Train your toddler to play independently
Thank goodness LO is fairly good with playing independently (his thing right now is coloring). With your kiddo happily playing by himself, you can catch lie down and close your eyes. When he still required a bit more attention, we resorted to “conversations,” where I happily sat on the couch watching him run, throw balls, and play with his toys. Because when you’re tired as heck, there is no way to muster up enough energy to play catch or chase (we saved those for Daddy).

Don’t feel guilty about not staying on top of your game
Before morning sickness, I was one of those bloggers who had 20 blog posts lined up and two months’ worth of topics to write about. Nowadays? I’ve got about zero in my queue. As a blogger, I’m almost ashamed to admit this. It’s like telling your boss that you’ve been slacking off because all you want to do after the kid goes down for the night is go to sleep yourself.

Still, I had to remind myself that I won’t be able to work as hard as I did before being pregnant. Not that I want to slack off—after all, I’m still putting in the effort at the office and elsewhere in my life—but I did need to adjust my expectations, for the sake of my health and kids. I had to give myself a break, however temporary, to relax and pick things up when I start feeling better. Thankfully that diligence I had pre-pregnancy came in handy because during those nights when I just couldn’t get myself to keep my eyes open, I could simply publish a post previously written.

For you, maybe you’re used to keeping a clean house and feel guilty for sleeping in all weekend instead of attending to your usual chores. Or maybe you feel terrible turning down social invitations for the sake of staying home instead. Know that morning sickness is temporary, and that whatever expectations of yourself you may have had in the past should be adjusted to make room for this very important time in your life.

Sneak in a nap if you can
Here’s where I really wish I didn’t have to work or look after a kid: I would just sleep and eat all day. Alas, I come into the office, where I’m all but ready to conk my head down on the keyboard from exhaustion. Depending on where you work, try and sneak in a nap or at least a quick break. I used to be able to take a short walk, and the fresh air would often help alleviate the nausea. If the weather is cool, I’ll take a nap in the car. In the past, I’ve even driven to the nearby library during my lunch hour just so that I can sit down on a couch and close my eyes for a few minutes.

Eat in small servings
Something about seeing a heaping pile of food already discouraged me from taking a stab at eating the stuff, so I resorted to smaller portions. If you’re like me and can’t tolerate much food, stick to what you can eat when you’re nauseous, and eat more (slowly, though) as much as possible when you have somewhat of an appetite.

Get help if you can
It’s exhausting being pregnant, so there’s no reason to ask for help when you have a chance. My husband often took over kid duty and chores, and my mom would come over whenever she can just so that I can rest and not have to exert myself.

Hang in there
I couldn’t believe I got through those horrendous few weeks intact, and sadly some women have morning sickness much longer and even throughout their pregnancy. It’s difficult to think that there’s an end in sight when you don’t know just when that end is. And just like any challenging time in our lives, believing that it’ll all come to pass eventually seems hard to fathom when you’re in the thick of things. Still, hang in there—know that what you’re feeling is completely normal and that you’re not alone.

What other tips can you offer other women going through morning sickness? How did you cope? Was your morning sickness mild, severe, or non-existent?

You might also like: