As my second pregnancy comes to an end, I had some time (read: sleepless nights) to reflect back about my current pregnancy and my first one. I realized that there’s a lot of differences actually. Here’s some of the major ones that came to mind for me:
1.During my 1st pregnancy, my husband came along with me to ALL of my Doctor appointments. For this pregnancy the count is 0. 2.1st pregnancy: I stayed away from everything that’s bad for you (i.e. raw meat and fish, caffeine, alcohol, etc…). 2nd pregnancy: ate some raw fish at a wedding and didn’t even clue in to what I ate until it was pointed out by my loving husband. I’m also known to enjoy the occasional Tim Horton’s French Vanilla (in Winter) and an Ice Cap (in Summer).
3.The first time I was pregnant, I read “what to expect when you’re expecting” on a daily basis. This time around, I have not cracked the book open once, let alone know which dusty shelf it’s sitting on.
4.During my first pregnancy, when I was tired, I was able to rest once I got home. No such luck this time around with a toddler in tow.
5.During my first pregnancy, I updated Facebook with every detail regarding my pregnancy, including announcing that I was pregnant, how I felt, what we were having, etc… This time around, all of my Facebook posts are about my Toddler son. Pregnancy details are old news 
6.When I was pregnant the first time around, I couldn’t wait to meet our sweet baby boy. I was in a state of euphoria and I was counting down the days until I got to meet my newborn son. This time around, I know better!! I’m hoping the baby arrives late so I can enjoy a few more 8+ hours of sleep each night!
7.During my second pregnancy, everyone around me, including family, friends and even myself, keep on forgetting that I’m pregnant! 8.This time around, people keep commenting on how “small” I looked for how far along I am in my pregnancy. This leads to me to believe that I was HUGE during my first pregnancy because no one mentioned this to me once.
I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one that feels this way… right???? What were some of the differences and / or similarities between your pregnancies?
2 Responses to Difference between a first and second pregnancy
I hear you! I am in the 11th week of my 3rd pregnancy…
My first pregnancy, I read any pregnancy/birthing/new mommy book I could get my hands on! And what’s more, I followed all advice to a tee. I followed advice not to eat lunch meat, hotdogs – anything high in nitrates. I think I can count on one hand the number of caffeinated beverages I drank during my first pregnancy. I was sure to drink 4 bottles of water each day and I held my breath when spraying my hairspray!
I think the difference is that during my first pregnancy, I was worried I’d do something to hurt the baby. God forbid I push when having a bowel movement – I didn’t want to push the baby out! I didn’t want to take Tylenol for a headache for fear my baby would develop a drug addiction. Let’s not cough too hard – we wouldn’t want to cause the placenta to detach… By the time number two came along, I was simply more comfortable… almost TOO comfortable really.
I can tell you thus far in my third pregnancy, I am not at all nervous, but I am not nearly as lax as I was in my second pregnancy. I think I’ve finally found a happy medium as far as pregnant woman conduct goes. I’ve gone back to healthy eating habbits as in my first pregnancy and have banned caffeinated beverages from our home. If we go out to dinner, I may have a Coke… or I may opt for Sprite or water. I’m not hard on myself like I was in my first pregnancy, but I try to hold myself accountable. Afterall, I am growing a little human and I want him/her to be healthy.
On similarity between pregnancy #2 and #3 – there is no rest for the weary, lol! When you’ve got kiddos, you have to keep moving! But I think you’ll find your toddler to be a blessing – you will have a little helper when new baby comes home. That’s something you didn’t have after your first.
They enjoy grabbing a clean diaper or the baby wipes for you. When you just sat down for a feeding and realize you forgot to grab the burp cloth, your little helper will LOVE to get you that all-important necessity!
Congratulations on your newest addition! Best wishes for a smooth delivery.
Just wait till baby is born, and you reach that moment when you realize he/she is almost 7 months and you barely have a photo taken….though you have 1,246 of the first baby