Was your second pregnancy physically harder than your first?

[LavenderSweetPea]

Just curious really what everyone's experiences are. I'm sure having a child to run after makes it more exhausting, but how did things like morning sickness, heartburn, PGP etc compare for you?

I was lucky and had a relatively easy pregnancy the first time round but I'm thinking about having a second and wondering what I might be letting myself in for...

No, much easier.
Gained Less weight and found it easier to get back to my pre pregnancy weight / shape quicker.
Did have more help second time round.

Mine was also easier which was a relief.

I’ve read you’re more likely to experience nausea and sickness with a girl, but my boy pregnancy was the sicky one. It was tiring towards the end, though.

Yes, x1000. I gained a lot more weight, had hypertension from the off, then pre-eclampsia. My iron went insane and my thyroid fell off a cliff. Carpal tunnel, about 3/4 of my hair fell out, I developed a strange unknown rash...

I have never taken so many medications in my life.

Second section was x1000 better though and recovery night and day from the first. So, worth it, I think?

Nope! Definitely easier as no sickness at the beginning. DD1 was 6.5 when DD2 was born though. Third pregnancy was infinitely harder though! More nausea, higher risk and a 3yo DD2 to run around after. Exhausting!

So so much worse… more of all the side effects and minor conditions - but ironically I lost loads of weight instead of gaining it - and was very active with baby/toddler - so I actually recovered post birth (c-section) faster.

Pregnancy was definitely easier, less sickness/fatigue/ aches etc but it’s harder being pregnant with a toddler

Yes, much harder. The sickness was worse but I was just so much more tired as I just didn’t get the rest I needed as I was working and also had an early rising 2 year old. Was really sick through out, then just started retaining loads of water, became this big, exhausted, sick, bloated whale and got diagnosed with pre eclampsia around 33 weeks. Started feeling worse and got induced at 34 weeks. DD is now 11 and lovely but I knew the second she was born that I wouldn’t be putting myself through that again.

Second was the worst! Had bad vomiting with all three of them, but especially number two. Third was the least bad. Third trimester was fine each time. I’d rate the deliveries in the opposite order though!

No, zero sickness with my second pregnancy but I did have a few symptomless blood pressure issues

People say all pregnancies are different but mine have been very similar to be honest. I've had 3... HG in all, easing off about 14-16 weeks, pelvic pain from about 16-20 weeks and heartburn in the second half of pregnancy. No issues sleeping in any of them thankfully. But then there's only 3 years and 20 months between my first and my last child so maybe it didn't vary so much because my age wasn't so different in each one?

In terms of having a toddler, I find it is more exhausting, but on the plus side it's also more distracting so the pregnancy feels quicker. In many ways the first pregnancy was the hardest mentally because I didn't expect to be so unwell during pregnancy, at least with the other two, it was hell but I knew what I was getting myself in for.

So much harder. It was easier for a couple of weeks as there were virtually no symptoms (sickness, cravings, aversions) to the point I was certain I was going to miscarry. Then the fatigue set in. Then the PGP did. And the weight gain that didn't go away with breastfeeding. Thank goodness I had the laziest, chillest toddler known to mankind as we spent more days than not watching TV on the sofa.

Much harder, first pregnancy was a breeze I barely had any symptoms other than heartburn now and again which was manageable with a bit of gaviscon. Second time round I was sick multiple times a day from 4 to 19 weeks, just physically drained and didn't enjoy being pregnant at all.
delivery was much easier second time round though.

Second was much harder. I went into it feeling old, tired and out of shape with an 18 month old to look after. Postpartum physical recovery has been harder as well - more weight gain, diastasis recti and lots of adhesions from a second C section.

Much harder. Constant nausea from before I missed my period till 16 weeks, some sickness (that was with a boy after no sickness with my girl), low bp and dizziness, food aversions, could barely walk for a few weeks in third trimester as he was lying in a weird way, worse heartburn than first one. And a 3 year old to look after.

Completely worth it but bloody hard work.

I think if you had a prev easy pregnancy it’s likely to be similar so that’s good!
I did not enjoy the first time. Weight gain, very bad morning sickness, low iron etc but the second time was quite a bit worse - sickness so bad I needed a drip for hydration, gestational diabetes, iron issues and varicose veins

Mine was harder but I was considerably older the second time around. I was much sicker, much more tired and I was just generally in pain for almost all of my third trimester

Easier. And small age gap so I was doing a lot of lifting and running around, DC2 was a pound smaller too, which was part of it,

The birth was also a gazzilion times easier.

Both my pregnancies were broadly the same - same symptoms, same weight gain, same bump size, same levels of tiredness etc. Basically carbon copies of each other. However, after a quick and uneventful first labour, my second labour was much harder though. Didn’t think I would be able to push the little bugger out. Perhaps naively it had never occurred to me that a second vaginal birth would be more difficult, so that bit took me by surprise.

@sexnotgenders it also hadn't occurred to me the actual birth might be harder a second time round. Everyone always says a second is quicker and easier.... Damn.

Thought my first pregnancy was hard until I went through my second pregnancy. And I thought my second pregnancy was hard until I am now pregnant with my third. Now for the first time I felt my legs were so heavy and im exhausted most of the time. I’m guessing it’s to do with aging?

Second birth was even easier than the first. And second pregnancy was a doddle. I commuted to work until 3 weeks before the baby was born. Second baby was easier too as they just had to fit in with older child’s schedule.

Pregnancy wise it was easier for me second time round. Less sickness, less migraines, less restless legs etc but it's harder second time round as you can't just sit down/go to bed etc when you want as you have another child to run around after

Second time was so much worse! I breezed through the first one but I was sick for 40 weeks with the second and gained 4.5 stone and had preeclampsia. Not wanting to put you off or anything - she was so worth it! I’m not having a third though.

I’m only half way through my second pregnancy so can’t fully comment but I had a very easy first pregnancy symptoms wise and so far my second pregnancy is the same.

I am more tired than the first time around due to having a toddler, never sitting still, and no lie ins (sob). I went into pregnancy 2 weighing less than the first time around despite doing les exercise (see: never sitting still). I’m definitely not as fit as the first time around as exercise is non existent which worries me a bit as I recovered quickly the first time around. TBD on delivery though!

First pregnancy I had morning sickness before I had even missed my period, but this eased off around week 10. I had PGP and high BP near the end. Second pregnancy my god that has put me off for life - regular bleeding, couldn’t even keep water down most days until around 14 weeks and required medication. I also developed gestational diabetes quite early on and my liver started struggling. PGP also reared its ugly head but even worse this time. My recovery second time around was fab though in comparison to my first even with a 3 year old at home.

pregnancies were 3 years apart and same dad (I was regularly asked at my appointments if it was a different dad this time around which could be causing all these issues) babies were different sex though so maybe that’s what it was