Being pregnant a second time is such a blessing, and also such a different experience than it was the first time.
On one hand, it feels very much the same. This pregnancy has progressed exactly the same as my first pregnancy. This baby is jabbing my ribs on the right side and is giving me the same round ligament pain and also gave me the same first trimester troubles I remember so well from the first time around.
However, the entire experience feels different.
Clara loves to show me where “baby” is.
+ This time I am a stay-at-home-mom instead of an employee in the corporate world so what I do and think about all day is drastically different.
+ This time I’ve spent a lot of time on my feet, as opposed to last time when I was sitting at a desk all day.
+ This time when I sit on the couch to rest I’m attacked by a toddler who hates when I sit down, whereas last time I rested a lot.
+ This time I know (kind of) what to expect from labor and delivery, whereas last time I was very, very clueless even though I tried very hard to educate myself.
+ This time I feel my big belly at 30 weeks and don’t think it seems that big. However, then I see pictures of myself or look in the mirror and think “whoa, hey there baby!” It’s because I know that I’m going to get HUGE in the next few months. Last time I thought I was ‘big’ at like 20 weeks – oh how clueless I was.
+ This time I brought out my maternity clothes as soon as my ‘normal’ clothes started getting even a bit tight, instead of waiting until I absolutely needed to wear it because nothing else remotely fit.
+ This time I get much less special attention from Tim, whereas when I was pregnant the first time I was getting back rubs and foot massages… (hint hint if you’re reading this, husband o’ mine!)
Pink Blush Maternity makes such cute maternity clothes and I absolutely love this maternity jacket! I wear it everywhere. Seriously.
+ This time I can feel the baby move so much more, either because the baby is actually moving more often or possibly because of the position of the placenta. Either way, I love it and treasure it even more, because I know I will miss it soon.
+ This time I don’t need to spend time and energy figuring out the registry, whereas last time I spent hours and hours putting together a list of ‘needs’.
+ This time we aren’t doing a labor and delivery class, nor am I reading any and all things pregnancy related, as compared to last time when I couldn’t read or watch enough about birth. (It’s not that I’m less obsessed this time, it’s just that I still have the knowledge from before.)
+ This time I’m surrounded by other moms as a support network, whereas last time I felt isolated during my pregnancy.
+ This time I feel confident and optimistic instead of feeling anxious before every doctor’s appointment. Knowing that I successfully grew a human once before makes me feel like I can do it again.
+ This time I had to figure out winter maternity clothing options, whereas last time I could wear maxi dresses in my third trimester (it’s so much easier to be pregnant in the spring/summer).
+ This time I truly am loving each and every stage of the pregnancy (well, not the first trimester, there was nothing I embraced about that), because I know how fast it goes and I also know that I’m about to be very, very sleep deprived.
We’ll see what the third trimester brings, but so far I’m still comfortable and am feeling very calm and happy about this journey o’ pregnancy! Even though the second pregnancy isn’t as ‘magical’ as my first one was (because I know what to expect and haven’t been surprised by anything so far), it’s still a miraculous experience that I feel blessed to be able to enjoy.
Thanks to PinkBlush Maternity for providing the jacket pictured in this post! If you want to do a little shopping for yourself at PinkBlush (they have a great collection of clothing, both women’s and maternity), enter to win a $75 gift card!
10 weeks left until my due date, but let’s be honest, if Baby Beni is like his/her sister, it will be quite a bit longer!
