5 Differences Between First and Second Pregnancies

Are there really differences between pregnancies, you maybe asking yourself? I’m pretty sure I’m already working with #secondbabysyndrome – you know, where you’re not worried anymore about a pacifier that drops on the floor, re-wearing a pair of pajamas four days in a row, and I can’t for the life of me remember how far along I am this time.

Except, and this might be obvious, my second baby isn’t even here yet! I still have (give me a second…) 11 weeks to go.

I am amazed how much different this pregnancy has been since my first. Sure, I was much sicker during the first trimester, but there’s been a lot of other differences as well. Like what, you ask?

1. Nesting? What’s that?

I recently ordered the new baby’s crib, but that’s only because the one I liked went on sale and I didn’t want to lose the deal. (And yes, I bought a second crib. My son is happily sleeping in his crib and I will do everything I can to keep him inside those four railings until the third grade.) Other than that, though, I haven’t given the baby’s nursery much thought. They won’t know if the walls aren’t decked out in adorable decor, so why should I stress about it?

2. Expect the Expected

I spent the duration of my first pregnancy stressed about the unknown. I read every book I could get my hands on. And yet, I still didn’t have a clue what I was doing once my son was here. I’m by no means an expert, but he survived just fine, and this time around I’m quite confident that I will be just fine in those long newborn days.

3. I Don’t Care What I Look Like

Don’t get me wrong – I am thrilled to be pregnant again. My husband and I planned and prayed for this baby, just like with our son. But I’m feeling quite differently about my body this time. True, I never lost all of my initial baby weight, so I wasn’t loving my body like I should to start. When I was pregnant with my first, I loved form-fitting tops and dresses that accentuated my bump. I loved when strangers approached me to ask about my pregnancy. This time around, I find it just gets in the way of chasing a 2-year-old around. And those bump-hugging tops? Meh. I’d rather an oversized white tee, please.

4. Birth Plan? Lol.

I had a vague birth plan with my first – I’d like to labor without interventions for as long as possible, but ultimately a healthy baby (and healthy mom) were the biggest priority. I’d done a lot of research, but decided I wanted to be flexible as I had no idea what to expect. This pregnancy? My birth plan revolves around the logistics of my son – who will be watching him? Where’s his car seat going? When will someone bring him to the hospital? It’s the only thing concerning me about this baby’s birth. I know the baby will get here somehow, so I’m more worried about my (soon to be) no-longer-a-baby-baby.

5. Lazy Sunday – just kidding.

I was pretty exhausted during my first pregnancy, like most women are. Although I was teaching then, I also had plenty of free time to rest and do absolutely nothing. On the weekends, my husband and I would lay in bed for hours before going out to brunch, hitting up the movies, and hanging out with friends by the pool. These days I’m just as tired, if not more so, but I can scratch the idea of sleeping in, laying in bed, or taking a mid-day nap just because I can. My toddler basically dictates our life- and while I love everything about that, it sure is hindering on my shut-eye.