20wks pg and struggling to cope with 2 year old

[time4tea]

My DS is a sweetie, but I am knackered with this pregnancy (only just stopped feeling sick most of the day.. thought this was supposed to stop at twelve weeks) and find that we are becoming very house-bound and telly-orientated.

Any tips on keeping us both a bit more peppy? without going on day trips out (our usual thing to do before I was pregnant)

You have my sympathy - I really struggled in my second pregnancy too with tiredness and vomiting. Have you tried cooking with him? I started towards the end, and he loved it. Also made myself walk with him every day and ofund it helped with both nausea and tiredness. Is he old enough for any simple games yet, like build a beetle? DS1 loved all that. Also, I had a great book called 'and baby makes 4' (got it on amazon) which had fab ideas for thinkgsto do with no 1 when pregnant. Sorry can't tell you the author as I have lent it to someone. Good luck! I remember worrying when I was pregnant that this was the easy bit and it was only going to get harder when no 2 arrived, but found it was easier with a newborn than to be pregnant - hope that is encouraging.

Thanks SM - that last sentence did cheer me up, I have been thinking, oh my God, its downhill from here. Walks is also something I should be more enforcing about.. it is easy when he says "no, want to stay at home" to just give in. must be a little more assertive! will google the book.

Thanks for getting back to me - XXXXX

I remember struggling too and snipersmum is right it is somehow so much easier with a newborn and a toddler than being pregnant so life dos get better. I fund deciding what we were going to do the day/night before always helped as I would wake up with the activity in mind and be semi prepared otherwise I found I just drifted through the days and became, as you are describing, house bound and telly orientated. How about swapping the telly for some music, my DD loved cutting and sticking and would sit for ages with me cutting up an old catalogue and sticking it on a piece of paper. Can't think of anything else at the moment but will get back to you if I do!

I'm also relieved to see that some people think it's easier with baby + toddler than being pg & dealing with toddler! I'm 31 weeks, ds is nearly 3, I've spent the last six months thinking of things he can do whilst I lie on the sofa and comment! Play-doh usually keeps him busy at his table for sometime if I get him started. I read a LOT of books, go to the library or buy cheap new ones regularly. Also story cd's (Kipper read by Dawn French v.popular here). I also take him to soft play (in the car), he runs around & I sit on the chair most of the time! 2+ would be starting to enjoy puzzles maybe? He was given box of 6 from ELC & we can spend an hour on those. We don't really go out that much now, but we'll spend time walking up & down our street looking for spider webs or changing leaves etc, I don't find that too exhausting. But then I never felt v.sick, think that makes a big difference, glad it's easing off for you now!