Differences between Your First Pregnancy and Second Pregnancy

What are the differences between being pregnant with your first child and the second pregnancy? How does pregnancy change when you already have a child?

1^st: partner comes to first doctor’s visit, gender determination sonogram, and last few visits to find out if and when you will explode.

2^nd: partner comes to gender determination sonogram

1^st: will run to store at 2 AM to satisfy a food craving

2^nd: reminds you to add your craved foods to the grocery list before you leave for the store

1^st: Is afraid to go anywhere in case your water might break

2^nd: Wants to go everywhere while you only have to pay for the sitter to watch one child

1^st: You debate baby names for 9 months.

2^nd: Your spouse wants to reuse a name from the first one’s list, and you debate those two or three options for a few weeks

1^st: “We’re 16 ½ weeks along.”

2^nd: “I’m due at the end of August.”

1^st: “Oh, yes, we’re utterly thrilled. I’ve read the following baby books –“

2^nd: “We’re worried about sibling rivalry. Do your kids fight much?”

1^st: You’ve dusted the house top to bottom 10 times in as many weekends.

2^nd: You’re picking up the firstborn’s toys at least twice a week.

1^st: You’ve lovingly packed all the first born’s clothes away in the closet.

2^nd: You’re looking at outfits and tossing the one’s too stained for comfort.

1^st: Toys get sterilized twice before being put away.

2^nd: If the hand me down toys are too icky, you throw them out and add them to the baby registry.

1^st: People say how wonderful it is when young couples start a family, and it’s perfect as long as the baby has the correct number of fingers and toes.

2^nd: When you mention you have another one at home, they nod and say so few children these days have siblings or ask if you didn’t get the gender you wanted the first time.

1^st: Half your furniture is new and the other half is hand me downs from neighbors and friends.

2^nd: All the furniture is hand me downs - from your firstborn.

1^st: You let the baby sleep in a bassinet in your room so you can attend to it at the first whimper.

2^nd: You put them in their crib in their room the first night home so that you can sleep, and so that your firstborn doesn’t try to join you in your room in envy of the baby.

1^st: You practice the route to the hospital five times to gauge the time and traffic.

2^nd: You check the map while in labor. You know the route. You’ve already been to the ER several times with the first one.

1^st: You buy baby food for the correct stages and make sure it is super-nutritious.

2^nd: If it’s not poisonous or a choke hazard, you don’t care.

1^st: You get baby books at the baby shower.

2^nd: You give away baby books to other people’s baby showers.

1^st: You take Lamaze and breathing and yoga.

2^nd: You take the refresher course just to remind your spouse how much this will hurt and how obligated he is to your for this. And Lamaze class is like parent's night out. After all, this is like a date night, since the toddler is with grandma.

1^st: Your family showers tons of time and affection on the newborn.

2^nd: You ask them to haul off the first born so you have time with the newborn.

1^st: “Here’s the schedule and formula mix pre-poured in the bottles, the temperature needs to be –“

2^nd: “He woke up and hour ago and at shortly thereafter. Formula’s in the fridge. See you in three hours.”

1^st: You change their diapers every two hours, whether needed or not.

2^nd: You wish they made nighttime diapers for newborns like they have for size 4 toddlers.

1^st: You keep all the appliances off so the baby can sleep and hand wash the bottles to perfection.

2^nd: You buy a quieter dishwasher so you and the baby can sleep while the bottles are washed.

1^st: You have 30 newborn outfits and 3 that are size 3 months before the child is born.

2^nd: You have 13 surviving newborn outfits. Then you check your firstborn daughter’s doll clothes as options for the newborn when the laundry has piled too high.

1^st: You cook a regular dinner for your family to show the child doesn’t change your lifestyle before crashing at 7 PM.

2^nd: “Do you want pizza, Chinese, or eat at home sandwiches?”

1^st: You call the nurse line at least once a week when worried.

2^nd: You call the doctor when you think your toddler fed him something but you don’t know what it was.

1^st: You put up 5 baby gates to give your child maximum space to explore while still keeping them safe.

2^nd: Your toddler removes the baby gates to let the baby through.

1^st: The baby sits in a baby swing or exer-saucer when nearby to let them safely play.

2^nd: You buy a replacement exer-saucer and baby swing to keep your baby safely out of your toddler’s way.

1^st: Your child is vaccinated on the day after they are old enough to get it.

2^nd: You schedule vaccinations when both kids need them because two screaming is only a little worse than one crying.

1^st: You take 1000 digital photos in the first year.

2^nd: You take 100 photos the first week, with half to be deleted because your toddler was in the way and another third were too blurred to be saved.

1st: You signed up for emails and text messages telling you about the baby's development. This week, he has finger buds!

2nd: You track progress of the pregnancy by which clothes no longer fit and when your toddler complains she no longer fits in your lap.

1st: Your morning sickness bouts are a new experience.

2nd: You compare every pregnancy symptom to the first go-around and wonder if it is because this child is a different gender.