This is my third pregnancy. Therefore, I entered this pregnancy thinking I’ve done this twice before I got this. I can do this whole pregnant thing with my eyes closed and my hands tied behind my back. Boy, was I wrong. They say (and by they I mean my OB constantly reminds me) no two pregnancies are alike. And he was right. This pregnancy hit me like a ton of bricks at about 7 weeks and didn’t start to wane until, well I’m still waiting after I got hit with a second wave at 18 weeks. I have had morning sickness like I’d never experienced with Harrison and Autumn. Headaches that made me feel like my head and eyeballs were in a vice. And body aches and fatigue that made it a battle just to keep my eyes open, which is key when trying to keep two toddlers alive.
So, I decided to write this blog in case there are any other mama’s out there who are in a similar situation. How did I cope, what did I eat, how did I find pockets of rest? Here are a few of my strategies and products that helped keep me going.
What to Eat/Drink?
Mornings were hell, every morning I woke up feeling like I had the worse flu of my life. I’d throw up if my stomach was empty, I’d throw up if I drank too much water too soon, I’d throw up if I ate the wrong thing.. you get the idea….The mornings that went the best were the mornings I put something in my mouth as soon as I woke up, something super plain like rice cakes, cashews, or peanut butter toast. So stash a few packets of rice cakes (or crackers if you’re not celiac like me) and munch as soon as you wake!
Lemon water, this one is huge for me. The sour lemon seriously helped take the edge off nausea. It is also the only way I was able to get fluids into my body after I was sick. And be generous with the lemon, I’m not talking about a light squeeze of a small section, take half that sucker and juice it into your icy water, and sip slowly all day long. Peppermint tea is also very effective for curbing nausea as well!
Bone Broth, this is a recent discovery of mine (my husband likes to take credit so maybe I’ll give him this one). We found Bo and Marrow at the downtown farmers market and I have been hooked ever since! Eating has been a reeeeal struggle for me this pregnancy. Having such a nationally packed punch in the form of a soothing broth has been life changing. Seriously read all the benefits of bone broth here. When I did feel I needed a little more substance, I added brown rice ramen noodles to the hot broth and made myself some ramen soup. Also, side note, they make many different kinds for different needs, Yo Mama for pre and post natal, ruff life for dogs, AND to our shock, our 2 year old (yes Harrison who eats like a bird) LOVES it, he asks for it every time I make it. And I feel like super mom when I see him sipping this wholesome broth, so if you have a picky eater try this, they make a special blend just for kiddos.
Ginger candies, and sour candy. These are helpful in a pinch when you feel that midday nauseous wave comin’ at ya. I personally love Gin Gins and they can be bought pretty much anywhere which makes it really easy.
Juicing. Eating is tough, but getting nutrients into your body is super important! Glow Juicery is my favourite! There are so many amazing blends, and you can cycle through them to find the one that really sings to you. My favourite during the first few weeks were Sky Glow and Citrus Glow, the mint and ginger afternotes were amazing for helping with nausea.
Toast. Last on the food suggestion is peanut butter and honey toast. It’s easy on sensitive tummies and the little bit of protein in the peanut butter helps your stomach from feeling empty too soon.
Grocery Delivery. Running errands with two toddlers is always a big production. Trying to do so while feeling nauseous is even more overwhelming. Do yourself a huge favour and get help in this area. Most major grocery stores offer some type of delivery or pick up. If you’re looking for organic (and Bo and Marrow and Glow) Spud.ca is local and has awesome organic options.
Headaches?
This one sucks, I have been getting such bad headaches pretty much since I got a plus on my pregnancy test. There are a lot of suggestions on Dr. Google on how to handle these. But for me, my tried and true remedy is ice. Now it’s easier said than done to hold a cold compress to your head when you’re chasing after toddlers. So I found one that has an elastic around it and uses small pearls, something like this. I suggest getting two, as they don’t stay cold for that long so it’s nice to have one in the freezer and alternate them as needed.
Rest?
I have two toddlers, so this one is hard. But here are a few tricks that help when nausea or headaches are really bad.
Snacks. I put cheerios in those small bowls with those spill free lids and we will all lay on the carpet and they will pick one by one out of these little bowls with their tiny little fingers. It takes about 20 minutes to get through a bowl and I lay on the floor and close my eyes…
Toys, Chalk, and Books. Activites that don’t require a lot of physical output from me, are the best when the sickness hits hard. They play happily, I sit and watch and drink lemon water.
Cartoons, I don’t like to use this one too often but some days I feel like Curious George deserves child support payments. I choose educational cartoons that don’t have any obnoxious songs and annoying characters (Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger, I’m talking to you…) Our two favourites are Curious George and Justin Time. Harrison loves them and repeats a lot of the words and animals. Aka good parenting… But in all honesty, if this is you some days, don’t let the mom guilt set in.
Lastly, and this may be an obvious one, but I’m TERRIBLE at it, ask for help. Sometimes people don’t know how to help, so ask people specifics if they offer to help. Can you take my son to the park for an hour, can you drop off some milk and fruit etc. People want to help if they genuinely offer, take it!
on that note does anyone want to take Harrison and Autumn to the park? 😛
Thanks for being here have a lovely week, friends!
xo
Emily
