Your little one is going to have a sibling! As your family expands, you might want to expand your expectations this go-round. Don’t expect your second pregnancy to mirror your first.
Even though your babies come from the same womb, it doesn’t mean your pregnancies will be the same. Mustela’s baby experts give you the low-down when it comes to your second pregnancy with these 11 surprising ways it’s different from your first.
After that, we’ll offer a few tips for preparing to welcome baby number two!
Second Pregnancy Differences
1) You’ll Feel Pregnant Sooner
With your first pregnancy, you probably wondered when you would actually “feel” pregnant. But since you’re a pro by now, you’re more apt to recognize some early pregnancy symptoms!
Keep in mind that the symptoms might be different from your first pregnancy, but they could also be identical. Some symptoms that you may experience more or less of include:
- Morning sickness
- Indigestion
- Tummy troubles, like constipation
- Emptying your bladder frequently
- Food cravings
- Breast enlargement and sensitivity (Although moms-to-be have found this to happen less the second time around.)
For example, you may have had morning sickness with your first pregnancy. You could have the same, more, or less morning sickness with your second pregnancy.
While we’re on the topic of morning sickness, you’ve probably heard the old wives’ tale that relates morning sickness to the gender of your baby. But this pregnancy symptom has less to do with the gender of your baby and more to do with your body.
Even if you are expecting the same gender as your first child, you could experience different symptoms this time around.
Check out our article Pregnancy Symptoms: 14 Signs That You Might Be Pregnant for a deeper and more thorough explanation of your pregnancy symptoms.
2) You’ll Look Pregnant Sooner
Because your abdominal and uterine muscles have already stretched and are laxer from your first pregnancy, your belly will pop out sooner than it did with your first baby.
Unfortunately, those lax abdominal muscles come with their own set of possible challenges: backaches and other body pains. The good news is you’ll be able to break out your old maternity clothes sooner!
3) You May Be More Tired
You were most likely able to take naps and rest whenever you needed to with your first pregnancy. We can’t say the same for your second pregnancy.
After all, you’re probably chasing around another child! Who has energy when you’re housing a baby and meeting the demands of your firstborn?
Be prepared for the fatigue to set in a little sooner with this pregnancy. And when it does, call in reinforcements so you can catch that much-needed nap!
It’s also important to maintain a healthy diet and a consistent exercise routine while you’re pregnant to regain your lost energy.
4) You May Carry Your Baby Lower
Your abdominal muscles likely aren’t as strong and tight as they were during your first pregnancy, so they can’t support your baby as well as they did the first time around.
Because of this, you may carry your baby a little lower now. The bad news? That means more trips to the restroom to empty your bladder, along with some pelvic discomfort because of your baby’s position.
And since you may carry your baby lower than before, stretch marks might appear — or reappear — during your second pregnancy. Try Mustela’s Stretch Marks Cream or Stretch Marks Serum to limit the appearance of stretch marks and leave your skin restored, refreshed, and noticeably smoother!
Our Stretch Marks Cream is a nourishing cream specifically formulated to deliver hydration, which helps prevent the appearance of stretch marks during pregnancy.
In addition to moisturizing your skin naturally, this quick-absorbing cream soothes feelings of tightness and discomfort and leaves your skin smooth.
Plus, you can rest easy about putting this product on your skin since it’s made with 96% naturally-derived ingredients and is safe to use during pregnancy and postpartum. It’s free of questionable ingredients like parabens, phenoxyethanol, and phthalates.
And it includes natural ingredients like Avocado Peptides to help protect and strengthen delicate skin and Maracuja Polyphenols and Hamamelis Plant Extract to improve skin’s suppleness and elasticity.
If you prefer a serum instead of a cream, our specially formulated Stretch Marks Serum leaves your skin moisturized, smooth, and supple and creates a moisturizing barrier on your skin for added protection.
It’s a concentrated hydrating serum designed to help minimize the appearance of recently formed stretch marks while also giving your skin a plump look and feel.
With a pipette for easy, targeted application, simply apply this fragrance-free product to stretch mark areas both morning and evening for at least eight weeks.
What sorts of wonderful natural ingredients does this serum offer your skin? Avocado oil, maracuja oil, hyaluronic acid, and plant-based glycerin.
5) You’ll Feel Your Baby Move Sooner
Once again, you can thank your stretched abdominal muscles for this one! You may start to feel your baby moving around at about 16 weeks — or even sooner.
Plus, you’ve felt your baby move before, so you’re more aware of what it feels like when your baby kicks!
6) You’re Not As Anxious
Your first pregnancy left you with curiosity and worry. Since it was your first time being pregnant, you had no idea what to expect with each trimester.
Your second time around, you pretty much know what to expect from the first, second, and third trimester, even though your pregnancy is different. You can put your mind at ease now that you’ve already been pregnant and given birth.
However, no pregnancy is exempt from a worrisome mom. If you find yourself worrying so much that you can’t sleep or it’s taking over your mind, talk to your obstetrician right away!
Don’t forget that the final trimester is the fourth, and this is another aspect that will be different with each pregnancy and each baby. Read our article on what the fourth trimester is and how you can prepare for it.
7) You’ll Need To Share The News With A Child
Whether you have a baby, toddler, older child, or adolescent, you have an extra someone to share your exciting news with!
Age-appropriate preparation will make all the difference for your first child. After all, they are going from only child to oldest child. Include your child in your big reveal and make it special for them.
Let them share in the excitement and celebrate this new journey that you and your family are on!
If your firstborn is now a toddler, it might be a challenge to find a way to explain things to them and help them to prepare for the baby to come. For specific tips on how to speak with your toddler about their new sibling, click here.
8) You Will Have New Emotions
With any pregnancy, moms across the board experience a variety of emotions. Some moms are filled with excitement, while some are filled with worry. You could even experience both at the same time!
With the highs and lows of emotions that accompany moms-to-be, you’ll now have the added worry of how a new baby will affect your firstborn.
You have a special bond with your first child and wonder if it will be the same the second time around. You love them so much and fear that you won’t be able to love your second child the same.
Many mothers experience this feeling during their second pregnancy. Put your mind at ease knowing your family isn’t the only thing expanding — your love and your heart are, too!
9) You Might Experience More Braxton Hicks Contractions
Because your body has felt — and experienced — real contractions, it can recognize Braxton Hicks contractions easier.
On top of that, your uterine muscles are already stretched out (as we’ve mentioned), so those Braxton Hicks contractions may be more frequent for a second-time mom.
To tell the difference between Braxton Hicks contractions and real contractions, try changing your position. If you’ve been sitting, stand up for a bit or vice versa. Drinking lots of water, (around two liters) is something else you can try to stop Braxton Hicks contractions.
Braxton Hicks contractions will end after a little while, whereas real, active contractions will continue throughout these changes.
10) Your Labor And Delivery Will Likely Go Faster
Your body’s prior experience with labor and delivery play a role in a faster delivery. Every phase of labor tends to be shorter for second-time moms.
Even the amount of time you’ll spend pushing is shortened! This is because certain parts of your body have loosened up, specifically your cervix and uterus.
11) Your Breastfeeding Experience May Be Easier
If you breastfed your first baby, you and your newborn were learning the ropes when it came to breastfeeding. It was a new experience for both of you.
This time around, however, you’re familiar with how it works. Even though breastfeeding is new for your baby, you have a better idea of what to do!
That said, just as with other aspects of raising children, it’s different with each little one! If you find yourself with sore or cracked nipples or your newborn can’t seem to latch on correctly, don’t hesitate to reach out to a lactation consultant.
Tip: If you choose to breastfeed this time, don’t forget to try our Nursing Comfort Balm to keep your skin comfortable while nursing. This must-have product protects your nipples, eases discomfort, and helps to replenish and restore your skin during and after breastfeeding!
Made with 100% naturally derived and food-grade ingredients, this soothing and restorative nipple cream envelops your skin in a moisturizing barrier. It’s enriched with vitamin E and olive oil to nourish your skin. And it’s free of lanolin, fragrance, and dye.
Rest assured that this product is backed by scientific research, developed in collaboration with healthcare professionals, and tested under dermatological control. We’ve made sure that it’s proven safe for both moms and babies.
Now that you know a bit more about how your second pregnancy might differ from your first, let’s move on to a few tips for how to prepare for your second little one.
How To Prepare During Your Second Pregnancy
Don’t Hesitate To Have A Baby Shower
While a baby shower is a perfect opportunity for your friends and family to shower you with baby necessities, the event is, first and foremost, a celebration of your new baby’s life! For this reason, don’t hesitate to have a baby shower for your second baby (and your third and fourth!).
If you want to switch things up, the event could look less like a baby shower and more like a girls’ brunch, a couples’ barbecue, or a gifts-for-mom shower. You could also opt for a baby sprinkle, which is similar to a baby shower but less involved.
As far as gifts go, you probably already have many of the baby basics like a crib, rocking chair, and the like. But you’ll still need plenty of baby supplies, like wipes, shampoo, lotion, and more. These are the types of items you’ll want to put on your registry.
Stock up by registering for bundled diaper wipes, like our Diaper Wipes Bundle, or a 3-pack of our Certified Organic Water Wipes with Cotton and Aloe Bundle.
These EWG Verified, organic wipes are designed to gently cleanse your baby’s skin, leaving it soothed, soft, fresh, and moisturized.
In addition to being certified organic, the wipes are composed of 99.8% ingredients of natural origin, including organic cotton that’s recycled from the textile industry and organic aloe vera grown on fair-trade farms in the highlands of Mexico.
We’ve made our organic wipes safe for little ones (even newborns) and good for the planet, too. The packaging contains up to 10% recycled plastic from industrial scrap and is made without a plastic lid, reducing our plastic use by 47%. Plus, the wipes themselves are biodegradable.
Take Care Of Yourself
Even though this pregnancy thing isn’t brand new to you, it’s still essential to take good care of yourself. Get enough sleep, eat well, stay active, and keep up with your prenatal vitamins and doctor’s appointments.
As we mentioned, care for your skin with Nursing Comfort Balm, Stretch Marks Cream, and, for an all-over moisturizer, use our Certified Organic Hydrating Cream with Olive Oil and Aloe.
This fragrance-free lotion is a lightweight, restorative cream for the face and body, leaving your skin soft, supple, and hydrated. It’s safe for baby skin and effective enough for adult skin, too, making it ideal to keep on hand for the whole family!
Our Organic Hydrating Cream is carefully crafted with 99.6% naturally-derived ingredients, including organic aloe vera, organic sunflower oil, and organic olive oil that’s sourced from family-owned olive groves in the South of France.
Recruit Friends And Family
One way to take care of yourself is to know your limits and ask for help. Your second pregnancy is the perfect time to recruit your family and friends to lend a hand.
While your first pregnancy might have been overwhelming since it was your first rodeo, you might need more help this time around since you’ve got your hands full in addition to a growing belly!
Ask for help from family and friends both now, during your pregnancy, as well as after your baby is born, and you’re juggling two kids.
Make the needed pet and child care arrangements for when you go into labor and stock up on freezer meals if you can!
Invest In Your Partner
With a toddler or young child in your home, it might be harder to get away for a special weekend or go out for date nights. But do what you can to invest in your partner and your relationship before the arrival of your second baby.
It doesn’t have to be a weekend or a night out if you can’t swing it. Special time together at home and intentional conversations will also strengthen your relationship.
Set Up The Nursery
Depending on the layout of your house and what the sleeping arrangements will be, setting up your new baby’s nursery might mean moving your first child out of the nursery and into their big-kid bed.
Think ahead about any needed changes so you can take the necessary time to help your first child adjust as well as possible and have the nursery prepared for your new little one.
Install A Second Car Seat
If your first child is still little, they’ll still be in a car seat or booster seat. With the second one on the way, it’s time to make room in the car for two!
Just as with your first baby, make sure the car seat is installed in the car, ready and waiting for delivery day.
Prepare Financially
It’s a good idea to take a look at your finances before baby number two comes along. Find out what your current insurance plan covers, talk to your boss about maternity or paternity leave, and factor in any current or upcoming childcare costs for both of your kids.
Get Ready For Delivery
Since this is your second pregnancy, you’ll have a better idea of how childbirth will go. And, as we mentioned, it will probably go a bit more quickly than your first delivery.
Even though you know the ropes, you’ll still need to pack your hospital bag in advance so it’s ready to go at a moment’s notice.
You can also create a birth plan if you want, just remember that you’ll need to be flexible when the day comes.
Embrace Your Second Pregnancy
You’re no stranger to pregnancy symptoms. But keep in mind that your symptoms during this pregnancy may or may not resemble the symptoms of your first pregnancy.
With your second pregnancy, you have a little one — or not-so-little-one — running around at home. And whether you’re toting your child on your hip or to baseball practice, you’ll find naps won’t come as easy as they did during your first pregnancy.
Another difference in your second pregnancy is a shorter labor and easier delivery in terms of how your body adjusts. We’d say this is a perk of your second pregnancy, with the most obvious perk being your new little one!
Mustela is excited for your growing family, which is why we not only have products for you, the mom-to-be, but we also have products for your little one.
For example, check out our Bath Time Essentials Set. It takes care of your baby’s skin care needs during and in-between bath time!
And for you, the mom-to-be, find your favorite maternity products from Mustela. Our Stretch Marks products are a great starting point! These powerhouse products safely support and care for your changing skin!
Now you’re ready to embrace your second pregnancy!