I was so excited to be pregnant with Isaac. Everything was new and exciting, even sucking down that orange bottle for the glucose test. At each appointment I was sucked into the nerves and excitement. What would they do at this appointment? Do I get to hear his heartbeat again?
The second time around I have a very different attitude about the whole ordeal. Been there, done that. I’m an old pro.
And yes, I am SO FREAKING excited about this second little bundle of joy. I do not want to take away from that. But, the pregnancy is kind of… old news? I know what to expect. There is no fear of what I don’t know because I’ve experienced it. There are no, “what’s next” moments.
This time around I am a stay at home mom. This time around I have a one year old I get to chase around the house and keep occupied.
There are good parts about all of this, like the shorter time period of morning sickness. And there are also bad parts, hello round ligament pain! So here are the biggest differences I have noticed between my pregnancy with Isaac and baby #2:
No Time for Morning Sickness
When I was pregnant with Isaac I got sick once a day, every day, from 9 weeks until 11 weeks. It was miserable and I didn’t want to leave the couch. I was uninterested in any food because of the nausea and the only thing I could make myself push down was a box of mac and cheese around 3 PM. Yes, you read that right, A WHOLE FREAKING BOX!
And I’m one of the lucky ones, a few weeks is really nothing. My sister-in-law was sick through most of her pregnancy with all four of hers. So yeah, those two to three weeks were nothing compared to some. And I know this but it still sucked.
This time around, I had the same time frame of nausea. It came and went all day but, here’s the kicker, I only got sick twice! Why? There are probably a multitude of reasons for this but I think it comes down to the lack of time to wallow in the discomfort.
The first day I got sick I ran into the bathroom while Ben was showering, threw up, wiped off my mouth and went on my way. I had a 10 month old who had woken up and needed to be changed. That day I was tired, being sick pulls the life out of me, but I held in there and played with my kid. We snuggled up on the couch and watched movies and I didn’t get sick again.
The next time I got sick was much the same, just in the afternoon instead of the morning. I had woken up with a killer headache, another pregnancy symptom, and finally it got the best of me. That day, I laid on the couch because I just couldn’t do it. Isaac played by himself really well all day and would come up and kiss me every so often. I really didn’t get up except to feed him, change him, or put him in for nap. I think he knew I felt like crap, because he was a champ that day for me.
And really, that was it! I was nauseous, sure, but other than those two days it was nothing I couldn’t handle. When I started to feel crappy I would literally suck it down and remind myself that I don’t have time to be sick, my boy needs me.
It also doesn’t hurt that I HATE throwing up. I will hold that in until I physically can’t anymore, and I was much better at that this time around.
Food Aversions
Last time around I couldn’t stand the smell of coffee for the first trimester. I went from being a three cup a day gal to a none a day gal, cold freaking turkey. One morning I woke up as the grinder started at the programmed time and gagged until it was done.
My loving husband liked to play with me with this smell. We went to Ulta towards the end of the first trimester and were smelling perfumes and colognes, Ben wanted to know if I would like to change up his scent. After smelling a few different options he said, “here cleanse your palate,” and pushed a little tube in front of my nose. I inhaled straight coffee bean and proceeded to smack my husband’s arm as he laughed at my gagging. Jerk.
This time around, I wasn’t made sick at the smell of coffee, which was good for both Ben and I. He could still have his morning coffee without me complaining and I wasn’t gagging whenever we walked past Starbucks in the mall.
But I still quit coffee cold turkey for the first trimester. I kept trying to sip at Ben’s, because I love my morning coffee as well, I just wasn’t interested. Finally Ben caved and cut back our 12 cup pot to 8, perfect for him to have a cup in the morning, a to-go mug for work, and an after dinner cup.
Just as the second trimester hit, just like last time, I was back to a cup of coffee a day. And this time, I noticed a killer caffeine withdrawal headache after three days of having a cup. It’s amazing how my body works with this, during the first trimester I can cut cold turkey but then I NEED it for the second and third trimester.
There has only been one thing so far that has really made me turn up my nose. One night during the first trimester Ben decided he wanted some popcorn. As the microwave neared the end or popping, I began to gag. You know how when you microwave a bag of popcorn it seems to stick to everything forever? It was AWFUL. I ended up opening all the windows, despite the A/C needing to be on, to air out my house. I could smell it on the fabric on the couch, on my favorite throw blanket, and on my shirt. HORRIBLE.
Ben hasn’t made popcorn since 😀
First Trimester Exhaustion
During the first trimester of pregnancy, many women will ask if you’re tired because they remember being exhausted. From day one that baby sucks the life right out of you and with Isaac, my lord I couldn’t handle a full day without a nap.
This time around I have Isaac to watch over and can’t succumb to the exhaustion. Just like with the nausea, I think I was able to mentally over come being tired most of the time. Around week 7 I really started to feel tired. Isaac was still taking two naps at the time and I was able to sneak in an hour nap between 3 and 4 PM, which kept me functioning until around 9:30 when I would crawl into bed with my kindle and fall asleep within minutes.
P.S I 100% recommend getting a C-Shaped body pillow, sleep saver if I ever bought one. This is the one I ordered with Isaac and it works great still, however I will say that it has lost a lot of its fluffiness.
Everything is Happening Earlier
With Isaac, I really didn’t look pregnant until well into week 27. I looked chunky, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t until week 30 that I could really look in the mirror and say I definitely am pregnant. This time around, my belly popped MUCH sooner. Around week 12 I noticed the hardness at the top of my abdomen. Around 20 weeks it was very clear that I am pregnant. I think this little girl is sitting higher in my stomach, and it’s pushing a bulge out a lot more than Isaac did.
And with being pregnant for the second time, I noticed round ligament pain around 13 weeks. With my first pregnancy, I didn’t experience this discomfort until the very end, around 34 weeks. This time it started around 13 weeks and has stayed. At least once a day my ligaments tense up and cause discomfort in my lower abdomen. I did ask my OB about this because it was making me nervous, and she assured me that it was totally normal with #2, especially how close together my 2 are.
Another FUN thing is that my boobs are freaking HUGE. Last time, the swelling of my breasts was a nice and steady increase through the pregnancy as I prepared to nurse. This time these puppies seemed ready to start lactating from day one! The pectoral muscles are constantly sore from holding up the sudden increase in volume and my nipples have been so overly sensitive. Again, asked the OB about this and it’s completely normal.
And finally, I have to go to the bathroom with an intense frequency this time around. With Isaac, I really didn’t feel like I was running to the bathroom much more than normal until around, again, 30 weeks. This time the bathroom trips started around 16 weeks and has just intensified. I get up, on average, 3 times a night for a bathroom break. I never woke up more than once a night with Isaac. This little girl is just….giving me a run for my money already.
Summer vs Winter Pregnancy
When you’re pregnant, you’re core temperature is typically .4° above average and I run hot as it is. On top of that, I HATE being hot. Which is probably why I played water polo and swam instead of running track or playing soccer. With Isaac I was hitting the end of the pregnancy in August and September, which here in Cincinnati are on average the hottest months of the year. I was carrying around an extra 25-30 ibs, being kicked in the ribs and sweating the moment I stepped outside.
When Isaac blessed our lives on October 4th I turned to Ben and told him never again.
Here’s the thing, I didn’t always have to be outside and I avoided it at all costs. However, when we had family get together’s or wanted to actually venture outside, it was pretty damn miserable. Honestly I don’t know how women went through summer pregnancies before the invention of A/C.
In the winter things are much different. I still overheat, don’t get me wrong, but I can always just walk outside sans coat and instantly cool off. The hardest part this time around is still sleeping. We add a plush blanket to our bed during winter, since it’s so darn cold when you first get into bed, and by the end of the night I have pushed the queen sized blanket either onto Ben or onto the floor. I wake up HOT, even with our overnight heat set to only 64°.
The AWESOME part about this winter pregnancy is my wardrobe. Leggings on leggings on leggings. I wear these maternity leggings every single day, either paired with a flannel or a cute graphic tee (this one is a crowd pleaser) and I am just so much more comfortable in my own skin.
In Conclusion
There are some BIG differences between both of my pregnancies, which apparently is the norm. Just like the kiddos you’re growing, each pregnancy is it’s own unique experience.
For instance, little miss is a LOT more active than Isaac was. She spends most of her day flipping around and kicking out at all angles. When I first got to hear her heartbeat at my 12 week appointment, it took the doctor several minutes to find her and after hearing about 7 beats he lost her! During the 20 week ultrasound, where we found out she is a she, the technician kept loosing her and getting blury photos. With Isaac’s ultrasound, we found out he was a boy within the first five minutes. We also were in the ultrasound room for no more than 20 with him. With this little fire ball we were in for well over 45 minutes!
We will have our hands full, that is for sure.
Each pregnancy is unique, yes, but the second time you are more prepared for every weird feeling that comes with housing a tiny human in your uterus. You’re also a lot less worried about the looming knowledge that the bundle of joy still needs to come out, you’ve been there done that.
If you are thinking about baby #2, I hope this helps ease some stresses about that second pregnancy. I think it is super important to remember that EVERY pregnancy is different. I am way more uncomfortable (already) this time around but am also loving how much I feel her moving compared to Isaac. It’s different and exciting in it’s own way!
Until next time my friends,
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