My Third Pregnancy: What I Have Learned and How to Make it Easier

If you didn’t already know, I am currently entering the third trimester with my third baby! This pregnancy has been a journey to say the least, and I am here to share my experience so far and my tips for surviving pregnancy when you already have a toddler (or in my case 2). 

Crockpot Meals

Beginning around 6 weeks I was nauseous pretty much all of the time which lasted until around 18 weeks. My nausea and fatigue were the worst in the evening (as it has been for all of my pregnancies) which made dinner prep especially hard. My saving grace during this time was my crockpot. There were times where I was literally making dinner in the crockpot every day. 

Crockpot meals require very little prep which can be done in the late morning when I am usually feeling my best. It cooks all day, and by dinner time all you have to do is serve. I cannot stress enough how much of a lifesaver this was during my first trimester. As I near the end of my pregnancy and am starting to really feel the exhaustion hitting I know it’s about time to bust out the crockpot again. 

I especially love making soups and chilis in the crockpot. I find the prep is the quickest and the flavors marinate so well. They also stick to the pot the least making clean up easier.

Some of my go-to crockpot meals are:

Making Time For What You Need

This is one of those things that everyone tells you to do as a Mom and you roll your eyes. I went through the last few years of Motherhood just taking whatever time I could get to myself and never asking for more. I think this is a trap that most of us fall into, especially stay at home moms, where you feel like you need to be able to do it all without help. I realized during this pregnancy that it just wasn’t going to cut it anymore.

I found out I was pregnant 2 days after my second son’s 1st Birthday. For the last 6 months I have been navigating the throes of pregnancy while also caring for a young toddler who is gong through rapid development, teething, and weaning from breastfeeding. My 3 year old no longer naps, so I can’t lay down and rest in the afternoon like I did in my previous pregnancies. 

I am very lucky to have support from my husband and my mom, and this pregnancy I have learned to swallow my pride and actually ask for help when I need it. Some examples of things I have done to make more time for myself or make my day easier are:

  • Stop “working” after the kids go to bed (no dishes, laundry, or other cleaning)
  • Grocery shop and run errands without the kids when I can
  • Lay in bed if I’m feeling tired and another adult is present
  • Schedule Check-ins with my Doulas to get out of the house by myself and get support
  • Have one or both of the Boys sleep over at my parents’ house when I need a hard reset
  • Have my husband take one or both of the kids on an outing during a weekend
  • Leave the TV on for my 3 year old while my 1 year old naps if I need more time to relax 

Finding Positive Outlets

I will admit, I become a bit of a hermit when I’m pregnant (as if I wasn’t enough of one before). It must be some kind of primal instinct or something. Every time I have been pregnant I have done some kind of social media purge, usually involving deleting all apps off of my phone and become less social in general. This is good and bad for me. Good, because I’m blocking out all of the things that could stress me out online, but bad because I am creating more isolation for myself. 

I have also found that my nesting instincts are very strong and often manifest into anxiety about everything that NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH BEFORE BABY GETS HERE. This is something I have been particularly struggling with throughout the second trimester. Something that has helped me with this is diving back into my hobbies and finding new projects to work on. 

Crocheting is great because it occupies my hands and prevents me from doing anything on my phone. I recently started making a new checkered baby blanket with all the yarn I’ve had stashed up. I also ordered some interlock merino wool to sew my own diaper covers which I’m really excited about. You know what hobbies make you happy, channel any restless energy you have into a new project to keep your mind and hands busy doing something positive. 

Hobbies I’ve started or picked back up:

  • Crocheting
  • Sewing
  • Writing
  • Cozy video games
  • Reading
  • Gardening

Final Thoughts

This pregnancy has taught me a lot about the importance of taking care of myself. What has been helping me the most is to just take a pause when I’m struggling and identifying what I can do to make myself feel better, even if it’s just taking a deep breath or grabbing a snack. I hope that this post shared some insight that was helpful to you no matter what stage you are in your motherhood journey. 

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