Was Pregnancy #2 This Hard for You?

yeah, my 2nd was way harder. i got big with both but HUGE with #2, and way more achey and miserable. and weirdly worried that i could never love this one as much as i did the first.
but oh, the euphoria when that boy was born! best high i've ever had.
hang in there, mama!
:) khairete
S.

I hear you! Yes, my first was fun because it was all new and exciting. The second was, literally, well I guess if we want another child I have to be pregnant. Couldn't wait until it was over. You are not alone.

I think the hardest part of being pregnant with #2 is that you still have #1 to take care of.

When I was pregnant with number 1, everything was amazing and I had energy, looked great, felt great, NAILED this pregnancy thing!

Then came number 2. I was exhausted from taking care of my daughter, home and husband. I didn't eat as carefully as I did the first time because I knew this was my final pregnancy, so I gained more weight.

So along comes week 30 and I feel exactly like you. :)

The benefits of pregnancy number two?

1.) I was SO MUCH MORE relaxed about things.
2.) I knew what to expect from delivery, so I wasn't anxious about it.
3.) Labor and deliver was much shorter! I think I pushed, maybe, 5 times?

Hang in there, S.. I so get it! Maybe treat yourself to a cute new maternity top or a great pedicure to help you feel better about yourself. Believe me, August 30 will be here before you know it!

Oh yeah. The first time it is all special and magical, you get tons of attention, your belly doesn't stick out till like the last 3 months. And you have no kids so you have every evening free to put your feet up, have hubby bring you some ice water and watch TV each night (or spend your time reading "what to expect" and fantasizing about how wonderful it will be when baby is here).

This time you know exactly what's coming your way. People are happy for you but not exactly showering you with attention and presents and treating you like you've done something wonderful. Your belly has been huge since the day after you peed on a stick. You are exhausted every night from trying to chase a toddler or preschooler (or another baby!) around all day.

I swear the hormones are worse the second time around too. Your body has done this before so things are shifting and responding with way too much familiarity.

You may be in a bad hormonal shift that will let up next week and you'll feel a bit better. We can hope, right. Maybe try to recreate a little of that "first time" magic and arrange to take an evening to sit on the couch, put your feet up, and watch mindless TV. For several hours.

And this sounds old fashioned but watch your salt intake. My mom swore by this, it supposedly makes you super swell-y and bloated and cranky.

Yes - I'm naturally thin so baby is all in front and I felt like my stomach was going to drop off with #2 probably by 5 or 6 months. And no rest when you have another baby or toddler to take care of who wanted to be carried all the time. Ugh. Was so ready to give birth. Sick of sleeping on my side... And end was winter so not even hot like you're probably experiencing!

Well I was on bed rest with number two so yep it was harder. I felt huge and uncomfortable with both my pregnancies (I have a very short torso so I got big quickly) at around 30 weeks. But I had two complicated pregnancies and I had PUPPP both times which was just so terribly itchy that I was ready to be done. My first was born between 34 and 35 weeks so I guess I should have been careful what I wished for. My second was a few days shy of 37 weeks and I was counting down the days to the scheduled c-section rather grumpily. I was just so ready to get on with things and stop being so uncomfortably stuck in bed.

Good luck! It is okay to feel the way you do...we don't all sail happily through pregnancy.

Yes, and pregnancy # 3 was hardest of all!!!!

For both my 2nd and 3rd pregnancies, my last trimesters were spent in the hot & humid Chicagoland summer/early fall months. Ugh!

Just take one day at a time and try not to think about how far away it is. Take your oldest to the pool and just float in the water all afternoon. Try to rest whenever possible. Stay hydrated!

Before you know it, five years will have gone by since you had your youngest and you will wonder how that happened!

I had so many more problems with my second. Gestational diabetes, shingles, early pregnancy bleeding, car accident that I ended up having to go the ER for, etc. I didn't mind the weight gain, it was 20 pounds less than with my daughter because of the diabetes diet, but shingles is the worst pain I've ever had, and all I could take for it was tylenol, which did nothing. My baby was born 2 weeks early, and even though I wanted him to be able to cook longer, it did not hurt my feelings that I was done being pregnant. I told my husband that it was a good thing that pregnancy was so hard, because our baby is an angel and I'd consider having another one if I hadn't been so miserable. He got a vasectomy when the baby was 2 weeks old. :)

My second pregnancy sucked. I had all day sickness for 7 months. And when I finally did have her, she was two days late! So.miserable. I had the worst cankles and could barely fit into shoes.

What saved me was pregnancy massage! During the last month of pregnancy, I had one every week. I think that made my labor easier.

Be kind to yourself and take it easy. Hang in there!

I only have one and my pregnancy was easy peasey - but the last month was still hard to get through.
My hips were loose and grinding - it made walking difficult - my feet swelled horribly - I was exhausted and needing to eat and pee every few hours.
My husband took a picture of me the day before labor started - I was HUGE but I love that picture!
If your doctor is ok with it - spend as much time in a pool as you can.
You'll be super bouyant and takes so much pressure off your back - it's great just to float and relax
It's hard when you have to get out of the pool again - but at least it's some temporary relief.
You'll feel better after birth once you get your kidneys to yourself again.

I am due October 17th with my 2nd. My second pregnancy I am 34, first I was 25/26, that makes a huge difference. My first child just turned 8 which is a great age but it has been very busy with all his activities and the end of the year school events. Thankfully we went on vacation last week. This week and next week my son is at overnight camp, this has made a huge difference Being able to come home after working all day and put my feet up is awesome.

Yes, it's hard. You are merely a vessel, Mom. And the baby still needs to grow even though you feel like you've turned into a whale.

Start a project. It will help. Hang in there!

omg ME TOO. you are not alone. I am due the beginning of september. my 1st daughter is 11 .... i thought maybe thats why i am feeling this way. 23 years old w my 1st and 35 with my 2nd. maybe my body is just not handling it well. as far as medically speaking i'm having a perfectly normal pregnancy. even my complaints to my dr have all been "normal pregnancy stuff" -- BUT ... omg. starting about 27 weeks i started feeling just as bad as i did with my first when i was about 33 weeks along. constant pain, constantly uncomfortable. can't sleep - i feel like my body is not my own and i have no control. the weight gain is hard for me this time too. i've gained 27lbs so far. i'm moody and emotional and i can barely walk to the garage and do laundry w/out needing a break :-/

You're normal. Every pregnancy is different anyway. But there's more. The first time, everything was new. And you weren't exhausted from chasing around a small child like you are this time. Plus it's summertime and it's hot and everything is harder when you feel sluggish. And yeah, my theory is that the last 6 weeks of misery is designed to get the woman to look forward to labor. There's no novelty here - you know what to expect, and you know you're just going to feel more cumbersome as the weeks drag on. So it's a whole new experience. Sometimes pregnancy just sucks, that's all. You will be much better when the baby is here.Try to pamper yourself somehow, either with a spa day or a day away from child care, or anything else that would be fun. Really try to stop looking in the mirror. Not being thrilled with the stresses on your body has no relevance to how much you want the baby or will love him when he comes.

On the plus side you know what to expect in labor, and you will be better at "mothering" because you are more experienced. It's okay if the novelty has worn off a little!

Hang in there!

Not sure when your oldest was born, but July is a sucky, sucky month to be in your third trimester. My oldest was due August 18. I was miserable right about this time. My youngest was born in the spring, so I was at least grateful for that!

I always felt like this in the last months too. Your body is tired...I get it. However, remember it doesn't last forever. Maybe one day you'll miss being pregnant. Remember that God has allowed and blessed you with this gift. Maybe you could focus more on the child that you have already before you really get busy with the second when he comes. Just try to relax and enjoy your time alone with your first child.

But no...you are not alone. I gained 50 lbs with my baby number 2 and I felt ridiculous in my own body. I actually started attending parenting classes and it got me excited.

Keep in mind that there are women who want to have a baby and are unable....so enjoy yourself. It won't last forever. Take care sweetie!

Nope, totally normal. In fact, I purposely "evicted" my daughter a week early just because I was so sick of being pregnant.
It's a lot harder when you are managing another little one, on top of the typical misery involved with the end of pregnancy.

I only have one child, but I hated being pregnant. I hated the nausea, bloating, overactive bladder, constipation, having to contort my legs to tie my shoes, hemorrhoids the size of grapes, belly in the way of everything. I hated it so much that I vowed NEVER to go through it again.

Honestly, no, I didn't have hard second pregnancy. It was far easier.

Are you exercising? I know you're feeling big and miserable, but the more you get out and walk and stretch, the better you'll feel.

Focus on the positive:)

I didn't feel that way with either of my pregnancies.

With my 1st, I gained the most weight...didn't really lose it all after but I had a big baby (for someone my size). I only felt ready to be done during the last two weeks (which according to the doctor I was 12 days late...I say I was right on time)...during which my ankles started to swell.

With my 2nd (15 years later) I started out a little bigger, gained an average amount. Had an average size baby. Was only uncomfortable a few times, mostly the last few days but then again I was sitting on bleachers at my son's wrestling tournament when early contractions started (lasting all day) and into the next. Then they kept me awake that 2nd night and were more regular. Water broke on 3rd day...had her that night.

Both pregnancies and deliveries were as different at night in day in how I carried and felt but I never had any real problems or morning sickness. I was 15 years older so that was one difference I really felt.