37 weeks and cant cope with toddler anymore!!

[didsnbump]

Im loosing the will to carry on. Im 37 weeks tomorrow and am booked for my c section 2 weeks monday but my just turned 2 year old is become to difficult to cope with.
Im the size of a house and struggling to bend and do anything really although still am and its leading to the most painfull back pain.
He also is insisting on climbing, elbowing and kicking me, although not on purpose but finds it funny when told not to.
How do people manage to cope these last few weeks????

The only thing i can do is let him watch his fav tv programmes, but he seems to want this all the time and will sit and do nothing else.

Just do what you can to get through it - if you need to put CBeebies on for an hour or two do! Also try stuff like bubbles, drawing, trip to park to let him get off steam while you sit down somewhere - and if all else fails, get friends with kids round to distract him/help out with him. He's probably acting up as he picks up on the fact that change is coming - it will pass. And good luck with the birth.

Embrace the Ceebeebies love . It was the only way I could cope. It won't be forever.

Ive just moved to a new area so dont really know many yet. Couldnt make it to the mums and tots group this morning as had to wait for someone to come and sort a few problems with the house.
With the weather being so naff just feels like we are stuck in the house making it worse. Plus walking to far just kills my back!

Oh God this is so hard - I'm in the same position and 38 weeks with no official end date! My DS is 2.4.

Things we do to stop him climbing on me.

1. Read - I sit on the sofa and he sits between my knees reading his fave stories.

2)Sits at the table and does playdoh, drawing whatever

3)We bth sit on the floor and play with lego, trains, make picnics for his toys and that sort of thing. This is good because I can go on all fours a bit which I find comfy without him jumping on my back.

4)Cbeebies but only for short periods as he just isn't that arsed about tv annoyingly.

Not long to go. It's really hard work isn't it? I think I did my back in yesterday lifting him in and out the car.

Sorry to hear you're struggling, I have a livley 2 year old!

Before I was pregnant(now 24 weeks with DC3!)or if I am stuck for things to do I run him a bath and stick a load of toys in and I sit in the bathroom while he plays, with a magazine/book!

Depends if he is a waterbaby though, as mine loves nothing more than splashing about! I have trouble getting him out!

The other things I do are give him a washing up bowl with a bit of water in to wash his toy cars, build him a den with a blanket over a table chuck in some books and teddies and let him have a snack in there!

Activities aimed at giving you a bit of space! Good luck x

No advice, just sympathy. I'm 35 weeks with SPD and a 20 month old. It's hard going.

Morethemerrier im loving the bath idea. He does love the bath. Will def try that one. I feel a little bad complaining today as it looks like he is ill. Soundly sleeping at the mo.

I must admit i should come up with more things to do with him when we are in doors. But am so used to be able to go out and about. When we dont i hant got a clue. But loving some of the suggestions thanks guys.

I do hope the next 2 weeks go quick coz then we have daddy home for 4 weeks after my section so should be able to get back to normal.

i also have no advice to give but was having a read to see if i could use any of the ideas! still have 6 weeks to go and a very active 20 month old!!! just took her for a walk in the rain to try and burn off some of the energy (hers obviously!)

Feel for you all ladies. I haven't got any ideas more than what's already been said. I'm 36 + weeks a 21 month year old DS. Cbeebies works a bit, but it's starting to effect my mental health, waking up with Timmy Time banjo theme stuck in my head is just not relaxing at all. All together now 'I....Can...Cook' grrrrrrrrr.

I'm very lucky to still have a childminder to use now and again, and he's been there today, while I did some fake nesting. Thing is I'm really looking forward to seeing him now, missed him so much, keep picturing his little face. There's just no winning is there...haha.

my ds and dd are 16 months apart. when ds was 2 he was totally absorbed by argos boots and mothercare catalogues. very cheap and worth a try if you can stagger to the stores to pick them up. megablocks are good too as you can sit on the sofa and make little things like a table or a tractor then hope dc will either copy you or spend a few minutes taking it apart.oh and prittstick (bit choky so watch dc) and any old cut up bits of paper and a piece of A4. do not worry, ds and dd are now 5 and 3 and are playing in the other room like contented little angels. 2 close together is very hard work at first but they do occupy themselves well when they get bigger. i am 16 weeks and worrying who this Dc will play with.

Could have written this post myself... 37 weeks with SPD (so can't go for long walks even when the weather is ok-ish) and a very challenging 2 1/2 year old. She is totally driving me insane this week. We also have builders in which makes it even harder to keep her out of the way and busy.
Friday... dh here for the weekend... deep breath...

And more sympathy from me too, I am 34 wks and ds is 2 yrs 4 months. Wears me out.... wants to play skittles and can't understand why mummy doesn't want to bend down to pick them up (I'm also suffering from chronic spd). Shouldn't complain but I can't wait for it all to be over!

The painting easel is a godsend as it keeps him amused for ages, but the downside is all the clearing up.

Ceebeebies is starting to do my head in, I wish someone would buy 'I can cook' Katie a new t shirt as I'm sick of seeing her in that green one. DS: 'Mummy like Katie'. Mummy: 'grrrrr'....

Sympathies - I had 15 months between my first two and it's really hard work. But I also found that DC1 played up really badly in the lead up to the birth, almost as though he could sense the new arrival and was testing as many boundaries as possible.

I second the water play idea - my toddler adores a big bowl of water and splashing about. Building a large train set and letting him cause wonderful train crashes also helps keep him quiet for a bit!

I also just cover the playroom floor with some cheap lining paper and let him draw all over it (helps that we have wooden floors - not sure that would work with carpet!). And Cbeebies isn't THAT bad for short bursts - just do what you can do to get through! Do you know anyone who could give you a break - even for 30 minutes or something?

And hold on to the thought that it's also MUCH easier to deal with a toddler and a new baby, than it is to deal with a toddler and being heavily pregnant (she says, hopeful that she hasn't rose tinted her experience as currently 6 months pg with number 4 and a VERY strongwilled 21 month old to deal with!)

Mine are going to be a bit further apart - currently 27 weeks with No. 2 and have a 2.5 year old DS but... totally sympathize on the activity level! And I know it's only going to get worse as I get bigger...

The only advice I have to offer is to lower your standards dramatically in areas you don't care about: Example, I couldn't give a monkey's arse about how physically active DS is (especially in bad weather when we are inside a lot) so he does all sorts of things all my g/fs raise their eyebrows at (climbing on countertops, climbing on the low kids table we have in the living room, jumping off things, etc....) so I concentrate on stopping/redirecting the things I do care about (no throwing books/saying please and thank you/actually sitting at the table for meal times - though he can get up straight after he's done eating).

One of my g/fs told me yesterday he has 'no boundaries' (thanks a lot!) to which I replied he does, for things like politeness and consideration for others, but no, he doesn't when it comes to a lot of physical things.

Sorry to be whittering, I guess I'm just trying to say my version of that age-old adage: 'Pick and choose your battles'

Best of luck to you, didsnbump.... Virtual hugs through cyberspace....

You have my sympathy, it sounds exhausting.

I'm only 22 weeks and already absolutely knackered (have a nearly 2 year old), so goodness knows what I'll be like at 37 weeks.

Apart from the CBeebies advice, I often take DS to the park and just let him run around while I stand/sit wherever/whenever I can. Can backfire though when he refuses to walk/go in his buggy and has to be carried home. Apart from that, toddler groups/friends could give you some relief.

DS also goes to nursery 2 days, so although I'm working it's almost like a holiday. Never thought I'd hear myself say that!

didsnbump - Are you going to have help after your C-section? If you haven't organise any (especially since you have just moved into a new area), I will try and organise some for after the birth as a matter of priority! We kept my then 21-month-old DS at 4 days in nursery for the first month baby was home, dropping to 3 days when DS2 was a month old (on hindsight, we should have left the arrangement as it is till DS2 turns 3 months old!). It was relatively easy at first as DS2 just slept a lot but things got messy and stressful when DS2 was six weeks old and DS1 turned 22 months and we were stuck in the house due to the snow etc!

Thank goodness we had the inlaws come and take DS1 a couple of times and also nursery helped a great deal. I also have a good friend who would come and take DS1 to a play group we go to all the time before DS2 arrived with her DCs so I could have some time to brush my teeth etc on days I had both DSs at home. Drop your standards completely for a while. I feel awful at the moment that DS1 demands Peppa Pig the moment he wakes up but I have to feed DS2 and physically can't do anything with him. It won't be forever. DS2 is now 11 weeks old and things are a lot easier. On hindsight, I would have arranged to have a mother's help of some sort a few times a week just so you get through the first couple of months. I actually found being heavily pregnant with a toddler a doodle compared to having a toddler and baby. Sorry! But thought I would warn you...

Yeah my DH has taken 2 weeks extra off after his paternity so have him home for 4 weeks after the c section so have him around while i get used to the whole baby thing again, and then its only a couple of weeks until easter when i think he has a couple more weeks holiday he can take.

Ive got to know my neighbour in the last week and she has offered to help so im hoping to maybe ask for some in the next couple of weeks. I have just managed to get him a couple of afternoons in a creche aswell so will look forward to that next week.

Unfortunatly my family are an hour and a half away so they dont come to help out, but i cant moan because if we hadnt moved to here my family would have been 12 hours away.

That's good to hear... You just need some time to get to know your baby and for them to develop a 'routine' so it's easier for you to get out and about! The logistics are a bit of a nightmare but it's lovely to see my two interacting together (though DS1 is a bit heavy handed at times!).

Feel a fraud as only 22 weeks pregnant but already finding my demanding 3 year old girl a handful. Cbeebies - it's the future!!

Cbeebies in short bursts.....I have it on for HOURS

I have a DS who is 22 months and like others am suffering from SPD too. Fortunately I had DD who keeps him entertained when not at school. Playgroups/soft play help my sanity as i sit and have a coffee and 'supervise' DS having fun from there. And the house is constantly trashed with Lego etc but i'm just letting it go a bit really. It won;t be forever.....

Also if he's driving me mad by the end of the day we do an earlier but longer bath so he can play in there and splash about for ages.

2 weeks of tv is hardly going to ruin him - use any survival tactics you can!

Good luck x

I'm 21 weeks pg and DD is 22 months. When we were stuck indoors in the snow I often whiled away about half an hour playing 'catch' - lying on the sofa throwing a ball for her to fetch and bring back to me!

Also if you're sick of ceebeebies maybe stock up on some kids films like Madagascar, Happy Feet, disney films etc... I recorded a whole load over xmas and that helped when we were stuck indoors and I was too knackered to do any more painting or baking.

Aquadraw mats are good - they can sit on the floor and draw without you worrying about the walls!

And I also second the letting them climb the furniture/jump off the sofa etc

Wedgie, I HATE I can cook! DD loves it and like to watch and pretend to join in with her toy kitchen. The worst bit is the god-awful song she always makes up at the end.

Hi am 34 weeks with a 14 month old and also losing the will to live at times. Thank God DH is v. helpful when he is here but works long hours (can't think why!!!). I also have two highly energetic jack russells and we are trying to sell the house so total nightmare keeping it clean and tidy for viewings!

Getting friends with toddlers to come round is great if you can do it. CBEEBIES is limited as DD has v. short attention span!! Wishing for warmer weather and a bigger garden right now! Just getting her into her coat and boots so she's ready to go out to the park totally knackers me out!

Have also heard that it is easier once baby is born - hope this is true!!!!

arg, why do we do this to ourselves???

I'm 36 weeks with a 21 month old and God it's hard. I feel guilty for being such a crap, narky mum.

The best thing I've found is to sit on birthing ball in the middle of his toys and he runs round getting them and showing me, playing and reading books. He enjoys this and he's not climbing on my bump as he can't possibly on a birthing ball.

Am 38.5 weeks with 18 month old with a permanent cold, molars crowning and post swine flu jab. I can't say I'm at my wit's end yet today but totally sympathise with all the posts. Love the various suggestions about what to do - my DS loved boucing on my ball with me earlier and my MWs instructions to be on hands and knees means I don't mind the occasional bit of playing on the floor.

The difficulty is when he wants to be chased for a nappy change or the lifting in and out of the highchair. When do they "properly" start feeding themselves? At the moment we're so fed up with the floor wiping that we're probably being a bit behind in just letting him get on with it. Any tips?

I have also just discovered Timmy Time - hilarious! Have you seen the one where he dreams about being a break dancer? I need to get out more/ at all!

Should we have a postnatal thread support group too? Might be useful for sharing tips when our LOs arrive . Quite excited now!

I'm 42 weeks with 22 month old.

things I've found work:

1. get out of the house - go for tiring walks, go to the beach and dig some holes, go to the park and let them run about.

1. distract, distract, distract - avoid boredom setting in by anticipating it and coming up with ideas for the next thing to do. move rooms if you need a change of scene. give jobs to do

1. rest in the evening - once your DH comes in from work, he's on duty. the less tired you are in the day the easier it is to respond well to an energetic toddler. you only have so much energy at the moment and the LO is going to use up all of it and more

1. childcare - if at all possible have some days that you can spend resting/doing jobs/bouncing on your gym ball