Pregnancy the second time around

Let’s be honest here… while we all know each and every pregnancy is a little miracle – it’s hard to ignore the differences between the first and second time around. So, here is my lighthearted take on it all.

C’mon bump… GROW!

First Pregnancy: You want nothing more than your belly to POP! Each morning you glance at your reflection from every angel and admire your changing body. You say things to yourself like; “isn’t it just amazing?”, “to grow another human inside is the most beautiful experience”.

Tight fitting clothes and rubbing your belly is almost a ritual. Your excitement is bursting – you are counting down the days until you can share the news.

The moment you are offered a seat on the train or a stranger passes comment, you high-five yourself – your little food baby is real.

Second Pregnancy: Your belly has popped well before your 12 week scan! Sound familiar?

Loose fitting clothes become the norm as people start to whisper – “is she pregnant?”, “I did see her devouring that cake last weekend, maybe she’s just been eating more?”. The early belly pop is due to the stretching and the lack of elasticity and tummy muscles from round one.

Wait, what rest?

First Pregnancy: When you are utterly exhausted, you nap. When you feel ill, you take a sick day from work. When your plans fall through on the weekend, you curl into a ball and read a good book.

Second Pregnancy: Sleep! Ha. Not if your toddler has anything to do with it. The exhaustion can be overwhelming and you are constantly walking around in a sleep deprived haze. You mutter to yourself “what have I done!” in between running to the bathroom and cleaning up the mess your toddler has made.

Getting in touch

First pregnancy: “Oh – he’s now the size of a lemon!” and “he has limbs!” You spend hours gazing at your growing bump wondering, will they have hair? Will they have my features? Your partner reads books and sings lullabies to the growing baby. You practice yoga and really have time to connect.

Second pregnancy: Pregnant? Oh thanks for reminding me. If it wasn’t for this growing bump, ultra tiredness and constant vomiting I may have forgotten.

The poor baby only gets attention for those two minutes at night between when your heads hits the pillow and you fall asleep.

Let’s get researching

First pregnancy: Research, research, research. Hours are spent looking for the best products that will suit you and your baby.

You carefully consider all purchases and spend many Saturday afternoons wandering the isles at baby stores just to make sure you have everything you may need.

Second pregnancy: Time to clean the grot off the pram bassinet and dust off the moses basket. It’s all about hand me downs and using whatever you have.

The thought of braving a baby store with a toddler in toe is extremely unappealing, so you do anything you can to avoid it.

9 months!

First pregnancy: You enjoy each month, excited to move from the first through second and finally your third trimester. You marvel in the changes, the growth, the scans and the experience.

Second pregnancy: 9 months! I can’t do it! It can feel like the longest 9 months of your life.

You are wishing away the weeks (when you can remember what week you are up too), and that due date can’t come soon enough.

Birth plan… what birth plan?

First pregnancy: You spend timeputting together a detailed birth plan. You and your partner have grand ideas of how everything will pan out.

You organise incense, massage oils and soft music for the delivery ward. You hear horror stories! So many of them. People love to share their gory birth stories and I for one love hearing them, don’t get me wrong. However, I did lose a few nights sleep thinking what may happen.

Second pregnancy: You know the best birth plan, is no plan. Anything can and will happen so you just need to roll with it. You have an insight into how it all works and what actually happens after the baby is born.

You feel more confident the second time. You are an old hat – you have this sorted. Well kind of.

How did you go the second time around, can you relate?

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

28 Comments

- - ChiWren said
  - 16 Jan 2024
    2:06 pm
This is funny, it’s exactly how I picture things will be the second time!

- - ella12 said
  - 18 Oct 2017
    2:13 pm
Had a bit of a chuckle, thank you.

- - mom81879 said
  - 19 Nov 2015
    12:10 pm
Yes, there was a bit if difference with my first and subsequent pregnancies. I hadn’t really noticed until I read this

- - christial said
  - 23 Feb 2015
    8:47 pm
Haha.. I love this article.. I can see what you mean although I haven’t been through the second pregnancy.. And I don’t intend to either!

- - mom105022 said
  - 28 Jan 2015
    3:47 pm
i had to giggle, this was pretty much true for me

- - mom93821 said
  - 11 Jan 2015
    2:32 pm
Thanks for sharing this interesting and informative article.

- - mom117219 said
  - 07 Jan 2015
    3:38 pm
planning for the second one,, hopefully it should be good as well

- - mom67195 said
  - 07 Jan 2015
    10:28 am
I am currently pregnant with my second (my first is 2.5 years old). I feel like I am HUGE – I definitely think I’m bigger this time than last time – is that normal?

- - MummaBearx2 said
  - 05 Jan 2015
    10:16 pm
Both my pregnancies were very easy, I was quite small for both so that probably helped with comfort levels. My children are 14 months apart and it is amazing! I definitely felt like a seasoned pro the second time around.
- mom94125 replied
  
  17 Oct 2015 , 10:43 pm
  lol that is a cute age gap
- - mom58476 said
  - 01 Jan 2015
    9:40 pm
My second pregnancy was different to the first but I enjoyed sharing it with my son and explaining that it was his sister and showing him ultrasound pictures, I didn’t know If I would love my new baby as much or how I could when I was sooo in love with my son but the minute the baby arrives your heart bursts and multiplies with love you couldn’t even imagine

- - mom57665 said
  - 31 Dec 2014
    2:04 am
I can see how true this article is and I’m not anywhere near ready for my second one yet. I have a super super active 9 month old that keeps me so busy. Today a hot shower was such an amazing luxury.

- - caseyandsam said
  - 28 Dec 2014
    11:41 pm
This is soooo true! Hit the nail on the head here – I had to have a little chuckle

- - carlene80 said
  - 28 Dec 2014
    9:50 pm
I’ve sat here giggling as I’ve read this, I’m currently 7 months pregnant with #2, and have a nearly 3 year old who wants my undivided attention, and have to say despite both pregnancies being quite similar, I’m struggling this time around having to chase my daughter around. Have noticed though how quickly this pregnancy has gone considering I’m being kept quite occupied.

- - maurya said
  - 17 Dec 2014
    5:40 pm
Everything is different with a toddler around.But still enjoyable.

- - Lov'n'Life said
  - 16 Dec 2014
    10:10 pm
Second time round we had problems with the pregnancy although it was not as extreme as the article makes it sound and I also worked for my first and my second my first was not so great a night sleeps although was great a day sleeps so when not a work day naps worked well

- - jessmumof3 said
  - 15 Dec 2014
    10:00 am
Second is easier because we are not diving into the deep end like with a first each pregnancy is different especially for those who didn’t make it ♡
- hopefullyheidi replied
  
  22 Dec 2014 , 7:32 pm
  Yes they are all very different and unique, even the ones who didn’t make it. I’m not sure how I would feel if I was to go 9 months. I made it until 8 months with my son and had pre exampsia with him. It was a bit of a tricky pregnancy, and I know lots of people have worse and so on and the birth was not what I expected. An assisted delivery, should have been a Caesarian according to a couple of healthcare professionals I have spoken to. I have always wondered what it would be like? Would history repeat itself? Would I go to term and not be 5 weeks or more early? At going on 33 I guess I won’t know the answer to that question. I rejoice in those around me who are pregnant and share in their delights.
- - sarny84 said
  - 14 Dec 2014
    4:45 pm
Well, I certainly was tired but can’t say that everything about was anything near what I was like. My toddler was 18 months when his sister was born. I was more tired after having her than before and it wasn’t because of him. I had Ross River Fever teamed with iron deficiency. He was very helpful and very protective of her, in fact, still is. Birth plan for both, didn’t exist. Luckily, both of them love sleep. So when they went down even if it wasn’t at the same time, if I needed too, I would put the other down so I could at least rest my head. Thank god I have been blessed with good kids.

- - cherz said
  - 13 Dec 2014
    6:31 pm
Forewarned is forearmed.
Children are a gift and our future is in their hands.

- - mikiajai said
  - 13 Dec 2014
    3:53 am
Oh so true Zhang third even changes again, how we get less over protective of them at the slightest fall also, but I enjoyed all pregnancies but did feel all these things.

- - mom94125 said
  - 13 Dec 2014
    3:18 am
yep second pregnancy is a lot easier to deal with lol