Queasy for the long haul?

At 15 weeks, I’m still feeling queasy most days and throwing up a handful of times each week. I’ve been hoping with all my might that I’ll wake up one morning feeling like a new person.But as the days tick by, I’m beginning to realize this could be one of those pregnancies where I’m sick the entire nine months.

On top of the nausea and vomiting, I find myself exhausted most days. A normal morning—a few chores, an outing with my son, and lunch—requires a several hour nap to recover from. And I find that if I push through, I feel even sicker and sometimes need a complete rest day to get back on my feet.

All of this is completely different from my first pregnancy.Then, I did feel pretty queasy the first trimester. But after that, my energy levels were normal or maybe even higher than before.My husband and I renovated our house that summer, and I even spent a few days helping lay hardwood floors. This time around, I struggle to fit a 30-minute walk into my day.

This one is humbling for me. I have to admit, during my last pregnancy, I couldn’t understand how some women struggled so much to get things accomplished.I’ve gone through stages of denial—“I know this is going to pass”—and freaking out—“I can’t be sick for nine months!How will anything get done?!?!” (That one may have had some tears along with it.)

Finally, I think I’m arriving at acceptance. For me, that means realizing that it’s okay if the house is messy and we eat takeout for dinner for the foreseeable future. It means asking for more help—from my husband, and my mom and friends, too. (Thank God for helpful family and friends.) And it means coming up with some coping mechanisms so that I can make the best of this time. So I’m eating at regular intervals, and trying to be okay with possibly gaining a bit more weight because of it. I’m napping often. And I’m taking prescription Zofran on days that I need to be in action.

Most importantly, I’m trying to stay focused on the little person that will be the result of all of this. That’s what is most helpful in making this bearable.