Congratulations on your pregnancy and growing family! This article is for all my second-time, veteran mamas out there! Yes, I know you have experienced pregnancy, labor, and birth already. But I’m here to offer some insight into what you can expect the second time around!
This ultimate guide is chock-full of everything you need to know, want to know, and could ever dream of knowing about your second pregnancy.
Are you ready to learn more? Let’s get going!
- When do you start showing second pregnancy?
- Second pregnancy symptoms
- Second pregnancy announcement
- How soon to feel baby move in your 2nd pregnancy
- Baby shower for second baby
- Second baby registry
- Preparing for second baby checklist
- Do second babies come earlier
- When to go to the hospital with second baby
- How to prepare for your second birth
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When do you start showing second pregnancy?
It doesn’t hold true for everyone, but typically, mamas start showing earlier with subsequent pregnancies than they do with their first.
There are muscles and ligaments throughout your body, which include your belly! During pregnancy, these muscles and ligaments get nice and stretched out to absorb the weight of your growing uterus.
Once they have been stretched in one pregnancy, they seem to stretch much sooner (and easier!) in following pregnancies…speaking from experience here! Still, when exactly this happens in second pregnancies is different for each mama.
If you want to learn more about other things that impact when you start showing in pregnancy definitely check out the article below!
Related Reading: When Do You Start Showing in Pregnancy? All About Your Pregnant Belly
Second pregnancy symptoms
Like I said above, you will likely start showing earlier in your second pregnancy than you did in your first. Keep in mind that every pregnancy is different and unique!
There is a chance your second pregnancy will be very similar to your first, but there’s also a chance that it will be completely different.
Fatigue
In addition to showing earlier, you might also feel pregnant sooner in your second pregnancy. Maybe it has to do with the fact that you are chasing another child around or that you have less time to rest (thanks to that older child), but a lot of mamas report feeling the pregnancy fatigue earlier the second time around.
Back pain
To piggyback on the showing earlier and stretching of muscles and ligaments discussion above, you might also experience an increase in the amount of back pain the second time around.
Weakened abdominal muscles from your first pregnancy are likely to blame. Your ab and back muscles are sort of codependent on each other. One big source of back pain, pregnant or not, is a weakened core.
Certain exercises can strengthen your core and help keep that back pain at bay. And there are many exercises that are safe to start or continue doing during pregnancy.
If you are beginning a new exercise regimen during pregnancy or your pregnancy is considered high-risk, it’s always a good idea to have a conversation with your OB provider first.
Here are some exercises that are typically safe to do throughout pregnancy.
Braxton Hicks
Are you seeing a theme here? I know it’s sounding that way but I promise, second pregnancies aren’t all bad! There are some very exciting and positive things that happen during second pregnancies, but they do tend to be a little bit harder on the body for most women.
It’s not uncommon for women to feel Braxton Hicks contractions sooner in subsequent pregnancies. I’m pretty sure I experienced my first Braxton Hicks contraction around 20 weeks with my second. Not only that, but I remember feeling them almost every day leading up to delivery too.
If this is you, I’ve got you covered! For more info about Braxton Hicks, including tips to alleviate the discomfort, check out my article below!
Related Reading: What Do Braxton Hicks Contractions Feel Like?
Second pregnancy announcement
Wondering when is the best time to announce your second pregnancy? The short answer is – whenever the heck you want! I’m team, “announce whenever YOU feel comfortable announcing.” This holds true if it’s your first pregnancy or your eighth.
It’s not a “one size fits all” answer. What works and feels right for you and your partner might be something totally different than what your friend, coworker, or family member chooses to do. Bottom line, don’t feel pressured into announcing before you are ready – it’s a personal decision.
How soon to feel baby move in your 2nd pregnancy
A lot of mamas report feeling their baby move earlier in their second pregnancy than their first – woohoo, I told you second pregnancies weren’t all bad!
Quickening is a fun and fancy word to describe those first fetal movements. Of course there are exceptions to all rules but most women report feeling it around 16-20 weeks.
Quickening often gets confused with indigestion or gas bubbles. If you have been pregnant before and experienced quickening then you might notice it sooner in your second pregnancy because you know what to look (or I guess feel!) for!
Related Reading: Quickening in Pregnancy
Baby shower for second baby
Remember my outlook on announcing your pregnancy? Well, I have a similar perspective for baby showers. My thinking is along the lines of, “Do whatever makes you happy!”
There’s no rulebook out there that says you can’t have a baby shower if it’s your second baby. By the same token, a lot of women opt out of having another shower if they already had one with their first.
Baby sprinkles (as opposed to a full blown shower) have gained popularity over the years. Think of a sprinkle as a mini baby shower. Maybe not as fancy, not as many people, not as many gifts, etc. If nothing else, it’s a really great excuse to get together with your friends, family, and/or coworkers for a little outing.
Do what makes YOU comfortable and happy, mama – there’s no right or wrong here!
Second baby registry
There’s a good chance you are able to reuse a lot of the items with baby number two that you had with your first. Sure, there might be some things that need updating, especially if there are several years between your children, but most things should still be safe to use.
Unfortunately, I never got to shop for all those super cute baby girl clothes – boy mom x2 here! If baby number 2 had been a girl though, you better believe I would have been putting all the girly things on my second registry.
If you need some input on second baby registries and what to include, look no further than the article below for guidance!
Related Reading: Making a Second Baby Registry? Here’s What to Include!
Preparing for second baby checklist
Hopefully baby prep is a little easier and not as involved the second time around! I know I felt more confident and prepared going into my second birth than I did with my first. Of course this isn’t the case for everyone, and is really dependent on your first birth and postpartum experiences.
One big thing I was totally unprepared for the first time around was breastfeeding. I figured since I assisted a lot of mamas with breastfeeding at work that I didn’t need to do any additional preparation for myself, and boy was I wrong!
If you can relate to what I’m saying then I highly recommend adding a breastfeeding course to your second baby checklist.
Milkology offers a handful of different courses that focus on both breastfeeding and pumping. Not to mention the price can’t be beat!
And if you want an added discount, you can use promo code MLN10 at checkout for an extra 10% off!
Do second babies come earlier
There’s an existing misconception that second babies come earlier than first babies. While this absolutely can happen, I’m here to tell you that it’s not something you should bank on.
I see second-time mamas getting induced at 40 and 41 weeks all the time! If you are 37+ weeks pregnant with your second baby, I’m sure you are less than thrilled to be reading this section right now – my apologies.
The only situation where this might be relevant is if you experienced preterm labor in your first pregnancy. A history of preterm labor is one of the biggest risk factors for experiencing preterm labor again.
Aside from a history of preterm labor though, there really isn’t any evidence to support second babies coming earlier.
When to go to the hospital with second baby
Second babies have their own agenda and they don’t mess around! Once your body kicks into active labor, you can expect things to progress pretty quickly, at least that’s the case for most second-time moms!
With that being said, I would certainly err on the side of caution when deciding when to go to the hospital with baby number two. This especially holds true if your first labor was on the faster side and/or if you plan on getting an epidural.
While a lot of people will tell you that contraction frequency is most important when it comes to leaving for the hospital, I’m here to say that intensity is equally, if not more, important!
For more guidance on this topic, you can reference my post below!
How to prepare for your second birth
I think a lot of how you prepare for your second birth is related to your experience during your first birth. Typically, mamas either had a positive first birth experience and desire something similar or they had a negative experience and are wanting something very different the second time around.
I frequently get asked from second-time mamas whether or not a birth class would be beneficial. My answer to this question is YES! I have had so many 2nd + time mamas take my birth courses, and I always get positive feedback from them!
This especially holds true if your first birth didn’t go exactly as planned or you are just wanting a different experience the second time around. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a mama regret investing in a birth class. You better believe I have heard the opposite more times than I can count though.
Do yourself a favor and indulge in some birth education – you absolutely deserve it!
