So in a quick recap of the last nine months, I thought I’d run down what has been harder, easier, or just wildly different about my first and second pregnancy, just in case it’s an interesting thing for another second time mom-to-be someday.
It’s actually funny how different your second pregnancy is compared to your first. The first time you’re pregnant- everything is so new and special. You spend your evenings reading every pregnancy book and your weekends perfecting every detail in the nursery. You know your baby is the size of a banana or apple depending on the week, and you spend hours daydreaming about what your little one will look like.
And then you get knocked up again, and things are just… different. Not a bad different and it’s not that you care any less or it’s not as special, your life has just changed already (and you’re busy running around with your toddler )! You know more of what to expect, and what is important when it comes to preparing yourself.
FIRST TRIMESTER:
My first trimester this time around was much easier. I didn’t have morning sickness. No vomiting fortunately but, loads more nausea. And didn’t have the luxury of as much free time, as I was chasing around 20 months old at the time.
On the positive side, I didn’t have a food aversion like I did the first time around. So I had no problem eating.
With my first child, I was having the worst morning sickness. It was like 24 hours of sickness for me. I spent most of that time staring at a blank wall or sleeping. Because that was the only relief I had.
Second trimester:
I felt pretty good during the second trimester. I don’t believe I planned and successfully host my toddler’s second birthday party when I was in my second trimester.
After that in a couple of weeks, we moved from Chicago to Toronto. It was still way more physically taxing on a pregnant body, even when you feel good. Moving from one country to another is not an easy task. A second trimester went so much busy with settling down in a new country.
The second trimester with my first baby also so much easy. I personally enjoyed it more.
Third trimester:
Same issues with toddler chasing and just not having as much free time to relax as I did when I was pregnant with the first baby.
by about 36 weeks with Baby 2, I felt immensely more pregnant than I did at the end of the first baby’s pregnancy. But, yes I was much more active till delivering the baby.
This time I was fully prepared for my second baby. I also cooked and frozen 2 weeks meal for our family. So that we could not be stressed out after coming home from the hospital. And can manage everything with toddler and newborn.
With my first baby, From week 32 I was on bed rest. I experienced terrible backache at that time. I started getting sharp pains in my back. It was hard to walk sometimes. When putting pressure on my leg while walking, I used to get a sharp shooting pain from the lower back throughout the leg. It was intense and worst sometimes. I spend all the time lying on a bed. Watching TV and reading birth stories of other mummies. So yes it was definitely hardest of all.
Exercise:
One of the best things I did after having my first child was, I started doing Yoga. As it helped me not only feel better physically after having Parth but also really helped me manage my anxiety which got really bad with balancing a toddler and pregnancy alone. As soon as I knew that I got pregnant with the second baby I switched to prenatal yoga. I decided to work out for as long as I could and expected to make it to 25-30 weeks but got so much inspiration from others around me I actually made it to 35 weeks. I targeted the strength days for the upper and lower body mostly.
I really think doing Yoga every day helped me to stay active and I think the rumors are true that it helps in delivery and recovery as well! This time my labor was just 5 hours whereas, with my first baby it was 24 hours. I also count raising a two-year-old as a full-body workout so in that case, I worked out every day;-)
Every pregnancy is a miracle – and every pregnancy is different and special in its own way. I feel very blessed to had two healthy pregnancies and to have carried two very healthy babies. So many people see me and ask how far apart in age my kids are. When I tell them they are 24 months apart, they proceed to say "Wow, two under three, you have your hands full!" I'm doing my best to embrace the craziness of this stage of life because I know I will look back one day and miss these moments terribly.
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