Over working and Pregnant

So I am entering into my 6th month of pregnancy. While I am pregnant I am taking care of my three daughters starting from the age 5 and below. I am working at home as well as keeping the house clean, grocery shopping and cooking. I have no help because my partner is working abroad. I fear that I might be over working and have very little sleep or rest. Although my pregnancy now is a blessing it was not planned. Does any one have some tips on what I should do or how I can keep baby healthy and strong?

Sounds as if it's very tough for you to get any private time or resting time for sure! I think it's very important, though, so I'd try to come up with ways you can rest or even partially rest while still spending time with your daughters for one thing.

Also important is to be sure to take your prenatal vitamins and keep your health in mind when choosing your meals. I know that's easier said than done because it's so much easier to toss something in the oven or nuker that's processed and frozen or canned, but I do think that some "real food" is important for a baby's development.

Those are just the first two things I thought of. I hope you'll get lots of other ideas here, too!

Yea I know although I am the worse person in taking any sort of pill or medicine. I do cook real and healthy food all the time. Its cheaper this way in my house hold. I cook one time during the day for the whole day, sometimes twice. Its just the hard labor I think is taking its toll on me. I still somehow manage it all I am just worried for the little one inside.

I have a suggestion for @Akiram13; get someone to help you. A relative who does not live so far away could be helpful. Your children are still babies and need all the help they could get. Working from home is one of the most stressful jobs and combining it with pregnancy could get even more tasking. But if you have no family around, you could get a help just till your delivery date because I cannot imagine how you want to manage it all by yourself when the baby is born.
You need to be resting now and taking long walks and being pampered.

I hope I have helped a bit.

darkchild said:
I have a suggestion for @Akiram13; get someone to help you. A relative who does not live so far away could be helpful. Your children are still babies and need all the help they could get. Working from home is one of the most stressful jobs and combining it with pregnancy could get even more tasking. But if you have no family around, you could get a help just till your delivery date because I cannot imagine how you want to manage it all by yourself when the baby is born.
You need to be resting now and taking long walks and being pampered.

I hope I have helped a bit.

I appreciate your advice it is alot to handle to be honest and I am doing my very best I know that I am neglecting myself by working so hard and doing everything but I just can't stop myself either. I don't like to feel stuck and useless in caring for my kids or looking to help with financial matters. I am in a foreign country and my blood relatives are to far to help. If I can afford extra help I will look into it. I don't mind working myself so hard because it gives meaning to my life but I also know that the little one in my tummy will also be affected in the process.
I appreciate your feedback and advice 🙂

I am also pregnant, having two children to take care of, and working from home. I know I am not getting enough sleep now, as sometimes I only sleep a few hours at night. These are what I think might be useful.

1. Plan.
Have a daily routine, meal plan, shopping list, etc. So you know what to do in the day, and it might be easier for you and your children. I find that if I have a plan, it'll take lesser time for me to do things and prepare.

2. Get someone to help you.
I understand your relatives and friends might not be staying nearby, do you think you can get your neighbors or some part-timers to help out? In my case, I ask my children for help. They are 4 and 7, though they can't help with everything, sometimes children can be really helpful.

3. Sleep early and wake up early.
As we only have 24 hours a day, and we have so many things that we have to complete, so I have no choice but to utilize my sleeping hours. I always sleep early and wake up in the middle of the night. I can focus better on my work while the children are still sleeping. Moreover, my health becomes better when I sleep early, even though I wake up early. So I think even though I sleep the same amount of hours, sleeping early makes me feel better and I can get more things done too. I also try to take an afternoon nap whenever possible, even a short nap.

4. Learn to let go.
Since there are so many things to do, we just have to let go of something, especially our perfectionism. I just have to allow my home to be a bit messy for some time, and clean it bit by bit.

These are just my humble suggestions and what I am learning and trying to do now. Hope it might be useful to you too.

kaka135 said:
I am also pregnant, having two children to take care of, and working from home. I know I am not getting enough sleep now, as sometimes I only sleep a few hours at night. These are what I think might be useful.

1. Plan.
Have a daily routine, meal plan, shopping list, etc. So you know what to do in the day, and it might be easier for you and your children. I find that if I have a plan, it'll take lesser time for me to do things and prepare.

2. Get someone to help you.
I understand your relatives and friends might not be staying nearby, do you think you can get your neighbors or some part-timers to help out? In my case, I ask my children for help. They are 4 and 7, though they can't help with everything, sometimes children can be really helpful.

3. Sleep early and wake up early.
As we only have 24 hours a day, and we have so many things that we have to complete, so I have no choice but to utilize my sleeping hours. I always sleep early and wake up in the middle of the night. I can focus better on my work while the children are still sleeping. Moreover, my health becomes better when I sleep early, even though I wake up early. So I think even though I sleep the same amount of hours, sleeping early makes me feel better and I can get more things done too. I also try to take an afternoon nap whenever possible, even a short nap.

4. Learn to let go.
Since there are so many things to do, we just have to let go of something, especially our perfectionism. I just have to allow my home to be a bit messy for some time, and clean it bit by bit.

These are just my humble suggestions and what I am learning and trying to do now. Hope it might be useful to you too.

I love the let go at the end. I tend to want to keep everything in order and prove to myself that I can really handle it all. But lately I have no choice in the matter as my home now looks like some kind of typhoon went by. My latest problem is getting sleep and being able to sleep for more than 3-4 hours. My neighbors are of help but I rather not depend on them as they have their own lives to live. I am just doing the best I can under the circumstances. I am sure I can get through this pregnancy mainly because I have a strong in will and am super stubborn. I love your advice and I thank you.

I don't know that I can offer any advice because I only have the one child, but I just wanted to say well done, super mom! The fact that you're doing all of that whilst your husband is working abroad shows how much of a strong lady you are!

Do you have any other family nearby that could possibly lend a hand? It's hard without a support network!

Hi! Your situation is just like mine minus the pregnancy and I only have one son. I do household chores, cook and also work during night time. At the most, the sleep I get is about 4 hours or less a day. But with your situation, since you're pregnant, you're at a greater risk than me.

Here are some of my suggestions:

• Drink your prenatal vitamins everyday as well as some more calcium.
• Eat healthy meals, preferably with more vegetables in them. 
• Exercise, even just walking can surely help in easing your labour and delivery.
• If you have a relative willing to help you out, do so. Especially when you're going to give birth already, you would need someone to take care of your other kids.
• Take as much sleep when your kids are napping, you need lots of sleep especially when your nearing delivery.

 Good luck!

Akiram13 said:

kaka135 said:
I am also pregnant, having two children to take care of, and working from home. I know I am not getting enough sleep now, as sometimes I only sleep a few hours at night. These are what I think might be useful.

1. Plan.
Have a daily routine, meal plan, shopping list, etc. So you know what to do in the day, and it might be easier for you and your children. I find that if I have a plan, it'll take lesser time for me to do things and prepare.

2. Get someone to help you.
I understand your relatives and friends might not be staying nearby, do you think you can get your neighbors or some part-timers to help out? In my case, I ask my children for help. They are 4 and 7, though they can't help with everything, sometimes children can be really helpful.

3. Sleep early and wake up early.
As we only have 24 hours a day, and we have so many things that we have to complete, so I have no choice but to utilize my sleeping hours. I always sleep early and wake up in the middle of the night. I can focus better on my work while the children are still sleeping. Moreover, my health becomes better when I sleep early, even though I wake up early. So I think even though I sleep the same amount of hours, sleeping early makes me feel better and I can get more things done too. I also try to take an afternoon nap whenever possible, even a short nap.

4. Learn to let go.
Since there are so many things to do, we just have to let go of something, especially our perfectionism. I just have to allow my home to be a bit messy for some time, and clean it bit by bit.

These are just my humble suggestions and what I am learning and trying to do now. Hope it might be useful to you too.

I love the let go at the end. I tend to want to keep everything in order and prove to myself that I can really handle it all. But lately I have no choice in the matter as my home now looks like some kind of typhoon went by. My latest problem is getting sleep and being able to sleep for more than 3-4 hours. My neighbors are of help but I rather not depend on them as they have their own lives to live. I am just doing the best I can under the circumstances. I am sure I can get through this pregnancy mainly because I have a strong in will and am super stubborn. I love your advice and I thank you.

Sometimes I am like that and very stubborn too, but I always remember my husband told me that I am too "greedy", especially after my second child was born, as I was trying to want everything to be done well. Sometimes we just have to choose the highest priority, and let go of something not so important. Otherwise, we will definitely feel overwhelmed, then collapsed, and the situation will become worse.

I can't sleep for long at night too, I usually sleep around 3 hours too, unless I am super tired. Hence I just wake up and do some work, then if possible, sleep again when I am tired or during daytime. I just think as long as I sleep well from 10pm-2am, I am quite fine, though I know that's not enough.

Glad that you have your neighbors to help you, at least when you really need them, someone is there, though I understand you'd like to handle things on your own. Me too. 😀

I read this from my mentor, and I really love it: "You are only given something you can handle." So, I believe if I am put into this situation, I can do it!