It’s easy to adopt a been-there-done-that attitude during a second pregnancy. One pregnancy is essentially the same as the next, right? Think again.
Every child, every woman, and every pregnancy is different.
No two pregnancies are alike. If a woman experienced terrible morning sickness throughout the first pregnancy, this one might sail by with barely a hint of nausea. If she couldn’t stand the sight of ice cream last time, she may eat it morning, noon, and night with this one. There is no way to know how each pregnancy, and each child, will turn out. There are, however, a few common differences with subsequent pregnancies.
The Belly Bump
A girl may find herself grabbing those maternity pants sooner than expected. Like a balloon that’s easier to inflate the second or third time, so too is the uterus. The Mayo Clinic refers to this as the “warmed up” effect. Abdominal muscles and ligaments have already been stretched once making it oh so easy to stretch again.
The Pain
Was there bad back pain with the first baby? If so, expect this pain again. It will probably be more intense and definitely start sooner. The same seems to apply to pelvic pressure as well.
Quicker Quickening
It’s not all pain and gain. Women in their second or third (or more) pregnancy feel their baby’s kicks and wiggles sooner than with the first. Most women feel the baby move by their 20th week of pregnancy. With subsequent pregnancies you could feel the baby move by the 15th or 16th week, or even earlier.
Twins?
Some studies suggest that a woman is more likely to carry twins when she has already had more than one child. However, this is also true for woman over 35. The increased numbers for a chance for twins could rest more on the woman’s age and not the number of previous pregnancies.
Less Lamaze
Labor and delivery also tend to be shorter with sequel pregnancies. Some of this can be attributed to the mother being more relaxed and self assured. This is where the been-there-done-that attitude can help. Labor for any mother tends to run through quicker when she is relaxed and as calm as possible. Having already gone through labor and delivery once takes the fear of the unknown out of the equation.
Wisdom From Experience
Having gone through pregnancy once can make the second easier. As with labor and delivery, mommy knows what to expect. She already knows the main components that make a pregnancy. Nothing is as scary as it is the first time.
The most important thing to remember is to enjoy each and every pregnancy as its own. No two are alike and each one, like each child, is extraordinary in their own way.
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