Need positive stories! 6 weeks pregnant with no.2. DD is 8mo.

[Jellyberiblue]

Hi everyone. I’ve just found out I’m about 6 weeks pregnant. I’m excited but also terrified, as I’m still on maternity leave from my first! My little girl is 8months old.

While we always said we wanted two, we hadn’t planned to do it this soon! One baby in a pandemic was more than enough. 🙈 It must be some kind of miracle in any case as who has time to have sex with a baby at home. 😂

I am panicking a little bit. I had a horrendous first pregnancy suffering from hyperemesis. When I went back to work after being off through the worst of it, many were not very supportive (I’m a midwife on labour ward, so I honestly expected a little more support!). Despite requesting to stop working nights as it made me sicker, I was still working a lot of nights right up until I finished for mat leave & vomited numerous times on every shift. So I’m already dreading going back to work pregnant again.

I really just wanted to hear some positive stories to help get me through!

Also any advice about being pregnant, with a baby at the wanting to be held standing/moved about all the time stage. How did you cope with the newborn days & an older baby to look after too? My little girl will be 16 months old when this one is due!

Thanks so much for reading if you got this far!

I had my 3rd 17m (would have been 16.5 but mine are always late!) after my 2nd. I was still on mat leave and returned to work about 4m pregnant. Work were fine, though I was a bit embarrassed.

My pregnancy was fine, aside from SPD and severe heartburn that made me vomit daily until I have birth. I worked until 34wks, I could have stayed later physically. I kept DD2 in nursery until nearer my due date, though shorter days.

Having 2 small people (plus a 10ys old) was a bit of a blur in all honesty but I loved it. I didn't go back to work after as childcare wiped us out, and my job was not a career if that makes sense. I became a CM when dd3 was about 18m and loved it.

I had a double buggy (baby jogger city mini) and I nailed dog walks and they would for the first 6m nap after lunch together in the pram. DD2 was a great walker but a double buggy is fab for double naps and crowd control. I used a sling around the house and at toddler groups.
I was able to make our lounge toddler proof so dd2 could destroy while I breastfed. Dd3 did get left to cry more than the others as dd2 was a bit of a whirlwind. I used to have a travel cot to pop dd3 in so she was safe from dd2.

They're now 11 and 9, love each other but getting hormonal. They shared a room and indeed a bed for many years through choice.

In short I loved it. That's not to say there weren't negatives. Neither was a sleeper, dd3 had reflux. But on balance I wouldn't change it.

I now have DS (18m) and I'm expecting dc5 in June with an 22m gap. Fingers crossed it will be ok!

Congratulations x

I had my 4th (unplanned!!) 13m after my 3rd. It was bloody hard work for the first 6 months, especially as DS3 didn’t walk or crawl at all till 16 months but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Their 2 other siblings are at university so it’s been lovely during lockdowns for them to have another child to socially interact with. Word of warning though; don’t expect them to be best friends because they are so close in age. My 2 are like chalk and cheese and as we reach start to enter puberty ( they are now 11&12) I can already see a bumpy road ahead as they are so different!!! It is wonderful to watch them grow up together though

Thanks for replying! My little girl is already a little whirlwind so I have been a tad worried about how to keep the newbie safe from her. Using the travel cot is a great idea.

Yes I had wondered about how I was going to keep my little girl safe while breastfeeding in the early days because of how long they're on! But I guess like you say, I'll just have to toddler proof the place & let her run riot! 😂

You've really helped put my mind at ease a bit. I'm fully expecting the hard times but I just really wanted to hear someone say they loved it too. So happy to hear that & it must be true if you're doing it all again! Congratulations to you too and thanks so much for replying. Xx

We have 16.5mth between 2nd & 3rd, eldest was 5. I became a sahm after my maternity allowance ended with our 2nd (was made redundant when pregnant with him). Tough being pregnant with a young baby/child but we had a travel cot I could pop him in to play if I needed a nap. He was a big baby on the 98th centile so carrying him around with bump and spd/pgp was not the greatest but he was walking by a year old. Feels like it was a breeze these days though, we had twins when our 3rd was still 2yr. Now 14wk with number 6, twins will be 6 when this one arrives though.

Routines are your friend.

Also try to get them in a routine if possible. Both mine slept after lunch for 2 hours till they were 2-2.5. I used to play with my youngest to keep him awake and DS3 had lunch slightly earlier so that they would both go down together. It was a godsend

Thanks iamsodonewith2020!

To be honest, I didn't enjoy the newborn days in any case so I at least feel prepared to probably just get through it again! But I love being a mum now & I really hope without those overwhelming first time becoming a mum feelings, I'll find it easier to get through it, at least emotionally, this time!

My sister and I are 19 months apart & we fought constantly growing up. We were certainly not close by any stretch as teenagers, but when we hit our 20s we started to bond & I can honestly say that now we're in our 30s she's my best friend!

I'll always hope they're close, but if it doesn't happen, you can't force it eh? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Love the idea of them being good company for each other though, that's something at least!

X

Chelyanne, oh my goodness! You must be an expert now. 💕 Congratulations.

Thank you! I always thought I'd be a chilled out just wing it Mum, but I quite like a routine to be honest! My first is in a good routing so hoping to get it right with this one too. But as people always seem to tell me, you never get 2 the same!

My girl is also 91st centile so I'm hoping she'll walk around 1 as it would certainly help a bit. I was walking at 11months but her Dad didn't for ages apparently so we'll have to wait & see!

@jellyberiblue all mine have been big too.

Dd3 was 9lb 10 and DC4 was 9lb 5 at 40wks, so 91st I think. I'm expecting this one to be about 10lb.

@BurningBenches Aw we grow them well! Mine was 8lb 4oz but I'd lost over 10% of my body weight due to the hyperemesis so everyone was shocked! 😂 If I don't have the sickness as bad this time I'm sure this wee one will be a lot bigger!

@Loti92 Congratulations to you too! It's such a shame that some nurses & midwives, despite being in a caring profession, couldn't care less about their colleagues.

I didn't realise the 28 week finish was continuing despite the vaccine. I worked until 34 weeks then the first lockdown happened so I started mat leave early. 34 weeks was plenty! 28 would be much better!

Yes you're right, it has already felt easier simply not working the 12.5hr shifts and it will feel easier going back knowing I'll be off again soon. Thank you!!!