Raising a Toddler while Pregnant: How to Stay Sane

I never realized how difficult it would be to care for a toddler while growing another human being in the womb. I always knew having two children would be more challenging, but I didn’t realize how difficult once some-what simple tasks would become and how my time would suddenly be required to be spent more wisely and managed differently. Making time to work a full-time job, run a business of my own, perform normal house tasks as well as playing with my already demanding three year old has proved to be difficult especially as I attempt to care for the new life growing inside my body.

Why has it been so challenging?

Lets explore a handful of reasons:

• coping with morning sickness. that fortunately hasn’t been AS bad as it was during my first pregnancy, but nonetheless very much present
• getting adequate sleep is non-existent when your three old wants to wake up between 5-6 am every morning and you already sleep like garbage because of being pregnant
• finding time to eat nutritious and balanced meals while incorporating workouts into your routine has become a struggle
• cooking meals for yourself and your family when you’re trying to do a million other things on top of having weird food aversions during pregnancy
• performing routine house tasks whilst dealing with morning sickness, body aches, a massive belly and an active three year old has become nearly impossible

Some people have no idea how truly difficult it is to  have a toddler in the midst of the “trying threes” while trying to maintain a healthy pregnancy. It’s HARD. That said, here are a few tips for other moms going through the same thing! Hopefully they help you maintain a level of sanity.

Find your Toddler Activities that will keep them Busy

The more independent your toddler is, the more you’re able to get accomplished throughout your day. Set up activities they are sure to enjoy. For instance, legos keep my son busy for hours. Put the legos on the table and let him go at it.

Lose the Expectations

Your home will never be clean again. No matter what you tell yourself or how often you clean, you must realize that a messy house is the new norm.You’re busy, so trying to constantly maintain an immaculate home is unrealistic and will only add stress to your day.

Ask for Help

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There will be days when you will feel incredibly overwhelmed or tired, and it’s important that you take time for yourself. If you have a day like this, don’t feel bad because it’s completely normal. Don’t be afraid to reach out to a family member or friend. I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to help you out.

Don’t be afraid to a hire a babysitter from time to time so you can go pamper yourself, enjoy a date night with your spouse or enjoy a glass of wine with your girls. It’ll be so worth the extra expense.

Prep the Night Before

This is particularly helpful when you know how busy of a day you’re going to have the next day. Try prepping for the next day the night before. I’ve been doing this for quite a while now, and although one may think it’s silly to set aside your outfit, gym bag and lunch for the next day, tired you will appreciate it the next morning.

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Parenting is no walk in the park, and there aren’t any short cuts to make things easier, but there are small things you can do along the way to better keep yourself sane and allow yourself momentarily laps throughout the day to focus on the things you want to focus on.

Photo Credits: Caleb Woods & Renata Fraga