I’m currently pregnant with my second daughter, due at the end of August. My other daughter will turn 7 this fall, so it’s been awhile since I’ve experienced pregnancy — but I still remember all of my emotions and fears during the experience . . . very vividly.
A first pregnancy is certainly exciting — every step is a totally new experience and you feel all the different stages that you’d only ever heard about before but never been through firsthand. But I have to say, event though it doesn’t have the same thrill and anticipation as the first . . . I am enjoying my second pregnancy more, for a couple of different reasons.
Why I Am Enjoying My Second Pregnancy More Than My First
1.) I like that knowing what to expect makes me less nervous.
I was pretty anxious during my first pregnancy. I was constantly worried that something was wrong with the baby or that she was in danger. I started looking ahead to the next stage a lot and worried before I even got to it that I wouldn’t feel the right symptoms to know that the baby was safe and thriving. I did a lot of nervous Googling and would absolutely panic if I accidentally ate something I wasn’t supposed to, like lunch meat. I’d always be expecting to go to the next prenatal appointment and hear bad news about the baby. I was scared that the baby wasn’t big enough—and really any worry you could possibly think of.
However, after all that fear, I ended up having a completely healthy pregnancy and delivered a completely healthy, full-term baby girl that is now a smart and outgoing Kindergartner.
Having gone through the nervous panic, and then total relief the first time, has really prepped me to be in a different mindset for this second experience. I still know that things could go wrong, but the anxiety is much more under control now that I’ve been through the whole process and know what to expect along the way. I have a much calmer sense of what is and isn’t in my control, and that I can do my best where I am able to but I can’t personally prevent every possible issue. It’s been so much better going through this with a calm, relaxed mindset.
2.) I have all the baby things.
I saved most of my big items and all my tubs of clothes from my older daughter. I recently went through everything, and it’s all in surprisingly good condition, so, I really already have most of what I need. It’s so nice being relaxed from that end as well. With a first baby, it’s overwhelming to go from a house of just adult items to needing to prepare and gather what you need for a newborn. All that research and setting things up took so much time—but now, it’s already done!
3.) I’ve experienced a newborn before.
It’s also been great that the prep work is done in terms of learning about what to expect with a newborn. After finding out I was pregnant the first time, I was a little overwhelmed by the fact that I had no idea how often a baby was supposed to be fed, how much they slept, or what any of the key milestones are. I had to completely start from scratch in learning about what to do, and this time, I remember the different stages and already feel prepared to handle what is coming my way. Another big sigh of relief!
4.) I have an older kiddo at home.
I do think it helps make my subsequent pregnancy more enjoyable that I have a slightly older and more self-sufficient kid at home. As a Kindergartner, she doesn’t need the constant monitoring of a toddler, so when I wasn’t feeling well in the early stages I was actually able to take a break and get some rest. I’m sure I would be pretty frazzled this time around if I was chasing after a 1-year-old while trying to get ready for a newborn.
Being at this easier stage of parenting with my older daughter, coupled with the factors above that have allowed me to be more mellow for this experience, has made my second pregnancy a pretty smooth and as pleasant as possible.
For those of you that have experienced multiple pregnancies: did you find one easier or more enjoyable than the others?
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