Second Pregnancies

I used a little home test as soon as I was one day late. (I menstruate like clockwork.)

Yes, I showed earlier, LOL. It was like my body said, "Oh, I remember how this works" and pop! I'm dragging out the maternity stuff. I think I felt the flutters earlier (it was 12 years ago). But this could've been because I knew what they felt like and didn't confuse them with tummy gurgles or anything else.

I knew - but that's because we were trying

I also showed faster - by the fourth month I needed maternity stuff - I was seven months along with the first before I needed them.

With the first, I had 24 hour nausea - with the second there was almost none (only when I either got too hungry or ate too much)

The second pregnancy was easier - no food aversions (garlic and olive oil the first time), no cravings, I never had that total exhaustion that comes in the first trimester. Even the delivery was easier (scheduled c-section vs emergency c-section) and the recovery was a snap the second time around as well (up and walking almost normal the next day.)

Hope this helps a little!

rubs sweaty palms on pants at the thought of a second...gulp....baby.

Yep, my taste buds changed (again) so I was more sensitive to sour things. My third fooled me, I didn't know I was pregnant until 5mo. (medical issues with number two so we were in the hospital a lot, I still blame my pregnancy on an intern -- when was I even home?).

Zits! Lots of zits. That was my first tip-off. Then came the nausea. Pregnancy does not wear well on me.

I was in labor for 18 hours with #1, and only 3 hours with #2.

I guess a part of me did kind of know the second time around. I'd taken a test on Friday; it came back negative. But my husband was returning from a weekend trip and I wanted so badly to surprise him with good news. So I took a second test on Sunday and it was positive! Alas, the pink and blue balloons he'd kicked through upon entering our bedroom fazed him not. I still had to explain it to him.

#1 was easy, perfect. No nausea. Decent weight gain. Twelve hour labor, 15 minutes of pushing.

#2 was drastically different. Couldn't keep anything but popcorn down for the first trimester. (Even the smell of chili made me yak.) I had issues with some nerves in my low back, which would lock up on me if I laid a certain way, for most of the pregnancy. (I was stranded in my bed once mid-day, for 15 minutes, before Hubby heard my calls for help...) Sharp, shooting pains. Got HUGE. Miserable. July birth in muggy, muggy Missouri. But I still only had to push for 16 blessed minutes.

I love both my girls endlessly.

It was a crazy time in my life and I couldn't even remember when my previous period was. The first time I suspected was after my MIL started harping on me about having a second child, and then I noticed that gee, my pants were tighter. I thought it was all of the Christmas cookies I'd been eating. Took a test the day after Christmas.

Weird thing was I knew it was a boy as soon as I saw the test turn positive. I don't know how or why. I even told my (now ex) husband that when I showed him the test.

My baby boy is now 9.

wyntermoon said:

My third fooled me, I didn't know I was pregnant until 5mo. (medical issues with number two so we were in the hospital a lot, I still blame my pregnancy on an intern -- when was I even home?).

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I forgot to add: My taste buds changed exactly the same way for both: Couldn't touch tea--and I'm a tea fiend. Craved grapefruit juice constantly. Couldn't look at a cheesburger.

First was a scheduled C-section (kid was so breach, his butt was wedged into my pelvis. We actually heard a suction-like pop when the doctor pulled him out. Second was a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesearaen) and they put me on pitocin because my water was leaking slowly. 21 hours labor, but I vastly preferred the recovery to the C-section recovery.

Someday when my youngest really gets my goat I will throw the length of labor up in his face, LOL.

I had a lot of the same things tipping me off that others have mentioned.

One of the things not mentioned that tipped me off to subsequent pregnancies was this uncomfortable feeling I had when I slept on my stomach. (I'm a tummy sleeper, lol) I could feel my uterus pushing back, I swear.

Sure enough, I would take a pregnancy test as soon as I *thought* I was late, and it would be positive.

Yes, I knew sooner. Figured it out when I was less than 2 weeks preggers. Nausea and taste buds and really, really tired.

I forgot about the back pain I had with my youngest - he was pressing on a nerve when he'd shift into a certain position. My mom had the same thing with my brother. Must be a boy thing.

I was pretty sure I was having a boy the second time around as well - just a gut feeling that was confirmed by ultrasound a few months later.

Jersey Chick said:

The second pregnancy was easier - no food aversions (garlic and olive oil the first time),

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Can I just say this is the most depressing thing I have ever heard in my entire life. It almost makes me not want to have kids. I love to cook, and I would put olive oil and garlic in cheesecake if the hubby would let me get away with it. EVERYTHING tastes better with garlic and olive oil. omg! Me and baby would be having some big fights, before baby even became conscious.

Ditto here -- knew earlier, showed earlier but that could be because my kid's birthdays are only 54 weeks apart, I'd had no chance to really exercise because I also had the emergency c-section, and so nothing got even close to being back where it belonged. I think part of the reason for knowing sooner was because you sort of know what to expect as well. First baby: Me: "Hmm, I really really want watermelon. Honey, I KNOW it's december but I want a freaking watermelon now! I don't know why, just freaking get it!" Him: races out of house before phone hits him on the side of his head
Second baby: "Hi, Honey, I'd like some watermelon today." Him: "I thought we were gonna wait at least a couple weeks before we did this again."

First time round, you're surprised to notice smells, to have cravings, to feel like there are butterflies in your tummy, so the second time you recognize it. You're also more prepared for what your body is going to do, I think. For me, the biggest difference between first and second time -- the new degree to which you find yourself hormonally driven especially in regards to...especially because you.... come on, ladies, you know, you need more of that special "ALONE TIME" with hubby and you really don't give a rip where you are or what you're doing because NOW is a really good time. He thinks that's great, for the first couple of months. When you have the second one so close to the first one, yeah, that ain't happening so much cause you're just too tired from baby #1.

TMI WARNING TMI WARNING TMI WARNING TMI WARNING TMI


With my first, I had been trying for a pregnancy for 2 1/2 years. I'd miscarried a couple of times, and was pretty distraught.

My periods are irregular, so missing one meant nothing. But I knew that I was pregnant when I got incredibly tired, had an intense craving for eggrolls, and couldn't sleep through the night without getting up to pee. I had gas. And crankiness. Lots of crankiness. I waited for a while to test, nonetheless. If I was going to have a spontaneous abortion (miscarriage in the first month or so), I didn't really want to know for sure.

Finally, I knew I was definitely pregnant. I took the test, and it came up positive. I went to see my midwife three days later; she had me go in for a sonogram that same day to date the pregnancy. Two months, one day. I named my son Emrys Devon...Immortal Little Poet...and promised myself and him that he would be with me no matter what. He's the taller one in my avatar.

I nursed exclusively, and didn't have periods for a little over a year after giving birth. When finally I did start, my husband and I weren't particuarly worried that I'd instantly be fertile again...after all, we'd tried so long the first time. But alas, one period, then I was preggers again.

My husband noticed before I did. He'd say, "You got up to pee last night, didn't you?" I'd say, "Yeah, so?" And he'd just shake his head and smile. Or he'd say, "Want some eggrolls?" to which I'd reply, "How'd you know?" Eventually, he said, "You're pregnant."

I took a test the next time I got up in the middle of the night. I was pregnant. I was so happy! I ran to tell my husband, but he only mumbled, "I *know*. I've been *telling* you..." and went back to sleep. Of course, the next day, he was thrilled.

I was pretty sure I was having a girl. Shortly before I became pregnant, my grandfather, who's pretty darn psychic, said I'd be having another baby soon, and that it'd be a girl. I wrote it down. He'd always been right before.

Shortly after that, my MIL said that she felt an extra "feminine presence" around me. I laughed and told her I that my husband thought I was pregnant, and I *was* feeling like it, but wasn't it too early? She said I would probably have a girl.

And so I did. She's the shorter one in my avatar.

ETA: When I finally went for the sonogram with my second, I was 2 months 1 day pregnant. Almost exactly as far along as I was when I went in with my first.

And yeah, both times, I wanted lots of "alone time" with my hubby. Those extra hormones really come in during pregnancy.

Oh, and I did feel my second one easier and sooner than my first.

WittyandorIronic said:

Can I just say this is the most depressing thing I have ever heard in my entire life. It almost makes me not want to have kids. I love to cook, and I would put olive oil and garlic in cheesecake if the hubby would let me get away with it. EVERYTHING tastes better with garlic and olive oil. omg! Me and baby would be having some big fights, before baby even became conscious.

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I'm the same way, so it really sucked! But it's different for everyone - one of my girlfriends couldn't be near chicken - then later in her pregnancy, she couldn't stand beef. My mom said coffee made her sick. Another friend didn't have any aversions.

We're all weird.

The second time, I experienced a metallic taste in my mouth very early on. I may have with the first one, but by the second time around, I'd studied up a bit more and knew that it was a common pregnancy symptom.

Like Perks, I had the metallic taste a lot earlier second time around. That was the moment I knew. Right in the middle of an episode of Law and Order, and I'm jumpin' around the loungeroom, happy as a pig in mud!

Bring on the Taco Bell!

With our first, I was driving truck with my husband and I knew the day after it happened. No symptoms or anything. Just knew. After that I couldn't pass up a Taco Bell (or a rest area!).

Hint for the first timers - NEVER eat a beefy tostado while you're in labor!

Weird thing that has been my clue for all four (including twins in the middle) plus a few miscarriages - I could always tell I was pregnant if I was lying on my back and coughed or sneezed. If it pulled really bad in my lower abs, I was pregnant.

Also weird was when my best friend who lives in another state would call and tell me, not only that I was pregnant, but how many I was carrying and what gender. She'd go shopping and have an urge to buy something. Never missed!

I actually found out later that I was pregnant with my second than my first. I had a miscarriage between the two and I was very reluctant to do a pregnancy test with that third pregnancy, even though I was already two weeks late with my period.

I never had very early symptoms with my pregnancies. I was extremely tired with the first at about 6 weeks, but morning sickness didn't start until about 7 weeks in any case.

I did show earlier and got big quite fast, but then my 'popping out' slowed down after about the fifth month.

I did feel movement earlier with the second baby, but I actually felt quite late with the first.

I had hyperemesis gravidarum with the first, but just the usual amount of morning sickness with the second baby. I also had a lot of food and smell aversions with the second baby, something that I never had with the first. I couldn't stand the smell or taste of cheese (I'm a huge cheese eater). I'm not a red meat eater yet I craved red meat like there was no tomorrow. However I couldn't stand the smell of raw meat so I would make my husband drop it into the slow cooker for me before he left for work!

My second pregnancy came as quite a shock to me (I'm not very bright). My dr had just told us how lucky we were to have a 1st, we'd never manage it again. So we settled in to enjoy one child.

One year later, I'm throwing up everywhere and wondering where my period is. Almost THREE MONTHS LATER I finally got a little flashbulb over my head and took a test. Talk about dense.

The labor almost killed me, but that's another story. The baby (a boy, now 2) is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and he's still killing me.

I knew very early with my second child, and there's one reason for that:

Nipples.

My boobs know long before I do, lol. It was one thing that surprised me about my first pregnancy; nobody warned me that nipples get larger and darker when you're pregnant. So one day as I stepped out of the shower, in front of our big bathroom mirror, I saw the signs and I just knew. I hadn't even missed a period yet.

"Experts often say that you show earlier and feel fetal movement earlier."

Yes and no.

Funny thing is: At only 1 month along, someone I'd known for years who wasn't in the loop took one look at me and asked, "Are you pregnant?"

I'd been trying for 2 1/2 years to get pregnant with the first one. Little did I know that one thing gets me pregnant: Visiting a cemetery. My sister and I went to visit our grandmother's grave one day. Three weeks later, I was pregnant. (Interestingly enough, I saw her spirit in my room, smiling at me, on the day my baby was born.) When I'd been trying again this time, I'd recently visited a cemetery, just to look around. Voila! I got pregnant again.

If I don't get my tubes tied after this one, I'm staying the heck away from a cemetery.

Also, I knew this one would be a boy. I just KNEW. And sure enough, ultrasound reveals I'm having a boy.

tjwriter said:

Most of it was because I'm curious.

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So that begs the question... are you expecting? Com'on... you can tell us.
Unless, of course, you already have and I'm just behind the times. Like always.