8 Critical Tips to Survive Pregnancy With a Toddler

Being pregnant is never easy, and this is especially true if you are pregnant with a toddler. Running after a screaming one-year-old is not anything a nauseous mommy wants to do. But, how do you manage to parent and raising a toddler when all you want to do is lay in bed and sleep off the sickness?  Well let me give you those life-saving tips you have been waiting for…

But before we dive right in, here’s something you need to know. 

I am not making these things up. I found out I was pregnant when my daughter was 10 months old, which means she wasn’t even walking yet and couldn’t communicate her needs. And boy were those times hard, but we made it. 

While writing this post, I am nearing the end of my pregnancy and look back and see all of the things that worked and that didn’t work. 

So, you want to know how I survived, well I’d be glad to tell you! So, stick around, as here are the 8 things that helped me survive my pregnancy with a toddler! 

8 Critical Tips to Survive Being Pregnant With a Toddler

*Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

1. Rest When You Can 

This was the biggest hack out there, to rest when she slept. This meant I would drop whatever I was doing before she naps, put her to bed, and go and rest. 

Some days I took naps, other days a bath, and some days I simply spent time eating my meal on the couch, alone and in silence. Do whatever your body needs that day, and feel free to adjust these things daily! 

This will definitely be harder if your toddler barely naps anymore (mine does only 1.5 hours a day), but even that one hour will be enough to help get you through this hard and difficult time. 

So, leave the dirty dishes in the sink and take that much-needed nap! You will feel better and get more done afterward if you aren’t dragging yourself around anymore! Plus, resting now while you are expecting and have a toddler will help you have more energy once your toddler decides nap-time or quiet time is over!

2. Re-arrange Your Priorities 

I am notorious for overworking myself to have a show-home quality home and a nice dinner on the table, however, once I became pregnant, I quickly realized this was very unrealistic.  

I could not manage the laundry, chores, making food, raising a toddler, and all the other motherly and wifely duties that come with it. After breaking down and being mentally so drained my contractions started around 10 weeks, I stopped myself. 

So, what if the floor hasn’t been vacuumed in two days? What if the laundry bin is overflowing? Things like these are easy and quick to manage, however, losing a baby and negatively impacting your health over these things is not worth it. 

Saying this, take a step back, give yourself some grace, and re-arrange your priorities to make your life as pregnant with a toddler much easier! 

3. Get Help if it Gets Too Much 

Probably a no-brainer, but I wanted to mention it, nonetheless. 

If being pregnant with a toddler gets to be too much, taking a day to get some help (whether it is watching your toddler, getting some cleaning help, or ordering dinner) will make a world of a difference! 

I remember feeling extremely overwhelmed one day, so I ended up bringing my daughter to my mothers-in-law for 6 hours and taking that time to power out some much-needed scrubbing and cleaning. I picked her up before bedtime, put her down, and could then fully relax and enjoy the cleanliness. 

However, I think back and wish I took that time to rest and take care of myself. As I am definitely feeling the repercussions later in pregnancy and wish I was more lenient on myself as I did have a toddler and was expecting a baby soon. 

Related Blog Posts:

15 Eye-Opening Ways to Help your Child Play Alone

Pregnancy Morning Sickness Relief – 8 Ways to Curb your Nausea

4. Provide Good Long-Lasting Entertainment 

Doing some research on toys that provide long-lasting entertainment is so worth it.  

Does your toddler love building? Get them some magnatiles. Do they love being creative? Create mess-free painting. Do they love digging in the dirt and getting messy? Go outside and fill a tub with soapy water and let them play! 

Providing them with valuable and entertaining activities and toys will really help get you some much-needed rest time. 

Try to choose activities where areas such as problem solving, exploration, and imagination are challenged and encouraged. These activities will help keep your child engaged and learning valuable life skills in the process. 

Need some inspiration? Here are some amazing activities to do with your toddler to get those brain juices flowing! 

5. Go Online 

Dragging a toddler around stores to get your weekly shopping done is probably the worst way to spend your day for a pregnant woman. 

Lugging them back and forth in the heavy carts, spending hours on your feet, and loading and unloading the car is not really “pregnancy friendly”. 

So, if you have the chance, try grocery store pick up. Honestly, I bet you if you do it once, you will never want to go back again. 

Also, take advantage of your regular shopping items by getting subscribe and save and never having to worry about running out of diapers and wipes again. Plus, if order things such as diapers through Amazon, you will earn a 15% discount! 

6. Encourage Independence 

Even though your toddler may still seem small and tiny, encouraging independence from an early age will benefit you and them in the long run. 

Giving them small tasks, such as putting wrappers in the garbage, cleaning up their toys or sorting silverware, will encourage them to grow as a person and be a big help to you! 

I was worried about managing a baby and a not even 2-year-old toddler until I started encouraging my daughter to be more independent.  

With 16 months she is now able to clean after herself, feed herself, and perform small tasks. Such as to unload the cutlery from the dishwasher and pass it to mommy (only the spoons for safety reasons) and bring things to the laundry hamper or garbage when asked. 

These minor tasks will make a huge difference once the baby is here. I strongly urge you to encourage your toddler to be more independent! You won’t regret it. 

Not sure how to get started? Read our post on 15 Eye-Opening Ways to Help your Child Play Alone to get some ideas to encourage independence through play and daily life.

7. Choose Pregnant-Safe Play Activities 

If your toddler is needing some mommy time and not willing to play alone, choose pregnant-safe activities to spend time together.  

Examples are building a tower, doing puzzles or coloring pages, playing with playdoh, or even playing tea party or doctor (of course you’re the patient that needs to lay with her legs up). 

Choosing things that you can do together that do not require you to be lifting heavy things and running around are the best choices now. 

And if all else fails, cuddling up to read books, nap, or watch a movie is also always a good idea. 

I also highly encourage making your home toddler friendly. That means locking any cupboards they shouldn’t get into and placing anything damageable, toxic, and non-safe, out of reach. That way, if you do doze off while playing bedtime, you won’t have to worry about your toddler getting into some harmful things. 

8. Tackle Chores and Tasks in the Evening 

I know, I know, you are tired and exhausted. But doing simple things such as prepping lunches and putting the dishwasher on will make a huge difference in the morning. 

Try doing those tasks that seem hard and impossible when your toddler has wound down for the night. Give yourself 15 minutes to clean whatever you can with no distractions. When those 15 minutes are over, wind down for the night and take that well-earned bath. 

I hope these 8 little tips on surviving being pregnant with a toddler will help you feel better in the long run. You are doing a whole lot momma so be proud of it! 

Make sure to take care of yourself and your little baby, as proper care and resting can make the difference of a healthy pregnancy or a miscarriage in some cases! 

Things will get easier, trust me. And these are only 9 months of your life, you have a whole lifetime ahead of you. 

So stay strong, keep going, as great things are coming! 

Until next time, 

Celina 

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