30 weeks and feeling overwhelmed

Happy New Year! I just have a quick question for all of you wonderful mothers. I am currently 30 1/2 weeks pregnant with g/g twins and am starting to feel all the aches and pains I have been reading about. I know that I am very blessed to not have had any major concerns up until now, but I am starting to get worried about preterm labor. I had an ultrasound on Wednesday morning and the girls look great. Baby A is 3.6 lbs and Baby B is 3.8 lbs, so they are growing at the perfect rate. I am just worried because I am starting to feel lower abdominal pressure and "pains".

My concern is that I have been advised to stay off my feet as much as I can. I have stopped working, but have a 2 1/2 year old at home and a husband who works VERY long hours. My son is doing a good job of coloring with me on the couch, playing by himself, ect. but he still needs my attention. I also do all the laundry, grocery shopping, etc. because my hubby is not around during the week. I want to stay off my feet and take care of these babies, but know that I also have to take care of my son. I am just worried that I will not be able to carry these girls as long as I should if I don't start slowing down!

I would appreciate any and all suggestions you may have to take a few more things off my plate. My son will start preschool 2 morning per week next week and a neighbor is going to watch him one morning per week, but that is all we can really afford in regards to help. Any other suggestions?

Thanks so much for your time!!!
Kim

 

Believe me, I know how tough the "take it easy" thing can be. I was on bed rest for 4 months of my pregnancy. My best piece of advice is to accept any and all help that is offered up. Even if it's something your DH normally does (like mowing the lawn) because that will take things off his plate so he can pitch in more with house work. Restrict your activity to what HAS TO be done. The rest of the stuff will be there after the babies are born and in the grand scheme of things, won't really matter. I've been back home for two weeks now and have finally caught up on all the laundry, the deep cleaning of the kitchen and bathrooms and gotten my house back in total working order!

 

Ditto TwinsinFL's advice, and I'd see if there is more your husband can do when he is home--weekends or whatever, e.g. weekly grocery shopping trips, laundry could be done once a week, etc. (He could put the clothes in washer and dryer and you could fold them, which can be done sitting down, and then if necessary he could help w/putting them away. That's how my DH and I have been doing laundry.)

 

I have been thinking about this too since I have two little girls already and I know that I'm going to have to start cutting back in the near future.

Do you have a grocery delivery service? Both of my local grocery stores have online ordering w/ in home delivery. The delivery fee is around $10.00. I used the service for a few weeks after my second daughter was born and it was really nice.

My husband has already started helping more with the laundry. I sort it upstairs into loads and then he carries it all to the basement for me. We both run the laundry, but I leave it down there and he carries it up to the bedroom for me and puts away as much as he can.

I have also started watching a lot more movies with my girls. On days when I'm feeling particularly tired, I cuddle with them in bed and we watch a movie or cartoons together. My three year old calls it cuddle time.

 

Kim, I know it is not easy to stay off your feet and take it easy with a child at home, BTDT. :hug: But you really need to try to do it. Can your DH cut back some hours, or help out more at home when he's there. It sounds like you are still doing an awful lot to me. :hug:

 

I know how hard it is, my DD is a little bit older but still it is hard. I have really pushed my DH to do a lot more and even though I have to remind him all the time what to do, it seems to be working OK....

 

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions! I am going to look into a grocery delivery service and am also ordering meals from A Dinner A'Fare. My husband does help when he is home on the weekends, but I realize that I need to ask him to do more. I know he feels horrible about not being around during the week, but he works in "Corporate America" and is trying to stay on the fast-track. Since I stopped working and we are going to have 3 kids, we know that he needs to continue to progress in his career. With that said, we also know that he needs to be home more (especially once the girls are here) so we (he) is trying to find a balance between work/home life.

Thanks again for all your suggestions. I know that my job is to keep these babies inside as long as possible, so I am going to go put my feet up right now!

Kim