Pregnancies, besides bringing happiness and anticipation, are always a source of fear, worries and uncertainty, mostly because it is a complex and often difficult process. If you are experiencing your second pregnancy, it is normal that you have anxieties, either because you had bad experiences in your first pregnancy or because you fear that the second time will be different, so here we will tell you everything you need to know to cope with your second pregnancy.
As you live your pregnancy process, you will realize that each pregnancy, birth and postpartum has a world of difference with the previous ones, and although you already have the previous experience of your first child, there will be things that may surprise you in this second instance, while, on the other hand, there will be knowledge that you can apply to this new process and things to which you will pay more attention.
Differences in the second pregnancy
First of all, there are physiological differences that are a result of having already been pregnant, which may seem like anomalies compared to your first pregnancy, but they are perfectly natural. For example, your belly may grow earlier than expected because your abdominal walls have been stretched before, or your skin may support the stretching better because it has already experienced the tension of the first time.
Also, it is important to note that your second pregnancy involves older age, which always requires greater care and different approaches for your doctor. On the other hand, your doctors and specialists will have much more information to help you in your second pregnancy, as any complications or situations you may have had the first time around can be taken into account in your care.
It is important to note that having a child at home while you are pregnant can make you feel much more stressed and tired, with less time to rest and take care of yourself. However, all the knowledge you gained from your first experience, you can now apply it from the beginning, taking care of your body and mind, getting everything you need to cope with your process and enjoy it in all its splendor.
Finally, you already know most of the symptoms of pregnancy, and normally, on your second occasion you will experience the same symptoms, so you already know how to alleviate them or deal with them in a better way. You will also be able to recognize your baby’s movements more easily, since you already know the sensations of it moving, and in general, you have a better idea of what it is like to experience pregnancy.
And if you’re worried about labor and postpartum, there’s good news and bad news in terms of pain. On the one hand, your labor may be much shorter, mostly because your cervix won’t be as stiff as it was the first time. But your postpartum experience may be more painful, since your uterus is already larger as a result of your first pregnancy, and the postpartum contractions to return it to its original size will be more noticeable and painful.
In general, your second pregnancy will not be better or worse, there will be no more danger or comfort, it will simply be a totally different experience, with a body that has changed over the years and a radically different life than the one you had before becoming a mother for the first time, and it is an opportunity to live a new experience of becoming a mother of another human being.
