How were your children affected when you were sick with HG??

[Summer]

Hi everyone! I want to have another baby. My daughter is almost 2. I want to be a nurturing mommy but I am afraid that I will not be able to be there for my daughter when I am sick with HG. How did your children handle you being so sick? Where they negatively affected? How do I care for her when I have HG??

[mandy]

Hi Summer,

My dd had her second birthday the week I found out I was expecting. Overall I think she coped pretty well. Obviously at two she had limited understanding of why Mummy was ill and sad all the time. She did become a little withdrawn. She was given attention by other people close to us and really enjoyed sleepovers etc when that was possible. She didn't loose her bond with me but had always been a child who would go to anyone and was pretty emotionally independent so I'm sure that helped quite a bit. There were no lasting effects of my pregnancy on her - nothing I can think of. She was 2years 8 months when my son was born and has no memories of me being ill but vague memories of sticking stethoscopes (toy ones) on my tummy to listen to the baby! From my experience, at this age, the impact of my pregnancy on her was pretty low.

Her bond with her baby brother was immediate. No problem there at all.

hth, Mandy x

[SommerNyte]

Hi, Summer, I'm Sommer.

My DD is 3.5 and she is very understanding that Mommy is sick and the babies re making her so sick. But I can't care for her. My MIL is coming to live with us next week, actually, because I just can't do it alone. Do you have someone who could help you a LOT should you need it?

[JPSmomma]

I got pg with Parker the day after Jackson's first birthday. It was really hard to take care of him like I wanted to, but I figure that he'll never remember the amount of TV he watched. The only way that I could tell that he really did understand was that when I'd go run to throw up, and my hair was down, he'd bring me a ponytail holder to put it up (at about 16 months old!). Another way was when we took his potty out of the box for the first time, he automatically went over to it, raised the lid, bent over, and acted like he was throwing up in it. (Apparently that was what potties were for.) Ultimately the hard time was over, and Jackson is none the worse for wear.

[mmichelle]

DS was 2 when I got pg. We were super close and I had recently become a SAHM. I couldn't care for him at all during my pregnancy. My mom spent all day here from the time he woke up until DH got home at night. On days when I could handle it, he would lay on the bed and watch tv with me or color with me, but those days weere few and far between. The hardest part for him was that I was hospitalized so many times (often for atleast a week). He didn't like that I wasn't home. I was actually in the hospital on his third birthday (I cried the whole day, but he didn't have a clue what was going on). After DD was born it took him about a month to get used to me being around again and me being the boss. Now we are as close as ever (well as close as you can be with a stubborn and independent 3 year old ). Occationally he will say something about Krystalynn making mommy sick, but mostly he says he is happy mommy is better and that his baby sister is home.

[IslandDreamer]

Ingrid? She did? Yay!!! All is well? You mean Ingrid as in lives in Michigan?

Congratulations, Ingrid!!!!