This is a topic that is dear to my heart. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I developed Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disorder that commonly arises in children, although about 25% of people who develop it are over age 25. It was very difficult to manage a new disease and be a first-time parent to a newborn. For about 6 months, my life revolved around eating and taking care of my daughter.
I now have two chronic health conditions, and sometimes parenting can be hard. Yes, parenting is always hard, but combining parenting, working and sleep deprivation with health conditions that make you feel yucky can lead to one tired parent.
If you have a chronic illness or chronic pain, how can you cope with the demands of babyhood?
1. Care for yourself first. This seems like a crazy thing to say to the parent of a small child. However, for someone with an illness that can incapacitate, it’s necessary to take care of yourself first. If you’re parenting alone for much of the day, you need to be in top form.
2. If you can, take some time off when your child is a baby. This isn’t possible for all of us, but even if you can modify or reduce your work schedule, this allows you to focus on your health, your sleep, and your baby’s needs.
3. Plan your food and have healthy options available. I stock my house with easy meals and snacks that are also healthy. I often cook in advance and freeze extra so that I don’t end up ordering food that is less healthy for my body.
4. Sleep! When you’re dealing with chronic illness, you may need more sleep simply to stay afloat. Prioritize this, or you’ll go down and be less able to care for your family.
5. Forgive yourself. There will be times when you can’t do things that you’d planned to do, when you need to take a break when others don’t. That’s ok. Although I don’t play up the tough parts of my disease, at least not to my daughter, I think it’s good when she learns that sometimes life needs to wait. And then it can continue again.
Do you parent with chronic pain or illness? How do you cope?