Each pregnancy comes with its own set of challenges so I just have to brave through it, no matter how tough.
(*based on my personal experience)
- Feeling Lazy: You can't imagine how lazy I feel with this third pregnancy that I just don't have the energy or drive to do anything at all, despite handling two young toddlers at home for the entire day. Yet, I still manage to feed the kids and myself too. Hubby plays a HUGE role to help out with the chores and food and the kids so I'm feeling really blessed to have him help with all the chores including cleaning the bathrooms / mopping the floors / taking out the trash / doing the laundry / cooking (this is THE MOST important part as I really am not keen to stand for long especially now that I'm in my 8th month).
- Fatigue / Out-of-breath: It's just ridiculous for me to feel exhausted although I don't really do much around the house. I'll set aside sweeping / vacuuming the floor one day (when you have a 1-yo, the amount of small crumbs on the floor is inevitable), folding clothes for another and just ensuring the house is not in a total chaos. At the end of whatever it is that I'm doing, I'll slump on the sofa and try so very hard to breathe normally. Sometimes I'll find myself feeling a bit faint.
- Isolation: I'm just not up to it, meeting people or hosting like how we used to. If I plan to go out with 2 kids in tow, it would only be for 2 hours max, then we'll head home. I'd rather go out during the weekends when hubby is home as he'll handle the 1-yo. At times, I'll just let hubby bring both kids out (which he normally does) and I'll resort to flipping channels on the TV or catching up on my favourite TV series (which isn't that often as I'd prefer flipping channels).
- "Nesting": This is constant for all three pregnancies. This time around, I had to declutter the house considering that we'll have another little one to attend to and I'm not keen to have to constantly clear toys off the floor or step on small blocks / Lego pieces. It's overwhelming! We're lucky that our 5-yo helps with putting her toys away but her younger sister, the 1-yo, always manages to make a mess of the play area or living hall again so we pity our 5-yo and help her clean up too.
- Nausea / Vomiting: I'm lucky enough, as compared to my previous two pregnancies, that the feeling of nausea and constant vomiting was only present during the 3rd and 4th month this time around. I'm able to eat proper meals and didn't mind the smell of hubby cooking in the kitchen or even his cologne.
Finally, I'm in my 3rd trimester now and I REALLY can't wait to get the baby out.
It's so uncomfortable walking around at the moment, feeling breathless each time, not to mention feeling out of breath even whilst sitting down or lying down too! :(
Yet, I still feel reluctant at the thought of going through labour and the process of giving birth again.
It's daunting, really, each time I remember the pain.
Not to mention going through the confinement period (44 days!!!), the difficulty of passing motion, the thought of making sure Miss-V is cleaned after being stitched (or even peeing for that matter), the thought of breastfeeding a baby all over again or just keeping myself sane throughout my confinement period whilst handling two active kids at the same time.
I respect mothers who are able to manage it on their own with the help of their hubby or a confinement lady.
Simply because they just don't have that luxury to pamper themselves and their newborn (unlike when they gave birth to their first child) since they have other kids to take care of as well and going through confinement in your own home is much more convenient and comfortable as you don't have to trouble anyone but your hubby. :D
Phew! I guess I'll just have to take this one step at a time.