying things like “A lot of women are pregnant with toddlers and survive just fine.” I finally had a friend that just told us that she was bringing dinner even if we said no. It was a God send. It made my week (and was DELICIOUS by the way). After that, I let my parents come and they cleaned my floors and brought us food to put in the freezer. I needed the help, and it’s okay to need help. That’s why we have each other right?

4. Have someone that is supportive.ย I hope this is something that all of you already have, whether it’s your husband, a parent, a friend…whomever! Having support is essential. I feel very blessed and very lucky that my husband is so supportive. We don’t have the blessing of living near either of our parents so we are on our own a lot. My husband would come home from work and make dinner for him and Caroline (he would make it for me too, but I rarely ate). He went to the store for me, even with my crazy lists and coupons and the fact that he had to go to three different stores. He switched soaps because his soap was making me nauseous. Mostly he just came home after working all day and did everything. On top of that, we had friends and parents that insisted on helping. Having a pass and being able to just concentrate on being pregnant was so so helpful.

5. Cut down on your responsibilities.ย This is another thing that I’m not good at. I hate not being able to do everything. In fact, one time I had a boss that told me I couldn’t do it all and I said “watch me”. I’m a worker. That’s just who I am. I know that I have done some things in the last few months halfway and it’s killed me. I had to say no to some things and sometimes that took a pep talk from my husband telling me that people just had to understand. Sometimes it just took me physically not being able to get off the couch. I call it being in “survival mode”, and in survival mode you only do what is necessary. Others might not understand but you’ll be back to yourself soon enough.

I will never be one of those women that has an amazing pregnancy and is glowing and super cute. For me, pregnancy is hard, but it’s worth it. It’s just a few months of being uncomfortable and living in survival mode for a lifetime of cuteness and love. I hope each of you have a super easy pregnancy but if you don’t, when you’re lying on the couch feeling worthless, remember… you’re making another human… what has everyone else been doing all day?

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Carrie Gould
Hi OKC! I'm Carrie! My husband, Steven, and I met in college but never dated. Many years later, we reconnected and fell in love. After a whirlwind romance and gorgeous wedding I gave up my Texan status and moved to Oklahoma (he was worth it!) He spends his days on the road travelling all over the state of Oklahoma. We are the proud parents of our adorable 2 year old, Caroline and precious baby Benjamin. There is very little sleeping going on at our house. I am a music lover and a wannabe crafter. I am very good at following directions but not so great at creating my own masterpieces. I was a math teacher for 6 years before becoming a stay-at-home mom. Before being a teacher, I worked in the actuarial field, which is what I am doing part-time now. As a family we work hard to live a simple life, create great memories, and love the Lord with all our heart. I am so excited to be sharing my family with all of you and connecting with other local moms!

2 COMMENTS

  1. It is hard work growing a baby! It is even harder work when you have other children and/or a job aside from that! With all the dietary and lifestyle changes you make when you are expecting, there is one more you should add… a mandatory nap! Every day! Your body needs that rest, especially as you get closer to your due date and sleeping through the night is nearly impossible! Even if you don’t sleep during your nap you will benefit from that extra rest. Most importantly, be kind to yourself. Be forgiving of the temporary shortfalls. Be kind to yourself and be grateful for your friends and family that love you and want to help… especially grandmas, it wasn’t that long ago they were in your shoes ๐Ÿ™‚

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