Juggling Your Pregnancy with Other Kids in the House

By Shanna Bartlett Groves

Two of my friends recently came up and told me they are pregnant. The interesting part is that both moms each have a child under the age of two. As happy as I am for them, my instant thought was that they won't have much time to rest during pregnancy. How will they be able to keep up?

Being pregnant and chasing after a little child who is still in diapers can be a challenge at best. Between suffering from morning sickness and dealing with pregnancy fatigue, I would think that an expectant mom with other young tots in the house would have her hands full.

But after talking to other moms who have two or more children, I realize that juggling pregnancy with other kids in the house is not only doable -- it can be very rewarding. A couple of moms share their tips on how they survived pregnancy while keeping up with a hectic household.

1) Let the family pitch in. This could be the child's dad, older siblings, nearby relatives and friends, or neighbors. You may even look into a neighbor watching your oldest child a few hours a week or on weekends while you get much needed rest. Simona Nielsen of Denmark, mom to Alexandra, 8, and Karoline, 3, relied on her husband for help when she was pregnant with Karoline. "I had morning sickness and was tired in the first two months. But it was only in the morning until noon, compared to my first pregnancy where I was sick all 24 hours," Simona says. "I was at work and my oldest child in kindergarten, so I could cope with it. On the weekends I had her dad help me, and he was very understanding."

2) Engage in more sit-down activities. Remember that there are some physical limitations when you are pregnant. Playing leap frog with your son while you are eight months' pregnant or chasing your daughter around the backyard while fighting morning sickness is just not practical. Instead, invest in some fun educational toys, board games, or videos that are age-appropriate and low-key. "Board games that required
little concentration were great while I was pregnant with my second child. Things like Candy Land, Memory, and Old Maid were great ways for us to spend time together while they also allowed me to rest," says Emily Bivens, mom to Madison, 6, and Macy, 3, of Marion, Iowa. "I also wound up using these tactics
towards the end of my pregnancy when I was placed on limited activity due to increased risk of placenta previa."

3) Play pretend. So what if you're not feeling good and your child has lots of bound-up energy? Pretend that you are the patient and your little one is the doctor. Or pretend to be stranded on an island (your couch), and it is your child's responsibility to protect you from the "dangerous animals" that lurk in the sea. Emily Bivens used the first activity to keep up with daughter Madison while enduring the rough evening sickness she experienced with her second pregnancy. "The times when my daughter did need the attention, we played doctor/hospital with me being the patient. I bought her a medical toy kit from a discount store and we made up pretend charts for her to fill in," says Emily. "Other times we would play house and reverse roles where I was the child and she was the mother."

It's true, I do not know what my expectant-mom friends are currently going through. But I hope in some way this article will help them -- and moms who will some day be walking in their shoes -- to enjoy their pregnancy while having the energy to be there for their family.

© Mommy Tales

Shanna Bartlett Groves is a freelance writer and stay-at-home mom to a very active 2-year-old boy. She is also is the publisher of Mommy Tales, a Web site and newsletter with ideas for moms. For details about Mommy Tales or to receive the free newsletter, visit www.mommytales.com .