Need Advice About Finding Time to Feed Myself as a Mom

Nausea can be fear in the body. See a psychotherapist if you feel drawn to it. You may be ready to explore beliefs/fears you have relating to your own childhood as well as issues of self care. Much universal love to you for guiding your 3 little boys!

I often feel nauseous when I attempt to eat after a period of not eating--sometimes this occurs even if I skip 1 meal.

I think the best advice would be to eat when your kids eat. I finally realized I needed to make myself lunch when I made my daughter lunch. And then I would sit down and eat with her. When she was first born and I was nursing, I would feed her and then run around the house cleaning it while she was sleeping. It's easier now that I don't nurse, but I've still had to force myself to sit down to relax and eat while she is.

I think the bigger issue here is taking time for you, which should include sitting and eating in peace. If your kids are awake and not eating, tell them it's "mommy time" and give yourself 15 minutes. You might even set a timer so they have a visual. When the time is up, you will come to their aid. But if you don't take care of yourself you won't be well-equipped to care for your family.

I think it is time you revisit your doctor. Three months of eating that way and feeling nausea all the time is very unhealthy. What your body needs to live on it is taking from your bones which is bad news for you later on down the road. When you are done being pregnant the pregnancy symptoms go away so, I think you need to figure out what is going on now. Good Luck

I had a similar problem after my baby was born. I felt very nauseated all the time for a number of weeks and I even took a pregnancy test to make sure I wasn't pregnant. I figured out that my nausea came from me being malnourished and my body was completely depleted of any nutrients. I started taking prenatal vitamins again and getting as much protein in me as I could stomach. (Carnation Instant Breakfast worked well, yogurts, etc.) Slowly, but surely the nausea started to diminish and I felt normal again. I hope things will sort themselves out soon!

I've never had this problem since I always have a too HUGE of appetite after but if liquids are doing okay maybe use those to your advantage? See if protein shakes help. I use them for me and my kids daily anyway and they're great at helping lose the extra baby weight. I use whey protein powder isolate (I use unflavored so I can add it to eggs, soups, sauces, etc. but you can get flavored also), milk, 1/2 flavored yogurt (or frozen fruit but then you need to add sugur or stevia, etc.) and then to add extra benefits you can also add ground flax seeds (rich in vitamins, omega 3s, omega 6s, good fat, fiber, etc.), psyllium husks (fiber, detoxing), or anything else. But you get the dairy, protein, fats and fruit all together. Hope this helps.

I had an ulcer as a teenager, and when I was hungry, the stomach acids would agrivate the ulcer, making me feel very nauseated. Drinking Malox and always keeping something, even just crackers, in my stomach helped with this. After I was all healed up, my symptoms went away...though I still find that if I don't eat for an extended period of time (skipping meals, etc) then I do feel nauseated, and I only feel better if I force myself to eat.

I know it is hard for mom to take care of herself but you must. I know if I go too long without eating then it is really hard as my stomach is so upset. You will cause yourself ulcers! Make sure you start each day with yogurt, a banana or even something simple to start your day. You need to snack during the day if you cannot sit and eat, have carrots, fresh veggies, healthy crackers, sliced fruit handy for you to grab and go. You are setting your children up too for going by your example. How can you get them to eat if they dont' see you eat? Also get yourself checked out, you may have ulcers already as when I had one food made me feel sick. Even make protein shakes to keep your energy up, drink vitamin water. You will not being doing your family any favors if you end up very sick which is what will happen.

Hi I am the mother of two boys and after my first son was born, I had abdominal cramps. I strongly suggest seeing your doctor. If you are nauseated that much you need to stay healthy for your kids. I had a gallbladder problem and had it removed. Very common after pregnancy and it can cause nausea. Ask your doctor!!!! They are best resource when sick.
If it is just lack of time, remember you are just as important as your kids. Take care and God Bless.
M.

Try instant breakfast and toast. It's something you can share with your children and it's good for all of you. Also, when you feed your children, fix enough for you. Doesn't take any more time and you will all be healthy!

When we have our grandson over, we always keep Honey Nut Cherrio's around for a quick, easy snack. We all enjoy them!
Cheese sticks are easy and tasty as well! Good luck!

K.
Arvada

Hi D.,
Have you ever heard of Mops, it stands for Mom's of preschoolers. It is a group of women in the same stage in life that meet to encourage each other and to get together with other moms that are just like you. There are everywhere. Go to mops.org and see if there is on in your area. They are a great outlet and you can bring the kids, they have either childcare or they have their own learning forum called Moppets. Super cool outlet for moms.
T.

D., i do work in health care, and while i can't think of any medical reason(other than pregnancy) that would make you nauseous, i would suggest you get in to see your doctor asap. i would also suggest taking a second or even third pregnancy test as the first could have been a false negetive or it may have been too soon to tell. in the meantime, try to eat small, healthy meals throughout the day.

I've had this same problem, twice. The first time was after the birth of my twins by c-section. For about two months I just could not eat. Nothing sounded good and I had to force myself to eat, even my favorite foods were just unappealing. I got no sympathy or support from anyone, because I'm already thin. I remember my doctor saying "if only I had that problem". I should have gone to another doctor! I think I was suffering from postpartum depression and really needed some help and understanding, and probably medication. It was especially hard because I was trying to breast-feed twins and I'm sure I was malnourished. The second time was when I went through a very difficult time with depression after learning my mother had a serious illness. My advice to you is to find a good doctor who will listen to you and take this seriously. It is not normal to have no appetite. There can be physical or emotional reasons for this, but you need to get help. Good luck!

I have a good friend that goes thru this all the time so she has started eating raw ginger. It tastes awful but it takes away the nausea feeling.

You can buy Ginger capsules at the health food stores. Then start first thing in the morning and take a capsule - and eat breakfast. Even if it just a little bowl of cereal or toast.

Then if that goes ok, take another capsule about an hour before lunch and eat again.

If this doesn't work, try eating first and then the capsule. Also buy some Ginger snaps - they help with morning sickness too and with any nausea.

You didn't say but I bet you are always thin. When you have a baby you are back into your clothes in just weeks if that long. Think back to when you were a child. Did you have to clean your plate or you had to sit there and look at it for x number of minutes or hours?

Are you a I live to eat or I only eat so I will live?

Do you like milk? Have you tried drinking a glass of milk every 2 hours. Maybe that won't make you sick. But, I bet you never drink milk - just my gut feeling.

Go get some Ginger - IT WILL HELP!!

M. B
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You could also try peppermints - tea, candy canes, mints. They are supposed to decrease nausea. I have the same thing at times - and it seems to be worse if I don't eat much. So, if I eat lots of small "meals" it seems to decrease the nausea feeling. Also, are you taking any medications? Like birth control or something else that might have nausea as a side effect. I find that sometimes if I forget to take a daily medicine I get really nauseated. Good luck, and if it doesn't resolve, see your doctor. You need to stay healthy and strong for all those boys!

I always try to eat about half of what I prepare when I do snack or meal times for the kids. I also have a husband who makes dinner, so I always feel I have one guaranteed meal. I was also a snack stasher: have granola bars or tubes of saltines near the computer, cheese slices waiting in the fridge with the next bottle of water, apples or grapes in the bedroom. There are some extremes moms must go to to ensure they are actually nourished.

Part 2. eat right after you get one down for a nap. eat as you prepare food. eat as you walk to the park with the kids. eat in the car before unloading the kids. Stay conscious of the types of food you are eating to make sure you've got your nutrients covered. The more times you eat in a day the less likely the nasuea will persist. Or so I've learned of myself.

So I have some more ideas for you: salty foods. Avoid coffee and cigarettes, they will exaggerate your nausea. Try finding a protien drink or superfood (NakedFoods and Odwalla were the first I'd heard of, and there are others) that have LOTS of nutrients in one little bottle, are thick and easily digestable. :)

Dear D.,
I am a first time mom with a 1 year old and this was the most difficult aspect of Mothering for me too! I am still working on it, but here are some things that have worked for me. If you don't know how to cook, find someone who knows how to cook healthy food, and ask them to teach you. I took on learning to cook in this first year and I wish I had done it earlier. Anyway, I am learning and it has changed my life.

Buy enough and make enough for leftovers the next day. I have never been big on leftovers, but now that I am cooking they seem to taste better and feel better energetically to me and it is saving me right now. (Ie: instead of making 2 chicken breasts I make 4)

Keep things like cheese and apples, almonds, bananas on hand at all times.

Make soups and use their leftovers. Buy organic salad greens in bulk, make a large container of dressing and use both of them all week.

Create potluck lunches with another mom or two. If it's at your house, keep it simple, like make a pot of whole grains or bake some acorn squash. Easy and nourishing.

During the winter months I have really utilized baking yams, acorn squash, dumpling squash, (which are SOOOO sweet and yummy), baked root vegetables, and slow roasted meats. Having a rice cooker helps A LOT . We just got one recently and I don't know how I did without it. The rice can stay hot for up to 24 hours. Occssionally, I will make double the rice for dinner and then use the leftovers, (which are still hot and delicious he next morning) and make fried rice by adding egg, onions perhaps some ham (ideally from dinner the night before).

One final thing, if I may. I am a Acupuncturist and Herbalist and have spent the last several years studying the importance of diet in our health. I know you know this by now, but don't forget that it is SOOOO important for nursing mom's to eat much more than when pregnant! THis means 3 hearty meals a day plus 2 snacks. It is very important for your health and the health of your baby. If you do not eat enough your baby will need to nurse all the time...trying to get more nutrients. This will still not supply him with enough and will only deplete you further. Also, when you do not eat enough, you will tend to keep the weight on. When you eat a lot of organic, truly healthy food, your body will get back into balance in all aspects much faster. (You actually have to EAT in order to lose weight). It could be that you are nauseous because you are not eating enough in general.

In Chinese Medicine, the Spleen is the organ that transforms food into energy and brain power. When depleted the symptoms are usually nausea, tiredness, lack of appetite, to name just a few. It sounds like your Spleen may be weak and chinese herbs could help this tremendously! Chinese Herbs are very powerful tonics as well, which could also serve to give you more energy to take the task of preparing food on.

Good luck! I totally know where you are coming from (except that I don't have 3 kids!) It's a very difficult part of Mothering and can be overwhelming. But when you start eating more you will feel so much better in ways that you didn't even realize were feeling low.

All the Best,
C.

I had the same nausea. It felt hormonal in nature and has since decreased. I had blood levels drawn and was found to be low iron and LOW vitamin D(which acts as a hormone). I have been symptom free for 10 days. Yeah. I am eating lots of dark greens, red meat, and getting sun or vitamin D daily.

i had a similar situation before i had kids. it turned out to be an ulcer in my intestines. for a very long time i could only eat a little lunch and by dinner time i would feel good enough to eat a little more. you might want to visit a doctor.

I am the same way. Start small and really think about eating a small amount of food every couple to few hours. Its suggested to eat 6 small meals per day. The things that work for me are

- having snacks availiable to grab
- meal supplements, I drink muscle milk light

You'll get there.

Have you tried smoothies? You can put almost anything in them and if you aren't having trouble drinking... you may find its easier to sip on something all day long then to sit down and eat something. I would also suggest you go see your dr. There may be something going on that they cna help you with. Good luck!

have you seen a doctor? it really sounds dangerous. maybe there's some sort of retraining your mind that needs to be done? or there could be some other physical problem. Perhaps you could try eating sugar before a light meal, I know that is an appetizer stimulant and also helps nausea. but I would really suggest seeing a doctor. I hope you can find a solution.. that's no fun!!
I am also a stay at home mom, and have an almost 5 year old, 3 year old, and 16 month old, also all boys! :)

hey D., I suffered the same with constant nausea during my pregnancy so I know how debilitating this can be especially when you know you're NOT pregnant. I would be consulting your primary carer because there is probably a valid reason and this matter can be addressed simply and effectively, rather than tolerate the nausea (and you and your hubby won't feel so helpless). I also believe you need energy to look after your family and most importantly yourself. If you're not receiving sufficient "fuel" from food in your body, you won't be capable of doing much at all.

maybe try little snack-like meals throughout the day...and try drinking some juices or milk instead of just water to get some nutrients...if it goes on much longer you should consider seeing a doctor

You need to talk to your doctor about this. There may be something medical going on that is causing the nausea.

Your obgyn can prescribe you a medicine for nausea too. I get it so bad during pregnancy (shouldn't matter that you aren't) that I took my doctor up on his offer for the prescription this last time. It really helped. I had no side effects from it. It didn't take it completely away all the time, but it helped enough to get some much needed food in me and stayed down... Just a thought. Sure hope you find something!

Hi D.,

I am almost the same as you... 3 boys all the exact same age as yours! I found in the beginning I had a hard time figuring out when to eat for myself, so the weight came off even though I wasn't trying. I started making sure I would eat a little protein in the mornings to make sure I could keep up because I was worried about all my weight loss. And, I'm sure you're busy like me, so I started keeping a small plastic shoebox storage bin in the car with snacks for me and the boys... pretzles, protein bars, raisins, etc. That way I could eat in between errands or whenever the urge strikes!

If you and your husband are worried, please go see your doctor so they can rule out any medical condition or issues that might be going on. Not eating is no fun (especially for someone like me who lives to eat!) Good Luck