Ladies pregnant with nº 2 - what do you plan on doing differently?

[Dime Cuando]

Hi..

I found out that we are expecting nº 2 this week - DD will be nearly 3 by the time the new addition joins us. However it's reminded me a lot of my first pregnancy and got me thinking about what I plan to do differently this time.

One thing I made the mistake of the first time around was exercise - I did virtually nothing. I was afraid to - which is crazy because I have even taken a course on exercise in pregnancy and I know the benefits, and how to do it safely. So this time I am going to keep up a reasonable amount while I can.

I was actually quite laid back the first time around about the baby's movement - I didn't want to become overly paranoid. However I was diagnoised with OC at 36 weeks so this time I am going to: a) not blame itching on washing powder b) count the kicks religiously.

I'm going to read up on breast feeding. I thought it would be the easiest and most natural thing in the world to do but I didn't find it 'that easy' personally. I ended up with blocked ducts 3 months in and gave it up....so I am going to inform myself this time and decide whether to do it again.

What are you thinking about doing differently during this pregnancy - what did you learn from your first??

 

[lovemybubba]

To not over buy! I bought so many things that I didn't actually need.

To try and get that water birth I always wanted. I couldn't with my son as I went overdue and had to be induced.

To not put as much weight on, or failing that, lose it quicker afterwards!
I put 4-5 stone on with my son, and didn't try and lose it until he was almost two! Lost all the weight and finally had a body that I loved, and then fell pregnant again haha.

 

[jjbuttons]

Good question will get me thinking- Defo not overbuy as got most of it already lol

Excersise I started tri 2 and was really good aquanatal and swimming but with lo prob do it once a week instead and think of something else like yoga (so need for backache)

We told parents at 9 weeks but this time be 12 weeks Xmas day

Will try to eat better (from lack of eating now lol)

Hope to have a water birth this time!

Will try to relax more and enjoy time with lo

X

 

[Dime Cuando]

A Water birth would be amazing but not an option where I live in Spain unfortunately.

And trying not to put too much weight on is a must for me too as my midwife nagged me last time around (and I know it was basically because I didn't exercise at all). I'm going to eat 'normally' and not buy into the 'eating for two' malarkey again.

 

[Miss Bellum]

Be a bit more organised! Last time I went into labour 3 weeks early and hadn't even packed a hospital bag! Packing whilst in labour did at least give me something to take my mind off things. I would also like to try to introduce a bottle a bit earlier as we left it late and my lg wouldn't take one at all. Will be a lot more relaxed this time.

 

[dimmu]

I'm gonna try and not put on so much weight. My nausea had a lot to answer for with that though, I had to keep eating as otherwise I started feeling sick and dizzy. Morning sickness hasn't started yet this time around but I'm only five weeks gone.

I also wanted to do running as long as I could but that's not really working out, my breasts hurt too much if I run so gonna do brisk walking and occasional swimming instead.

Not sure what to do with labour and all that, will see closer to the time. I wanted to go down the natural route last time with hypno and water birthing but it didn't work out, my labour stopped progressing in the birthing pool so ended up in the labour ward instead and had to have epidural as they needed to induce me.

 

[vaniilla]

Make sure my camera is charged!

I'll remember not to be hard on myself for feeding choices, DS didn't take to the boob (or the bottle for that matter) and was a nightmare to feed, I won't feel guilty if I don't manage it this time.

I'll put my foot down with family overstaying during visits and tiring me out when I just want a nap.

 

[Dime Cuando]

Lots of good points - I managed to drop my phone as I walked into the labour ward and smashed it. DH was on a train from Barcelona to get to me and I couldn't ring him.....then I couldn't take photos when DD arrived. So a camera is the way forward.

Totally forgot about my hospital bag - I was induced at 37 weeks, totally unprepared, packing the night before is not the one!

 

[LilMiss_91]

Good question. I've been thinking about what I would like to do differently after the birth but not really before so it's making me think a bit.

I don't want to gain too much weight, not that I did last time due to MS but it's still a concern because my tummy hasn't been the same since DS.

I'm not going to start off with this big ideas (last time I was going to be a cloth nappying, breastfeeding mummy. Turns out DS would NOT breastfeed and the stress of trying to feed him amd the guilt I felt at not being able to left me unwilling to start handwashing nappies etc so a cloth nappy never touched his bum despite how much I'd spent on them.

I only had gas and air with my son towards the end of labour so I would love to go without anything at all this time!

That's all I can think of for now but I may be back later with more!!

 

[AngelofTroy]

I wanted to exercise more and ear less but that's all gone out the window as my sickness has been so bad. I lost weight at first but now I'm piling it on as I eat to keep the nausea away and I'm too ill to keep up my exercise regime.

As for when baby is here, I won't stress as much about feedinfm feeding. My son had a lot of feeding issues and I was so determined to breastfeed him. I didn't know where to go for advice and health visitors were useless. When Micah failed to gain weight I was anxious and depressed. I felt like a failure when we eventually needed formula 'top ups'. This time I'll go straight to a lactation consultant but I'll also happily supplement with formula. Micah thrived on a combination of breast and bottle so I won't feel guilty if we need to go down that route again.

 

[ashleyg]

I'm going to take a breastfeeding class this time. The lactation consultants at the hospital weren't helpful at all with my daughter so it was hard to nurse her and we stopped at 3 months

I want to take nice maternity pictures this time!!

I bought a pregnancy journal and I'm going to fill it out to remember this pregnancy

Have DH take more pictures of when baby is born!

I think that's it for right now. I'm sure I'll think of more when it's closer to baby getting here lol

 

[Blackrain90]

Good question!

Going to try a prenatal yoga DVD or something, as I was pretty sedentary with my son, and ended up gaining almost 40lbs (which is a lot when you are 5 foot nothing and petite to start).

I am not going to scratch my stomach and am going to lotion constantly! The skin stretching made my itchy stomach unbearable, and I didn't lotion much so ended up with wicked stretch marks.

Have to do a scheduled C-section this time. My son got stuck in my pelvis which, combined with him swallowing a large amount of meconium, almost took him from us (flatlined twice after birth). Turns out my pelvis is not built to fit a baby through!

Hoping to breastfeed right from the start this time- due to being in NICU and not being able to hold him for a couple days, he ended up partly formula fed which caused BF issues, and he had milk protein intolerance so stopped BF at 2 months.

Definitely think we will be more easy going this time around in general, during pregnancy and after.

 

[Lil_Pixie]

During pregnancy I'm not sure there's much I'd change. Definitely eat healthier but I didn't gain too much weight last time so I'm not overly worried about that.

After birth I need to be more laid back. Breastfeeding thankfully was very easy for us. Xander just seemed to know what to do and I left him to it

I was so so sad about his birth though. I had an emcs and felt like such a failure. I think because I hadn't worried about the birth at all during pregnancy - I was so looking forward to it and it didn't go how I'd imagined at all. This time I have no expectations beyond a healthy me and a healthy baby at the end.

As far as after birth I'm determined this baby will be able to drift off to sleep on its own. Xander woke every 20 minutes all night for months because if he even stirred he needed me to get back to sleep. I truly believe if they're put down awake from day one they just drift off and maybe I won't be too tired to hold a conversation for a full year this time.

 

[Hollys_Twinny]

Eating healthier for me, I hid my weight behind my bump and then when DS was born I was a right porker!

 

[Dime Cuando]

Weight gain is definitely a major theme - I thought 'I should eat because I'm pregnant' last time and over ate whereas now I know I can eat normally and baby will still be fine.

I must not listen to my cornetto craving. Especially late at night.

 

[Lues]

these are great ladies, I love it!!

This is my first, but it's REALLY helpful reading all these!

 

[MummyMana]

Two main things for me are:
-Buy second hand; I bought new everything with my first with the idea that "it'll still be in good nick when I have another one". I think I have like two things left from then haha!
-Try and find breastfeeding support in the area before the baby is born. My hospital seems to have no bf support at all and not being able to breastfeed first time around caused me horrible pnd, I don't want to have to go through that again

 

[Gem_Clem]

Defo the weight gain for me too, I lost 2 stone in first pregnancy due to hyperemesis but I put on weight after her birth and do not want to get heavier during this pregnancy, the sickness has stayed away this time so far!

I would love a waterbirth but im not making a birth plan this time because it all went to shit the last time. Ended up with emergency section and felt like a total failure

Breastfeeding did not work out either, no one was helpful at the hospital and i think it was beginning to cause PND, i felt awful about the birth and not being able to feed and it made me so down and tearful, i felt like the worst mother

This time round I will trust my own instincts, I will not be pushed around by midwives or HV's, who made me feel like shit and were no help whatsoever. I knew DD had moved half way through pregnacy, I felt like a huge wave in my stomach and the kicks I was feeling changed to a different position, I asked countless midwives about it but they all said she was head down, it wasn't until she was crowning in labour that they noticed it was her bum that coming out not her head! then had to be rushed to theatre. The whole time in hospital was a nightmare.

 

[Dime Cuando]

Defo the weight gain for me too, I lost 2 stone in first pregnancy due to hyperemesis but I put on weight after her birth and do not want to get heavier during this pregnancy, the sickness has stayed away this time so far!

I would love a waterbirth but im not making a birth plan this time because it all went to shit the last time. Ended up with emergency section and felt like a total failure

Breastfeeding did not work out either, no one was helpful at the hospital and i think it was beginning to cause PND, i felt awful about the birth and not being able to feed and it made me so down and tearful, i felt like the worst mother

This time round I will trust my own instincts, I will not be pushed around by midwives or HV's, who made me feel like shit and were no help whatsoever. I knew DD had moved half way through pregnacy, I felt like a huge wave in my stomach and the kicks I was feeling changed to a different position, I asked countless midwives about it but they all said she was head down, it wasn't until she was crowning in labour that they noticed it was her bum that coming out not her head! then had to be rushed to theatre. The whole time in hospital was a nightmare.

I live in Spain & we don't have a HV here - you pop in to see your baby's doctor for the usual check ups/ jabs and that's your lot. I'm quite relieved really because I have enough with the local mother's telling you 'what you are doing wrong' without someone coming round my house too!