Your personal experience of 2nd pregnancy

[DoG87]

I’m 27 weeks next week with my second baby. I was just wondering how others were/felt through their second pregnancy. I loved being pregnant the first time round. This time I have been literally knackered and drained from the beginning. I was being sick a lot more and for a lot longer this pregnancy, I’ve suffered with constipation pretty much from the start which has only just a few weeks ago started to ease off. I’ve had colds & coughs this time & a viral rash. Cant believe I will be going into my 3rd trimester soon and that second trimester where you are supposed to bloom, feel fantastic and full of energy never happened haha! I also have no time to even think about this pregnancy. I had loads of bump pictures first time and knew almost every week how baby was growing and what size they were etc. I’ve got like 3 bump pictures this time. I’m just too busy trying to keep a house, feed my family, work and look after my little girl to even appreciate this pregnancy. Just wondered if others felt this way with their 2nd pregnancy?

I am loving my second pregnancy (currently nearly 23 weeks) but definitely have some very tired days with a 3 year old to entertain. Can also relate to your thing of first time around constantly knowing if the baby was the size of an avocado or whatever! With my first pregnancy I had this book and you were meant to read one page a day and it tells you about the baby. First time around I religiously read a page a day but this time around I often go for a good 2-3 weeks without touching it and then I binge read!

My first wasn't exactly a time of glowing health. I was low level nauseous all the time and last trimester seemed to be during the hottest summer ever. My second wasn't any better, plus having a toddler in tow.

Generally, I put my toddler to bed and then go to bed myself. Now I look back, I did lots of self-indulgent laying about with my first pregnancy; not a hope in hell of that this time round. Instead I’m up at 6am every day and running about like a headless loon trying to entertain DD. Plus she likes to be carried all the time which doesn’t help backache…

I'm 27 weeks next week too!

This pregnancy I'm much more tired, and definitely much bigger. But in my first pregnancy I was a LOT more anxious. So they're definitely different! It's hard when you already have one child and can't just nap whenever the pregnancy exhaustion hits...

First I just got on with it, wouldn't say I loved it or hated it but it was easy (until huge the last few weeks)

Second one, I'm 24 weeks although i have no issues as such I'm sooo over it already, it's tiring and hard work. Not sure if it's because I'm 7 years older or in a more demanding job and also have another child but I'm definitely wishing my life / pregnancy away!!

I'm at 12 weeks and I'm already feeling more tired and achey than I ever was with the first.

Having a toddler to look after has drained every ounce of energy I've got left. With the first it was all very easy in comparison, you could just take things at your own pace.

I'm 28 weeks now and honestly has been the worse time for me mentally and physically. I think your first will always be different as its a 'first of everything' and you generally have more time to sit down and relax and just take it in your stride more. I suffered with morning sickness first time but was easier to handle as didn't have to run around after anyone else but this time my god, sickness from 6 weeks which lasted till 20 weeks we then found out at 20 weeks baby girl has cleft lip i was then in hospital last week due to loss of fluid and no movements and all in between this iv still been going to work Full time as well as being full on with my nearly 5 year old, iv have no time to process anything and I don't feel very excited but I think im also a bit depressed. After the hospital stay it made me realise I just need to stop and take time for myself which il be doing now, I finish work in 5 weeks x

Nearing the end of my second pregnancy and it's been an absolute slog. I look back at myself in my first pregnancy and cringe at how smug and bouncy I was - I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about! Had a teeny little bump, no aches or pains, and I was easily able to get round a 4 mile walk a week before I gave birth.

Second time around I'm exhausted, uncomfortable and huge. I can't walk more than about 200 meters without wincing. I feel like I've aged about ten years. I know it's a miracle and a beautiful time and I'm enjoying every second etc etc but I am never doing this again

I didnt like my first pregnancy - I had HG for the first 2/3rds of it really and I was so exhausted all the way through, plus tokophobia and terrible anxiety.

But second pregnancy - even worse! Exhaustion worse, HG again although that was treated faster this time so wasn't quite as bad in a medical sense but sometimes harder in a practical sense as I had a lot less caring support because DH was busy with our toddler so I spent months mostly totally alone in bed feeling awful which was very depressing. Then as it cleared up I got PGP, which severely impacted my sleep as it was worst at night. Having PGP and being really exhausted and having sole care of my clingy 3yr old was soooo hard. Also my bump and baby were much bigger second time round which probably contributed to my exhaustion and PGP. The last few weeks I was so uncomfortable, even my maternity clothes were getting small and it was so hard to find outfits that didn't look ridiculous or were uncomfortable because of my massive bump and even that was stressful.

I hate being pregnant, its the main reason I don't think we will have any more kids. That and the birth and recovery given both times I've had ventouse deliveries with episiotomies and both times they've not healed in a straightforward manner. I'm 4 weeks PP and still have perineal pain.

I was exactly the same, pretty much breezed through first pregnancy but second was awful! Sick for first twenty weeks, exhausted with no time to rest. Baby was very big too and transverse so was very uncomfortable in final trimester. Worth it but made me realise I didn’t want to do it again. Sending lots of sympathy, I was miserable but got though it.