Morning Sickness. Those words can cause you a good shudder, get a sad expression on your face, or feel great sympathy or empathy for someone who is going through it. But it can also make you feel happy because that means you get to celebrate your newest blessing or someone else's blessing! It's a wonderful thing!!
Getting through it though...that's another matter.
With my oldest I was sooooo sick and exhausted. We lived in a teeny tiny mobile home. There was only my husband and I. The living room was carpeted and was probably a square of 10x10. I felt so lousy I called my momma (who still had 5 kids at home) and asked her to come do my few dishes and vacuum my living room.
My second was even worse. I had a busy 5 year old to care for, a bigger house, my husband was a pastor, and we were living 3000 miles from any family. I had the hardest time getting food down.
I just survived my 9th Morning Sickness Time and looking back....wow! I was kinda pathetic! 😂 I'm only sick with my girls, so this was only my 5th time of having it bad. Looking back at my first two, it truly was hard. I can't decide if it's gotten easier (it hasn't), I've just grown up and gotten over it (HA!), or if I'm just able to handle it better (pretty sure this is it). I was able to keep 8 kids alive and with clean clothes, so I'd say we all came through it with flying colors. More or less anyways. 😉
I was so excited to be pregnant again, but also terrified because we'd lost two babies in a row. Wondering if something was wrong with me that I couldn't carry a baby again....I really had to work on trusting Christ during this time.
Using a trial, even if it involves something exciting like a new baby, to draw you closer to Christ is *the* best thing you can do! Spend more time praying, more time in GOD's Word, and more praying.
Other practical ways that helped me through this time....
- Show myself and my family *lots* of grace. If we didn't get school done, it was okay. If I wasn't totally caught up on laundry, it was okay. If we used paper plates a TON, it was okay. If my kids watched way more movies than normal, it was okay.
- For me, eating *at least* every two hours helped keep the nausea down a fair bit. Definitely kept me from throwing up. Pretty sure I ate more often than that. As long as I had food going in, I felt halfway decent. But boy did I get tired of eating! And tired of trying to find food to eat. 😄
- Using a timer can be a great tool. As a mama there are some things that just have to get done and you at least need to oversee them, if not do them yourself depending on the ages of your other kids. I would have days where I basically lived on the couch, but even with my older kids stepping in, things go behind. I would set a timer for just 5 minutes and would work during that time. Before getting up to work though, I would plan out my moves. "First start a load of laundry, next get the meat out of the freezer to thaw, next....." and then I would only be allowed up for 5 minutes. If I felt decent doing that (didn't feel like I would up and perish), I might set a bit longer timer. Maybe even go crazy and work for 10 whole minutes! Sounds kinda silly, but it does work and it's amazing what you can get done, even moving super slow, in that time if you plan it out.
- Create a super simple menu. If you've got older kids, make it so they can do most of the cooking for dinner. Even include them in the planning so ensure you get meals they want to cook. I also came up with a basic idea list for breakfast and lunch meals. My oldest took over this job almost the entire time I was feeling sick. I didn't have to worry about getting up fast and getting to work right away, or having to make something the evening before. A huge blessing! If you don't have older kids, choose breakfasts that require little, or even better no, prep or cooking. If that means box cereal, go for it! Whatever it looks like for you, even if they eat it 4-5 times a week, it's totally fine for a season mama.
- Drink water. Sounds so basic I know, but its a great gift to your body. Years ago my first midwife told me to take my body weight and divide that in half. That number is the ounces of water I need to aim for. It's different for everyone - some need less and some need more- but it's a good target number.
- Rest, rest, rest. I spent so much time on my couch, it's not funny. But it's what I needed in that season, so I did it.
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