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Most women experience morning sickness, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness before nine weeks of gestation in the first trimester. Several factors, including hormonal changes, low blood sugar, stress, and fatigue, can cause morning sickness. However, the challenge reaches its zenith when you struggle with how to deal with morning sickness with a toddler.
Taking care of an energetic toddler while struggling with the early signs of pregnancy can be exhausting. However, since adequate rest and sleep are essential for a healthy pregnancy, it is crucial to take effective steps toward it.
Keep reading this post, where we have put together some useful strategies to help you manage early pregnancy symptoms, such as morning sickness, when you have a toddler to look after.
Tips For Coping With Morning Sickness While Caring For Your Toddler
Here are some tried and tested practical tips that will help you look after your toddler, even as you battle that morning sickness.
1. Place Fresh Scents Around The House:
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- During pregnancy, your response to various scents can be altered, likely due to hormonal changes affecting your taste and smell. It may result in increased sensitivity to certain perfumes and an aversion to specific scents.
- Various aromatic scents can soothe your nausea. You may find aromatic oils helpful. According to the American Pregnancy Association, citrus scents such as neroli or sweet orange are popular among pregnant women. You may also use lavender or rose oils too. However, discuss the use of essential oils with your doctor or aromatherapist before using them (1).
- You can also try sniffing on some fresh lemons or smelling a flower from your garden. It will help you fight the feeling of nausea or illness and keep you refreshed.
- Place these fragrant objects at strategic points around the house.
- You could place these scents in the form of candles or dab a few drops of the scent on a bulb and place it at a corner spot.
- You can also decorate your home with fresh flowers.
- Make sure to keep all these objects out of the reach of your naughty toddler.
Research finds2. Make Good Use Of The High Chair:
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- Place the high chair in a spot where you can keep an eye on your child no matter where you are, even the bathroom.
- You can also keep a few finger foods ready for such emergencies. Place these on the tray to keep your toddler occupied.
- Arrange a few of your child’s favorite toys on the chair to keep him entertained and happy.
- In most cases, you will feel uncomfortable once morning sickness strikes. Pick up your toddler and place him safely in his high chair.
- Your toddler’s high chair can come in very handy when you experience those bouts of morning sickness.
3. Use Lie Down Time To Teach:
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- After morning sickness becomes regular, you will want to lie down more and rest. It can be an impossible feat when there is a hyper-active toddler in the house.
- Take out some big pillows and cushions and place them on a clean spot on the floor. You can do this near your bed or a couch.
- Arrange some building blocks and colorful toys that your toddler can enjoy playing with to stay busy. Lie down and relax while you teach your toddler about various colors and objects. Briana, a mother of three, shares how she used to keep her children occupied with building blocks while she coped with morning sickness during pregnancy. She says, “We have several different kinds of blocks that I like to rotate. When I need to keep them entertained for a while, I just rotate the blocks. That has kept them busy for a whole afternoon (i)!”
Quick tip4. Ask For A Break:
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- A little time out will help you relax and feel re-energized.
- Ask your spouse if he can take a day off to help you with your toddler. It may not become routine, but it will be a nice break to help you rejuvenate. Dealing with morning sickness can be exhausting; take advantage of all the support and rest you can get!
- If you have a nearby friend or relative, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Check with a friend who has a toddler at home and arrange for a play date. It will help you get some rest while your toddler has fun with other children.
5. Look For A Play School:
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- Once your baby arrives, your morning sickness will go away on its own.
- Till the time you deliver, you can enroll your toddler in a play school near your home.
- Look for classes that are specifically designed to run for a few months. You can always take your toddler off the list once your morning sickness subsides.
Quick tipFrequently Asked Questions
1. How do I ease morning sickness naturally?
Munching on crackers before you get up from bed or sucking on a peppermint can help relieve morning sickness. You could also try having several small meals throughout the day to ensure your stomach is not empty and sipping on cold carbonated water between meals (2).
2. What foods make morning sickness worse?
To prevent your morning sickness from worsening, avoid spicy, oily, hot, or sweet foods. Instead, opt for foods high in complex carbohydrates, such as wholewheat bread, green leafy vegetables, and bananas (3).
3. Can morning sickness affect the health of the baby?
Generally, morning sickness does not harm the baby’s health. It is a common occurrence during pregnancy and most babies are not affected by it (6).
Morning sickness affects most pregnant women, but manifestations may vary. Pregnancy, while already having a toddler to care for, is a challenge in itself. The fatigue and discomfort can make it difficult to deal with morning sickness with a toddler. You may manage your condition by placing fresh fragrances in the house, using a high chair for your toddler, and teaching your toddler while lying down. Seek help from your partner or family members to deal with vomiting and nausea during pregnancy. Alternatively, you can arrange for a playschool to get time off. Take care of your nutrition and consult a doctor if you have severe morning sickness symptoms. Your doctor will suggest the necessary treatment or medication to help ease the symptoms.
Infographic: Useful Advice To Deal With Morning Sickness With Toddlers
While already being a mother of a toddler does not have any direct relation to morning sickness, being involved in the care of a toddler when pregnant certainly makes it more challenging to handle morning sickness. The infographic below provides some easy tips and remedies you may try to calm your morning sickness.
Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
Key Pointers
- Taking care of a toddler while experiencing early pregnancy can be tiring.
- Ensure effective steps towards rest and sleep to maintain a healthy pregnancy.
- Place fresh scents, use high chair & finger food, teach during lie-down time, ask spouse to take over, and consider play school to help manage.
- Take care of nutrition, well-being, and consult a doctor for severe morning sickness.
Illustration: Simple Tips To Survive Morning Sickness With Toddlers
Image: Dall·E/MomJunction Design Team
Dealing with morning sickness while tending to a toddler can present challenges. Discover effective strategies to handle both, enhancing your well-being and enabling you to enjoy your day!
Personal Experience: Source
MomJunction articles include first-hand experiences to provide you with better insights through real-life narratives. Here are the sources of personal accounts referenced in this article.
i. Tips to survive morning sickness.https://kindleyourcreativity.blogspot.com/2013/08/tips-to-survive-morning-sickness.html
References
- Perfume and Pregnancy.
https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/is-it-safe/perfume-and-pregnancy/ - Ease Nausea with Natural Remedies.
https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/family-resources-library/ease-nausea-with-natural-remedies - Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.
https://www.fraserhealth.ca/health-topics-a-to-z/pregnancy-and-baby/pregnancy/nausea-and-vomiting-in-pregnancy#.YsQRQ3ZBzIV - Research: Lemon oil for morning sickness.
https://tisserandinstitute.org/learn-more/lemon-oil-morning-sickness/ - Ease nausea with natural remedies.
https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/family-resources-library/ease-nausea-with-natural-remedies - Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy.
https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/morning-sickness-nausea-and-vomiting-of-pregnancy
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