3Rd Pregnancy @ Term and Getting Irrated/impatient

Some suggestions for you, gleaned from experience:

**Try to put things in perspective. 30 years from now, are you going to wish you'd spent more time cleaning... or more time playing with your children?

**Give it up to God. Perhaps God is trying to help you learn forgiveness and patience--and He's giving you plenty of opportunities to practice! ;-)

**Be patient with yourself, too. Your hormones are out of whack while your body gets ready for this baby, and as you know, it's not going to bounce back to "normal" the day after delivery! Give yourself time.

**The housecleaning can wait. Let it go. You don't want an unhealthy environment, but "lived-in" is a GOOD thing. Remember, God told us to love one another... but He didn't say anything about keeping a perfectly clean house!

There is a good article here, with many of these tips being things you can do now, while pregnant, too: http://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Your-House-Clean-with-a-New-Baby

And she quotes part of a poem--be sure to take note (you may have seen it before). The full poem is:

Babies Don’t Keep
By Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due,
Lullabye, rockaby, lullabye loo.
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo,
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo,
Lullabye, rockaby, lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
Because children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

HTH!
God bless,
--A.

S.

I can totally relate to your current state. I had a baby about a year ago and have two other kids as well. I am not a particularly happy pregnant person as it is, so as the pregnancy progressed, my mood went downhill. I have all boys, so you can imagine the constant upkeep that requires, so in the later days of pregnancy things were getting really out of control due to my lack of energy. It was so frustrating, trying to prepare for the new baby. You want everything to be perfect but it is just impossible. I can tell you though, looking back, I was way over stressing. The new addition has only created more mess and chaos and I have adjusted great (surprisingly, since I am kind of a control freak). So relax, and enjoy this time the best you can. You have the perfect excuse right now to be cranky, or lazy, or whatever you want. You will have plenty of time to "tackle" that list of chores you probably are thinking about after the baby comes. I forgot how much they sleep when they are new. I had more hands free time the first three months after he was born than I do now, for sure. Hang in there. Everything will be OK.

Don't sweat it. I've got 5 children, 3 of which I had within 27 months, and they were all single births. So I can relate to your overwhelming tiredness and frustration. I remember my moment of a reality check with my emotions. Stop for 5 minutes and say a prayer, read the bible or take a bath. IT will help. But honestly, my girls are now 15,12,11,&10 and my little guy is 1 1/2 and it is so much fun being a mom. Just remember this one thing that was said to me by a father who lost his only daughter. "You never know if you will get tomorrow, so just enjoy today." And ....who remembers a little bit of a dirty house, your kids will remember your love and time you spent with them. Congratulations, you are so blessed.

You are so blessed!! Something that is very hard to remember when you are big and round and so very tired!!! So many good comments and suggestions on here...but it sounds like you need a break!!! Is there someone that can watch your kids while you and your husband sneak away for some time together...or someone (close) you can go visit, just by yourself? It sounds like you need to recharge before the baby gets here!! I'm all for letting the mess "go" but if that doesn't work for you, can you enlist the help of a friend or two to help you out just a bit?

Whatever you do, just don't worry about the small stuff, its not worth your worry. ENJOY this time and spend as much time as you can with your older children!! As a mom of three myself, I can tell you that is very important!!! All the best to you!!

Hey S.!
I feel for ya! I had a 9 lb baby in Sept last year. Carting around that big ol baby all summer made me crazy. My three year old asked me not to have anymore children because I was such a crabby pregnant lady. Poor girl. But something my doc told me to do, and I didnt listen, was to take benedryl at night so I could get some more sleep. I was so uncomfortable I couldnt sleep and was exhausted and crabby all of the time. Maybe get more rest, and if you want, ask your doctor about benedryl at night to make you sleep better. My doctor said it wouldnt hurt the baby and it would help me sleep. I didnt do it though, I was too lazy! I know its hard taking a nap during the day with two kids, so maybe more sleep at night could really help? I know its very hard, but it will be over soon and you will have your precious baby. I swear I would probably have 5 kids if my pregnancies wasnt miserable. But its all worth it! Good luck!

I understand completely. I have 4 under the age of 11 and I always tried to hang on to the feeling right before a baby would arrive because I knew that life as I knew it was about to change and become even more challenging. You're right, now is a good time to have your two kids start doing more as far as cleaning up. My 4 don't do as much as they should and everyday I think we need some new rules around here, but so far I just put up with a cluttered house. Enjoy the end of your pregnancy. I envy you -- I loved being pregnant and I love newborns. You will make it through - it's not easy right now. Enjoy.

You are not going to like this.....let it go! In the scope of things the condition of your house is not worth stressing you, the kids, or your husband over. Believe me I am a neat freak, so I do not take your request lightly...but your family is expecting a bundle of joy in a few weeeks so let the anticipation and joy build. Let the kiddos see that the upcoming little girl is something to be celebrated...not something that is stressing mom and dad out and causing them to be on the receiving end of the grouchies. Everyone around you...family, neighbors, friends already know that you are a neat and resposible mom...they will excuse you if in the final weeks of pregnancy you need to focus on growing a baby and not on cleaning the house. Make a deal with your husband or mother or a close friend that if you let it go...someone will come in and pick things up and straighten it all out before you return from the hospital after delivery. That way you can relax and rest now, but know that when you bring the baby home it will be to a clean house that is ready to welcome visitors who want to see the baby. I asked a friend once what would be the perfect gift for her after she delivered her baby and she told me....don't cook me a meal...would you please just come in once during that first week and clean the kitchen and bathrooms....and I was flattered that we were such good friends that she would tell me the truth of what she really needed and I was thrilled to do it. It took me until my third birth/blessing to figure out that everyone in the family was just as nervous and anxious as I was about the upcoming change in our lives. The greatest gift I gave them was to relax and let things go.....the greatest gift I gave myself was to relax and let things go! There is alot of heartache and chaos in the world right now, focus on the fact that you have a miraculous joy getting ready to land in your life.

Find a space that is the kiddo's that is theirs 99%, that you will not make them keep neat and tidy on a daily basis. Then give them new rules, That their space is only expected to be picked up once a week or even every other week. But the rest of the house is to be kept neat and picked up daily.

I learned with my middle child, by letting him keep his room how he wants it (& I can shut the door) he is more willing to help pick up the rest of the house. And the good news, he cleaned it all on his own this weekend - SHOCKER for me, but he is learning that he does not like a dumpy room.

I do understand your frustration, but if you do give a little, they will give back to your needs to.

Good luck!

You prayed for these gifts; don't be ungrateful now! :) Keep that in the front of your mind - gifts. Gifts that help you teach (&learn) patience, peace, thankfulness, forgiveness, resposibility....you get it. Take a moment at the beginning of each day to think about this, pray, read the Word - it is especially important when you know your on edge! Know that 'this too shall pass', relax ON PURPOSE! The house will be ok, keep a certain room or area "nice & tidy", if you must, to feel at peace in a room! If it is possible to nap - nap. If someone needs to come over while you nap or take the kiddos for a short playdate....sometimes refreshing is good. I know sleeping long periods of time is usually unthinkable for me at this point! Think small and simple.....I have 5 children and have had the last three while doing in home daycare (so caring for others' children and mine through the babyies' BIRTHday!) I understand and have had to practice any and all of the aforementioned :)
As for Benadryl - I don't care whose dr. recommended it - it is not recommended - check the consumer guide article out this past week - 10 otc drugs to AVOID during pregnancy.
As for understanding lugging around weight and babies - I have gained no less than 40lbs with any pregnancy :( and the last two weighed 10 lbs a piece.......not easy to do ANYTHING :) It shall pass.........enjoy and be thankful for each moment.........best wishes, God bless