This photo shows what my three year old daughter managed to do in the two minutes it took for me to go to the toilet – making the disastrous mistake of leaving her alone with the ‘craft box’.  My adorable little tornado creates messes like this on a regular basis – like for all mums, tidying up is a never ending task. Then there are the other million jobs we have to do; so how in the world do you get the rest that is so highly recommended during pregnancy?

During my first pregnancy I definitely got the chance to put my feet up a bit more than this time around. Although I was working fulltime, I could come home and have a nap before even thinking about anything else. But anyone with a toddler knows having a nap during the day is impossible (unless your little one still takes them!) Any book on pregnancy will explain the benefits of getting enough sleep / rest during your pregnancy. It allows you to ease symptoms such as swelling and nausea and some even say prepares you for a calmer and more efficient labour. But how do we get that rest when there is so much else to do?

I don’t have the perfect answer to this question, but I have discovered something that helps. You need to be a little selfish! The natural instinct of a mum is to do everything for your child first and yourself second. And of course this is the way it’s supposed to be. But I think sometimes it causes us to forget about ourselves altogether. I’ve made a conscious decision in the last month or so to make sure I get to put my feet up at least once a day – whether it’s while cuddling my daughter on the couch while she watches her favourite cartoon or lying in the bath once she’s gone to sleep. The housework can wait – my rest time comes first! I’m also learning to rely on help from others more often, instead of trying to do everything myself. I have a yoga class once a week that I will not miss no matter what because it completely regenerates me. A couple of weeks ago, I knew my husband felt sick and probably would have rathered me stay home instead of him babysitting. But I didn’t even give him the chance to ask, I gave him a quick kiss and raced out the door – I figured that if I could soldier on through 15 weeks of morning sickness, he could last for two hours!

Rest is very important and I can feel the difference it is making now that I’m ensuring I get some everyday. I feel calmer and not so anxious to ‘get everything done’. I grab whatever time I can to relax and I’ll accomplish my million and one other tasks when I get around to them. J