My Second Pregnancy
Here I am, 32 weeks into my second pregnancy. Overall, it hasn’t been a terrible time, but as similar as it is to my first pregnancy, it is also very different! Yes, I have heard hundreds of times that no pregnancy is the same, even with the same person, but some explanations on HOW would have been great to hear!
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No Time to Sleep
The biggest difference I have noticed is how much more tired I am! Yes, I am sure I was tired the first time around, but I could sleep and nap about whenever I wanted. (To a certain point of course! I still had to go to work!) The only person around that I needed to worry about was my husband, and let’s be honest, he’s a grown man and can take care of himself (for the most part)!
This time, I have an active toddler running around demanding to be fed, changed, and entertained 24/7. There are nights she goes to bed between 7:30 and 8 and I want to be right behind her, but then there is laundry and dishes, and grading to catch up on.
Luckily, Cody is usually very aware of my moods and when I just really need a nap, so he will entertain Mia or unpack the dishwasher so I can just rest for a few minutes and put up my feet. Other days when he is busy as well, stuff just doesn’t get done, and you know what? That is OKAY!
Activity Level is Different
How active I am definitely ties into the sleep thing. The more sleep I get, the more active I am. The less sleep, the less active. Duh. But more than that, it’s the type of activity I partake in. With my first pregnancy, I did a lot more “exercise” type activities. Walking was something I did almost every day. My step goal on my Fitbit Alta
I feel like the days I have the energy to be active, I am incredibly productive and get everything done. (Although my step goal still isn’t met!) The other days, I am about as useless as possible and am lucky that Cody and Mia have food for supper and you can see bits of carpet in-between all the toys on the floor.
My biggest help on these inactive days is actually the active ones. When I have the energy, I prepare for the times that I won’t, because I know they are coming! If I feel like cooking a full meal, I make sure to cook something that will have enough leftovers for the next day or something that I can freeze half of for a later date. I wash 2 or 3 loads of laundry instead of just the one that has to be done. This way, I am at least a little bit ahead, or not as far behind on the days that Mia and my body just don’t want me to do anything!
Here I am at 19 Weeks – Right when I started having more energy.. but still not enough to make the bed! Bump is definitely noticeable sooner this time around!
Baby Carries Differently
I guess how the baby rides around inside is one of the differences I did expect for my second pregnancy. My body showed this baby sooner and I am bigger than I was at this point with my first pregnancy. Yet, it is still a little off putting when the clothes that fit the first time around don’t fit as long or the same this time! That nifty rubber band trick went out the door months ago and I used it right until 8 months last time! I have found my closet options are starting to dwindle more and more! Luckily Cody doesn’t mind too much when I raid his side of the closet! 😀 At least I try not to pick shirts that are his favorite.
Season of the Year
The season of the year has come to affect multiple areas of this pregnancy. Last time, a majority of my pregnancy lasted throughout the summer. This time, we are in winter. Two completely opposite seasons. The summertime definitely helped me be more active. Wintertime keeps me indoors and out of the cold. I walk much less and just don’t get as much sunshine, which in turn affects my mood as well.
Wardrobe options are completely different! Last time I wore my maxi dresses and flowy skirts up until September/October. Now I am stuck trying to find pants and sweaters and winter coats that I can zip up! Definitely a little more difficult to do! I am hoping I can wear dresses by the end of March.
Baby Preparations
Even the way I am preparing for this second baby is different from the first! The first time around, I had a nursery to get ready, clothes to buy, and registries to update. This time around, we have most of the baby stuff! It is great that I don’t have to worry about purchasing as much, but I feel like I need to do SOMETHING to prepare for this child!
I bombarded Cody with baby names for months until we chose one for each gender, and I’ve been organizing cabinets and closets like crazy. I even rearranged the kitchen cabinets, including the tupperware! However, I had a revelation yesterday that I need to find a new place to change the baby at night. I can’t go into Mia’s room while she’s sleeping! So I am definitely looking forward to tackling that project this weekend!
My Second Pregnancy
I definitely can’t choose which pregnancy has been “better” than the other. They are just two different things! The first one went slow at the beginning and quickly at the end. This one flew by at the beginning and now I am counting down the days until the end! I have been relatively lucky that I was only mildly nauseous both times, so I don’t have a whole lot to complain about. This baby will be here before we know it and then I will have to come up with a list of how the second baby is so much different from the first!
How were your pregnancies different? Or were they exactly the same? I would also take some encouragement on handling two kids at once!
