Third Trimester Exhaustion and Stress

Oh wow, as I was reading my thought was simply that once the kids (age 2 and up; we start with early preschool and a lot of it) are in school, I can tackle all that. But if you homeschool, then, yeah, you don't have that time. :)

I would take time to lay down. But if the kids are always underfoot, that's hard. I always slept almost 24/7 the first trimester (even with the kids around, they played by my feet). Second I organized closets due to crazy energy, and no naps. Third I was napping/resting a lot again. With #5 it was the hardest b/c then I was caring for 4 kids, not much older than toddlers, plus the current baby who was 1. I never prepared any food. We live on cereal or whatever, a lot. Healthy stuff but it takes 0 minutes of my time. I don't have time to think about food!

Take time to rest! Good luck! :)

OK, maybe I'm just a super lazy person but I don't se how any of those things on your list , are more important than your rest.

So, here are a few of my thoughts... take em or leave em.

1) Schedule: find help, if you can't , make that the 1 thing you do.
2) Dinner: order in or make the easiest meals possible . Have your husband make dinner or help you prepare meals ahead on the weekends.
3) Preparing for baby: you really don't need to prepare much for a baby. They don't need that much to begin with. Do the bare minimum & only get necessities. Again, ask your husband for help. If he can't or won't follow through, ask friends.

Trust me, I know , easier said , than done.

It sounds like you are used to being in "control" and not accustomed to asking for help. (Homeschooling, home-birth, freezing meals).

First, let go of the things you have no control over. It's perfectly normal to fear the possibility that something will go wrong. Most moms have a perfectly normal pregnancy and a perfectly normal birth. But there are moms who are not so lucky, and a c-section saved my life. Being in the hospital is hardly the worst thing that could happen to you. It might not be your first choice, but a healthy baby and a healthy mom is, so you have to try and let it go.

Second, you really need to prioritize. You do not have to do everything on your list. You don't have to have the nursery ready the moment the baby is born. You need a stack of diapers, a pack of wipes, a pile of onesies and a place for baby to sleep.

What if you don't have time to prepare and freeze meals? You'll eat sandwiches and cereal or you'll order pizza. You and the kids will not starve.

Activity bags for the kids sounds great. But if that doesn't get done, can't a grandparent or aunt or uncle simply read books with them? Or do puzzles with them? They really will be ok.

Is there anyone else, besides your husband, that can help you with some of these tasks? Does your husband have paternity leave or any sick time? While it might be nice to have his help now, I'd rather have it after the baby is born.

Take a deep breath and remember that everyone is going to be ok.