To I could have an easier pregnancy second time round

[Babypassport]

Before I got pregnant for the first time I was fairly healthy - gentle exercise most days and something more strenuous once or twice a week, bmi of 25, BP of 120/80, mostly healthy diet.

During pregnancy my BP dropped to 80/50, I developed mild anemia and SPD, and save for a waddle round the block every day to preserve my mental health, I was pretty much laid up from 6 months onwards. Incredibly dizzy and tired all the time. Baby was absolutely fine, thank goodness, which is of course the main thing.

Thinking about starting to try for another in a year's time or so, and hoping that if I'm lucky enough to get pregnant again that there may be ways to avoid the issues I had in the first pregnancy.

AIBU to think I could prepare myself better to minimise the risk of another tiring pregnancy?

[SpookyPotato]

My secnd pregnancy was pretty easy like my first but I was a lot more achey and uncomfortable due to being a higher weight this time. My pelvis and knees were much more achey and heartburn worse. Not sure how much weight affects it but I will definitely be getting in better shape before I have a third! I didn't see the point in losing weight before the second as I would be getting bigger anyway but I didn't even consider pregnancy being harder because of it.

[Babypassport]

Sympathies to everyone who struggled or is struggling!

And thanks for the advice about supplements and pilates. Very useful

[Huskylover1]

• normal delivery! Baby also fine. They are 20 & 18 now

[Huskylover1]

My first pregnancy, I ballooned and put on 5 stone, plus water retention was awful. They had to induce me at 36.5 weeks as they said if I put on any more weight, I could have irreversible skin damage, and they said baby was over 10lb's anyway! It was a long labour (over 20 hours), that resulted in an emergency C section. Baby was fine.

But, of course when getting pregnant the next time, I was really worried things would go the same way! Well, they didn't. Only put on 2.5 stone, was induced at 39 weeks (hind water leak) and had a normal deliver in just 6 hours.

Good luck!

[thecatsarecrazy]

All pregnancy's are different my 1st was a breeze including labour, 2nd was ok no health problems 3rd was fucking awful from start to finish

[Obsidian77]

My second pregnancy was much worse
It's sensible to do what you can to get into good shape but so much of it is beyond your control.
Good luck!

[GreyBird84]

I had a horrendous 1st pregnancy & am nearing the end of my second.
It hasn't been as bad as my first but it's still been a struggle. Sciatica is the main problem - very difficult with a boisterous toddler to look after.

The tiredness is also really
Difficult - not being able to nap
When I would like. I take 2 spatone a day which I think does help with energy levels.

There is no way of knowing until you are there unfortunately!

[RockyBird]

I had fairly bad SPD first pregnancy but not at all during my second.

[Starduke]

Well, it's always good to be in a better shape but I don't know how much impact that will have on the pregnancy. I was in brilliant shape before having my first - 5 hours of martial arts a week plus cardio training. Healthy food, lots of sleep.

I had an awful 1st pregnancy. 9 months of being sick every day and so much pain from ligaments etc..

The second was worse. 9 months of being sick every day (despite getting medication this time around). Plus insomnia. Plus exhaustion left over from looking after a toddler who still woke 7-8 times a night. Plus, at the end, a bit of SPD.

I hate being pregnant.

[hopsalong]

I would try to get into as good shape as you can before you get pregnant. Sorry to be negative, but my first pregnancy was fairly OK (some morning sickness, tiredness, anemia), but the second one has been unbelievably difficult (hyperemesis, constant infections, crippling fatigue, migraines). I for some reason had the idea it would be easier because my body would know what to do, but it's been ten times harder.

[WaitroseCoffeeCostaCup]

I'm on number 4 and they have got progressively worse, especially in terms of SPD. It's a million times harder when you have other children to consider with school-runs etc. Do you have family support nearby?

[delilahbucket]

With regard to SPD, it is 50/50 as to whether it will reoccur. You can't prevent it but you can begin the foundations of managing before pregnancy with pilates. I still suffer with a version of SPD called osteitis pubis. I am not pregnant and ds is nine. I manage it for the most part with pilates and it has improved considerably. It is affected by hormone fluctuations though so I suspect pregnancy will give me SPD much earlier than 20 weeks if I have another.

[SprogletsMum]

My second and third pregnancies were so much easier than my first and fourth. It seems that for me being pregnant with a girl is fine but being pregnant with a boy makes me suffer.
The tiredness with my fourth was horrific but obviously with 3 other children there's not much time to rest!
Like a pp said, 9 months isn't that long in the grand scheme of things if you do want another.

[Enko]

Spd yejds to get worse with ea h pregnancy. I found a great deal of help with the pain from cranial osteopathy . Having said that my 2nd pregnancy was by far the easiest even with spd

[MelinaMercury]

YANBU of course you could, every pregnancy is different :)

Dont rely on old wives tales though. My second pregnancy was much worse than my first despite being in better health beforehand. I had SPD first time around but it started earlier and was more severe this time. I also ended up with HG which left me with my head in the toilet for atleast 3 hours a day along with constant nausea, motion sickness and was in and out of the hospital to be put on a drip or for random bowel issues resulting in enema's

Unfortunately i think pregnancy is just luck of the draw and you won't know how you'll cope until it's happening

[SquedgieBeckenheim]

My SPD was worse the second time.
My anaemia was better second time.
My blood pressure issues less severe (I had hypertension rather than hypotension though). Keeping hydrated and eating well will help with that.
Heartburn was about the same both times.
I had less random minor illnesses the second time and felt generally healthier.
Each pregnancy is different, no way to predict.

[Lorelaithe1st]

Sorry to be so negative but my second pregnancy was so much harder... exhausted and awful nausea from 6-16 weeks with some sickness, SPD and heartburn which started just after morning sickness eased and then obstetric cholestasis for the last 6 weeks with an induction at 36 weeks. I had much milder morning sickness and SPD pain in my first pregnancy but everything was so much harder second time around trying to look after a 18mo too.

Every pregnancy is different though and I guess you won't know what's going to happen until you're pregnant. Hope it'll be better for you!

[Twinkletowedelephant]

I had a horrendous first pregnancy...

I really struggled with thinking about a second pregnancy.

My second pregnancy i breezed through despite being pregnant with twins and having a todlar i felt absolutely amazing and full of energy. It was only a week before they were born i actually had to slow down abit more due to the size i looked like a whale than anything

[NeedMoreSleepOrSugar]

Every pregnancy is different, and you'll probably be better equipped to cope with the negative bits second time around as you've done it before (and have dc1 a a distraction!) But unfortunately it's no guarantee that the second is easier. My second pregnancy has been far, far harder than the first. Sickness much more often and violent, spd earlier and worse and of course the tiredness is a whole new level.

I hope your experience is much better!

[OhDearToby]

My third pregnancy has been by far my easiest. For some reason all the problems that I had last time haven't struck this time. The only thing I have found is that my morning sickness has got worse with each pregnancy.

Im currently 32 weeks with a giant baby plus dealing with school runs, a 7 yo and a 15 month old who doesn't sleep much but I'm feeling relatively okay (touch wood).

[sailorcherries]

I don't want to sound like a negative Nancy but my experience is different to the pp's, although my DS is nearly 7 so I've not been pregnant for a long time.

Last time I was fairly energetic, had little on the way of nausea/sickness and heartburn and managed with life just fine. I did gain a shit load of weight though.

This time I've gained hardly any weight but have suffered from sciatica and SPD, have to carry heartburn and indigestion tablets with me at all cost, have more heartburn medicine beside my bed, am extremely nauseous and have been sick more often (36 weeks and it's still going strong), have developed mild anemia and I am shattered.

It depends entirely on the pregnancy, but if you truly want another baby then 9 months is not a long time to suffer (even though it has us wanting to smoke the wee darlings out come the end).

[Babypassport]

Can you get iron supplements over the counter? The doctor didn't prescribe me any last time as I wasn't anemic enough

[SecretNetter]

I had a horrendous pg with ds1. Pre-eclampsia, inductions, awful labour and birth, after problems etc.

With ds2 I sailed through...not a sign of PE which I was high risk for, easy birth of 3 hours, out the next day.

[ElisavetaFartsonira]

I've heard second pregnancies are usually easier wrt nausea and sickess. But I'd have thought SPD would be more likely, just through cumulative effect.