Kiddipedia
My first pregnancy was less than glorious it was horrible, to say the least; but compared to my second, and now third, looking back, it was definitely easier.
You’re probably wondering why, that is considering I was sick all day, everyday I had horrible thrush the entire pregnancy and a fungal infection in my armpit as well as migraines and pretty bad swelling in the 3rd trimester but, I didn’t have to worry about anyone but myself.
Second and now third time around, I had a toddler and now two toddlers to look after as well. I knew what to expect and hoped they wouldn’t be as bad as my first; which sickness wise they weren’t/aren’t, but having to feel nauseous and be vomiting with a toddler or two, standing next to you asking what your doing isn’t that great.
Then there’s the tiredness of not wanting to get out of bed, which for the first time round, if you don’t have work or other commitments, you can do! But not when you have two mini humans that need caring for, feeding, changing, watering, and one being toilet trained it just doesn’t happen. Well not much anyway…
Some mornings I’m lucky and my oldest (thank god) will sleep in and the youngest will come to bed with me and go back to sleep for a bit. But this doesn’t always happen, so on the mornings that doesn’t happen it’s a bit of ABC kids while I try to sleep a little longer and gather the energy to get out of bed. Because most nights for some unknown reason the youngest like to wake up at least 3 times and just cry until I go in and cuddle her or pick her up but she won’t lie back down.
If the kids are awake before my partner goes he takes them into the lounge and sets them up so I get some extra rest. It’s much appreciated
I always leave their water bottles in the lounge so they don’t need anything from me straight away and if I don’t get up by the time they want breaky they come in and get me. That’s probably the best thing about toddlers they gain a bit of independence and can do somethings themselves. And having two means they can entertain each other for a while so I can relax a little.
Then there’s the appointments… if you’re not lucky enough to find someone to watch them for an hour or so while you attend the appointment you have to drag them along too. Which involves trying to find books and toys you can easily take to entertain them while waiting to be called. And even then, they still want to run around the waiting room and scream and just be terrorist toddlers, which then brings on the looks of all the other people waiting to be seen.
Some people are totally fine with it while others are just plain rude and disgusted and wonder why you can’t control your children… when in all honesty you have tried every trick you can think of but it just hasn’t worked. And let’s be real when you’ve been waiting an hour at the doctors for your name to be called their going to get bored hell even if you’re bored of waiting while your mini terrorists destroy the place!
Then you finally get into the room and the kids have to touch everything in there no matter how many times you tell them no and try to restrain them in the chair. Its hell. But it’s part of being a mum. I can remember one appointment I had early in this pregnancy my oldest took a padlock off one of the cupboards in the doctor’s room. She didn’t show me it till we were around the other side of the building waiting for a blood test. I had to drag them back around to the doctor’s room and wait for her to come out to return it.
So, I guess my little tricks for dealing with multiple pregnancies and toddlers is using the tv as a babysitter in the morning when you’re really struggling. Just drag yourself out of bed flick ABC kids on and make sure the kids have water, possibly a snack, and go back to bed for a little while.
Always have their drinks handy where they can reach them! I always use drink bottles as there’s less of a mess. (Even better if they’re non-spill!) Plus, with a 2.5-year-old who can drink from a cup and a 15-month-old who can kind of drink from a cup but usually spills it everywhere it’s a lot cleaner and safer to just have drink bottles.
I’ve found that if I wake up and feel slightly nauseous, go straight to the kitchen and grab a biscuit or a snack size chocolate bar and eat that straight away and having water next to the bed is a big help. (Can’t really leave food next to the bed with inside dog and two toddlers it would be gone before I got to it.)
