Congratulations on your second pregnancy! So you’re going to be a mother again! Motherhood is a wonderful feeling indeed. You must be wondering how your experience will differ from the first. Also, since your body is older than the first time, you may also be anxious about possible complications. Here are some things to expect during your second pregnancy and some precautions to take to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Changes in your body different from your first pregnancy:
Your morning sickness may be less severe, although this is not a rule. However, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and a leaking bladder are likely to recur.
You can get tired easily this time. It is possible that you do not rest as much as the first time, because you have to take care of your first child. Your pelvic joints may hurt more. You need to be much more careful with your posture and lie on your side while you sleep.
-Your belly may get bigger and a bulge starts to show much sooner than the first time. Your uterine wall has already expanded before, so your muscles are now more flexible. Sometimes the second pregnancy becomes apparent even before the second trimester, already at week 8-10.
The first time, labor can last 12 to 14 hours, or even 20 hours in some cases. But the second time, the work period is usually much shorter. The cervical muscles dilate faster, about 1.5 cm per hour, compared to 1.2 cm per hour in the first pregnancy. However, if the first time you had a caesarean section, then the second time the phase of labor will not be reduced.
The uterine contractions that mothers experience during the first few days after delivery may be more intense this time. These uterine contractions are actually signs that your uterus is returning to its pre-pregnancy state. But the pain associated with this can be so severe that you may feel the need for medication.
Emotional adjustments for you and your family:
Second time pregnant mothers often don’t worry as much about their pregnancy as they did the first time. They have their firstborn to care for, who could very well be an active toddler or preschooler. Also, being more experienced, they tend to be less anxious. But sometimes they may think that they are not taking care of the unborn baby as much as they should and feel guilty. Rest assured that in the second pregnancy, the required frequency of birth checks is less than in the first. In addition, you will have ample opportunities to care for the new baby after her birth.
Guilt pangs can also stem from an inability to spend as much time with your first child and husband as you did before your second pregnancy. You may feel that you are neglecting our older son. Chill out; consider this an opportunity for them to learn how to care for them.
You may be concerned about the right time to tell your first child about your second pregnancy. It’s a good idea to tell them as soon as possible, to give them enough time to adjust to the idea. Try to spend quality time with them, involve them in your planning for the newborn. Assure them that they are not becoming less important to you because the second baby is on the way. Make them feel that you trust them to take care of her little brother. If they are going to be moved to another room or to another bed, don’t wait until delivery time, they might feel replaced. Also, consider making them part of the birth by keeping them in the waiting room at work.
Complications that can arise
Weight gain between pregnancies increases the risks of complications for both the mother and the second baby. Studies show that gaining up to 3 to 6 kilos can lead to high blood pressure and pregnancy-diabetes. The increase of 9 kilos can cause toxemia, preeclampsia or even fetal death.
Preeclampsia is more likely if the first baby was premature or smaller than normal, or if the mother has diabetes or chronic high blood pressure. Symptoms of preeclampsia are pregnancy-induced hypertension, protein in the urine, and excessive fluid retention. This can restrict blood flow to the placenta in severe cases. The greater the gap between pregnancies, the greater the risk of these problems.
Erythroblastosis fetalis with Rh disease is also another high risk factor during the second pregnancy. This occurs when the mother is Rh¬- while the fetus is Rh+ in the first pregnancy. Some red blood cells from the fetus can enter the mother’s bloodstream at the time of delivery. These activate specific Rh antibodies, which persist in the mother’s blood. In a subsequent pregnancy, these anti-Rh antibodies can cross the placenta and damage the fetus’s blood cells, with fatal consequences. This can be prevented by injecting Rhogam into the mother’s body after the birth of the first child. These destroy fetal red blood cells that enter the mother’s bloodstream and prevent the formation of anti-Rh antibodies.
So, all you second-time moms out there, I hope your first experience makes you feel less anxious than before. Now she knows better the diets that she must follow, the exercises that she must do to make sure that she experiences a second pregnancy without risks. See your OB, try to stay up to date on any new tests or medications that have been introduced. Consider joining a Lamaze class again, now that you may have forgotten much of the exercise routine. Discussing your experiences with other new mothers in your circle of friends will further ease your tensions. So sit back, relax, enjoy your motherhood and joyfully welcome the new baby to this earth.