How similar were your pregnancies?

[Missingcaffeine]

I'm 6 weeks pregnant with my second. I struggled so much with pregnancy number 1, spent so much of it feeling really unwell with sickness, headaches, and exhaustion then had a few weeks feeling okay before the leg craps and the heartburn started! Whilst I really want a sibling for my little one, I did spend the whole of the first pregnancy swearing I could never do it again. The sickness started at 6.5 weeks with my first. Is it all going to start again in a few days?!! Any tips for second pregnancies?!
I also feel like I'm starting to show and I'm only 6 weeks!! It was about 9 weeks last time.

Congratulations!

Would love to be the bearer of happy news, but all my pregnancies (on third now) have been equally horrible. As you describe, evil sickness, headaches, exhaustion, also had SPD. Whole 9 months there was something bad going on. Sickness lasted 6-16 weeks with 1st, about 4-16 weeks with second, and this one was 3 weeks until 20 weeks which almost killed me.

I'm in the headache/migraine stage, SPD getting steadily worse stage.

I also showed at 6 weeks!

I hope that you don't get it as bad this time, and hope others can come on here with more reassuring comments, but my previous midwife told me sickness gets worse with each one, and she was right (in my case).

Only tips I can give are keep eating, even through the sickness. It's really hard, but sickness on an empty stomach is worse. Try sickness bands. Try peppermint or ginger (you'll be one or the other). Try high dose of B6 (this helped with my nausea). Eat porridge before you go to bed, eat before you get up; keep that tummy with food in at all times. Drink plenty of water to keep you hydrated.

Last baby for me, I can't do this again!!

Good luck!! x

Currently 17 wks with 2nd.

First son - pregnancy was a breeze, no major symptoms till 36 weeks when i got heartburn. I had been slightly tired in the first weeks, but nothing like some of my friends. I was also quite calm emotionally throughout.

Second is a definitely a girl, found out via harmony test. From before the pregnancy test I felt off, queasy but not sick. I also had a buying frenzy the night before finding out - living room furniture was on last legs and I just renewed everything online. Early nesting:) I had really bad bloating for the first 4 weeks. The tiredness for 2 weeks was unbelievable - if I sat down I would doze off straight away. From about 12 weeks, everything has evened out - have even forgot i was pregnant once or twice!

I have sprouted really early - at 17 weeks I'm considering to moving to over the bump trousers as the under ones are feeling pressure. I sipped ginger beer for the sickness, which helped. Also found sleeping on my back with a pillow underneath helped me get to sleep in the early weeks, now sleeping on left side as recommended for this stage.

Fingers crossed, this pregnancy is better!

Good news from me OP - mine got better!

My pregnancy with my oldest boy (now 13) was the absolute pits! Horrendous morning sickness for 6 MONTHS! It was awful - I felt constantly sea sick and couldn't keep anything down. I had no bump for the first 6 months (obviously, as I was so sick) and then it just shot out in the last month or two, so all my (many) stretch marks are from that pregnancy. I had been a skinny wee thing before that but my tummy muscles never recovered... I had bad heart burn and quite painful Brixton hicks as well. Bad skin too. I was very young when I had him (17/18) and so actually most of the pregnancy was spent terrified and living in fear. As a result, he was late and I went into on-off false labour with him for 9 DAYS before he finally arrived! Little bugger! Thankfully, to make up for it he was a very easy baby and has been a good lad ever since. Damn right!

In contrast, with my DD, I had bags of energy and not nearly as much sickness (only the first few weeks). I was cleaning people's houses as a second job right up until the last week and felt grand! Bit of heartburn again and she was my biggest pregnancy (but smallest baby?!) so I must have had a lot more water retention. My skin and hair were gorgeous though! I was in good spirits and had a nice easy birth.

My youngest DS, I had hardly any sickness with (I only remember throwing up about 7 times in total) and only a bit of heartburn. I wouldnt have even known I was pregnant had he not been kicking the shit out of me! Super quick birth, wham bam thank you mam!!!

So hopefully you'll have it a bit easier this time?!

Im been pregnant 7 times. They all have been different. Pg 3 awful PGP. But nothing in subsequent pregnancies. With dc4 no sickness at all. Dc 6 was tiring. Each Pregnancy & birth totally different.

Good luck.

My pregnancies couldn't have been more different. First, terrible sickness for the whole duration, leg cramps, angry, blocked nose, numb hands. Second pregnancy, none of the above but awful awful SPD. The only thing that I had in both was terrible heartburn.

I did have wonderfully thick and glossy hair with both though

Totally different pregnancies here. First one I was tired but not sick, managed to work full time until I dropped 1 day a week right at the end.
This one, horrific. So sick. Not worked for 12 weeks of it split between the beginning and the end. I haven't had the physical pain this time round.. Maybe my body is already stretched within an inch!

Different genders so not sure if that is a cause, but I don't think I'm much bigger than last time.

4 pregnancies here, each different and a mix of genders thrown in.

In my case, I think part of it was circumstance - dc1 to dc2 was relatively small gap after c-section, dc3 was bigger gap with elder siblings at school/nursery, dc4 had health problems diagnosed at 12 week scan.

My 2 pregnancies have been fairly similar except much more tired with second one obviously! I never had the first trimester crippling tiredness with DD - this time round I felt like I'd been hit by a ton of bricks. My sickness was probably mildly better second time, but I felt rough until 16-17 weeks rather than 14 weeks with DD. Also had slightly more heartburn with this one, but nothing terrible. I think second time is just harder because you can't rest as much!

I was also bigger, earlier second time round but now (38+4) there's not much difference.

I can be the voice of hope! First pregnancy was really quite tough - very nauseous for a long time, sick, heartburn, leg cramps.

Second I was nauseous and sick but for nothing like as long. No other symptoms really.

I'm 20 weeks with number 3 now. I wouldn't say its a breeze but my easier pregnancy by far...

Hope same is true for you OP :)

I'm 20 weeks on second pregnancy with twins. I've not been as unwell this time at all, I've had a little bit of nausea up to 13 weeks, is starting again and more tired than usual but totally different this time.

2 very easy pregnancies. No sickness just tiredness.

Had high BP toward the end of both and suspected IUGR with DC2 resulting in induction. But the actual pregnancies from my point of view were great!

Three pregnancies, all different, none difficult except for sickness that seemed to go on forever, all resulted in boys

Thank you all.
It's so fascinating how widely every pregnancy varies!
I am keeping my fingers tightly crossed that this pregnancy is easier, as I really don't know how I'll cope if its like the last now I have a 1 year old to look after.

I've heard each pregnancy gets harder - in terms of sickness, but I wonder if that's just more to do with the fact with subsequent pregnancies it is harder to rest and look after yourself properly due to looking after your older ones.

First pregnancy (dd) I was sick every single day and so very tired I was absolutely exhausted.

Second pregnancy (twin boys) didn't feel pregnant at all had loads of energy and felt fantastic... Worked up until the day before they were born. Only problems I had were putting on socks :-)

DS1 you wouldn't have known I was pregnant if not for the bump.
DD sickness was horrendous. Was sick morning till night, from practically the day i fell pregnant until i gave birth. SPD at the end.
DS2 I was barely sick but the SPD kicked in really early and I was on crutches for most of my pregnancy couldn't move at all without help and excruciating pain at the end. And I had awful heartburn.

DS1- barely realised i was pregnant until hte contractions started.
DS2- currently 28 weeks- as above. It does seem that boys = easier pregnancies, kinda. Although i still have the hardest to come on this pregnancy, plus DS1 is a tonne weight so i'm sure my back will give in soon!