Do you have any secrets for coping with 3 whilst pg with no.4?

[Astarte]

because I'm finding it rather hard tbh.

The 23 mo is running rings around me, I don't feel like I have any time with dd1 or ds1, let alone for myself.

Dh has got some A/L left before the baby is due (he already works at home 1/5), do you think it'd be wussy to ask him to to take a day of leave a week until the baby comes?

What can I do so I'm not completely exhausted by 2pm?

I'm 36 weeks btw.

[PuzzleRocks]

Bumping for you.

[Astarte]

He has fallen asleep next to me. How do I move him to get a cuppa without waking is now the krypton-factoresque challenge?

[Nemoandthefishes]

no idea but feel your pain and am only 17wks in to pregnancy but by time i have finished running around after ds[5] dd1[just 3] and dd2[just 2] then I am drained..am about ready to phone dh and ask him to bring in a take away even though we only had one on sat

[bronze]

I have no secrets. I struggling too. Very very tired and I'm only 26 weeks

[Astarte]

Can't even have a late afternoon glass of wine to lift the spirits can we? It's my favourite treat when the day has gone tits up. Get to 4 O'clock and start thinking about making tea with a chilled glass of wine

I think it's just the effort to do anything atm that's the biggest gripe, baby has engaged and I'm pee'ing like a cart-horse, day n night.
Everytime I go to the toilet the phone rings

Dh is taking a day off a week to help out until the baby comes. If he actually takes them out I might get a chance to nap.

I did suspect there wouldn't be any secrets to success.

[BananaSkin]

Do your children nap, or do you trust the older ones to watch a video while you nap on the soft and your 23 month old is in his/her cot?

I did this when pregnant with DS3 sometimes because DH was working away and I was so tired if I didn't, I knew they wouldn't get the best from me.

[notmyfault]

Get what you can done ass early as possible in the day.Give the kids their lunch then sit with your feet up and put kids tv on.Don't know how old your kids are,but if you can keep them in the same room as you or at least penned in with stair gates for the little ones,you don't end up up and down running after them.Don't answer the phone unless you have to.Same goes for the door.It's a lot easier to face the kids tea,bath and bed after a rest.Get them in bed early as you can too,and you'll have sometime to yourself in the evening too.
I'm 25 weeks pregnant,and getting worn out already.Taking time for a break isn't always possible,I know but even a little while in the afternoon helps.

[MoshiMoshi]

I am 32-33 weeks pregnant with number 4 and have a 2 year old, 3 year old and 5 year old. When the baby comes they will be 2, 4 and 6 years old (so we have a couple of birthday parties to brave just before the baby's arrival!) I must admit I have found it largely fine and have managed to do the school run and organise the house and the other two who spend all week at home with me apart from one day they are at nursery. I obviously feel older and more tired than with the previous pregnancies as I am, er, older and juggling more children, but on the whole I find I am more stoical and less emotional than before as I know what to expect. I had my first wibble yesterday when the handles broke on my shopping bag as I lugged the shopping back from the car to the house. It was more frustration than anything! Anyway, a neighbour came to my rescue and said "what on earth are you doing?! Haven't you heard of Ocado?!" And that made me realise I need to adjust my routines a bit and use resources like this to make my life easier instead of just doing the usual things but struggling a bit as my bump is quite large now.

Perhaps you could sit down and think about what you can do the "easier" way? Another example, is that the mum of one of my son's friends from school (who has become a good friend) said to let me know what she can do to help. She suggested school pick-ups to taking my two youngest out for a bit or even if I just dropped into her house so I could sit down and let the kids play without me having to do anything. All great suggestions. It is tiring, especially as mine don't nap now so there is no chance to get some daytime rest. It is down to me to try and think more like this now to make sure I have lots of energy when the baby arrives as we don't and won't have any help so it is down to me and my OH to manage ourselves. It was our decision to have a 4th child after all!

Good luck!

PS I have started to cook just one main meal a day now - the kids love to have sandwiches around midday and as long as I make sure it is a nutritious dinner, they are still getting what they need. Much less tidying up to do too.

[MoshiMoshi]

Just noticed the date and realised your number 4 will have arrived! Never mind. Talk about placenta brain...

[Astarte]

Dh taking a day off each week helped enormously.
No.4 is 2 weeks old and everything is going fine really.

Once I got to 40 weeks I had loads of energy and looking after them wasn't an issue any more.

[Divineintervention]

Can I just remind you of the 2-3 week tiredness of a newborn, be prepared for the unsettlement of waking time!!