Every pregnancy is different but this second pregnancy has knocked me off my feet. I’ve had to shift gears once I realized that this won’t be the same rodeo. Here is Part 1 of my Second Pregnancy Series.
Dear Mom realizing this second pregnancy ain’t no joke,
Sometimes when we’ve done something before we think the second time around is going to be a breeze. This second pregnancy has taught me that thought isn’t always true.
The first time around I was 26. My first pregnancy was wonderful. I didn’t gain too much weight. My belly didn’t show until I was about 5 months pregnant. I was running, fast walking and lightly jogging to the places I needed to be. Shoot at work I even planned, organized, supervised, and hosted a regional conference with over 500 attendees.
Ya girl was handling business the first time around. I didn’t have any vomiting or food aversions. I ate like my stomach was a black hole. My only issues were while sleeping leg cramps and switching from side to side at night. These issues only appeared when I was at the end of 7 months, early 8 months pregnant.
You couldn’t tell me that I didn’t love being pregnant. I had a beautiful first pregnancy. So you can imagine my surprise when the second pregnancy hit and I got severe stomach cramps and didn’t know why. Apparently, I wasn’t drinking enough water. This was the first sign of things being different.
More things would change as the pregnancy would go on. Don’t worry I’m going to hit on some major points throughout this series so make sure you stick around.
First I want to address one of the hardest parts of recognizing your second pregnancy isn’t like your first.
You can’t treat yourself, your body, or your second pregnancy like your first
I knew I was 4 years older, with a 3year old kid, in a different job, doing new things and yet still I expected my pregnancy to be the same. Life for me changed drastically from the first time around. This means I needed to recognize where I was now in life and shift gears to meet the new pregnant me.
This second time around was going to be a little harder because I now had the responsibility of already having a child. One that needed to get up earlier for school and went to tee-ball on Saturday mornings. A child that wanted to play with cars and trains all the time. My energy that once went to one kid was now split even more to meet the needs of a growing human in my womb.
I had to let go of the thought that the first time I was able to do so many things while pregnant. It was time to embrace the new, listen to what your body is telling you, and do that. Now, I had new responsibilities that I had to adapt to now that I was pregnant for the second time. It was time to accept that I was not the same person I was 4 years ago but I had a better sense of who I am walking into this second pregnancy.
I know it’s hard to let go of Mom guilt but Mom trust is an even better feeling.
I trust that I know my body even more than before. I trust that I can redirect Potato to understand that Mommy has to do things differently because I’m growing his sibling. I’ve been doing this Mommy thing for a few years so I had to trust the process playing itself out the way it should. Once I did this, my second pregnancy became a little easier.
For the Win (conclusion)
Mom, I want you to ask yourself,
- What do you need to let go of from your first pregnancy to embrace what’s happening in your second one?
- How can you find ways to be present with your current self and body?
- How can you find ways to help those around you work with you on your new terms?
Hopefully taking time to recognize how a few things can be different in your second pregnancy will help you shift gears during this process. God bless and I can’t wait to hear how this has helped you!
I shared the second pregnancy news on my Instagram first. Check it out here! Stick around for parts 2 & 3 of the Second Pregnancy Series.
-From Kiki With Love💛
