7 Things That Are Different In Pregnancy #2 Vs. Pregnancy #1

I have been thinking lately about how this pregnancy is quite a bit different than my first. I have heard so many moms say that each pregnancy is different and I couldn't agree more, so I wanted to share some of the things that are different for me. 

(This photo was taken when I was pregnant with Rosalie by my sweet sister Courtney.)

1. I got sick sooner and better earlier

When I was pregnant with Rosalie I got sick around 8 weeks pregnant and then stayed sick until around 16 weeks. It was rough, but the timing was perfect for me because I started to feel better about a week before school started. With this little guy I got sick much sooner at around 5 weeks (I found out super early that I was pregnant), and then starting feeling more human around 12 weeks. I would most definitely prefer the getting sick sooner and feeling better earlier, so I will just hope for that from now on ha!

2. I was much more tired at first
When I was pregnant with Rosalie I don't ever remember being super tired. I would hear other girls talk about all of the extra sleep they needed and I just never felt that way. With this one on the other hand, I was so tired. I felt like I needed like 11 hours of sleep at night just to feel human, but if I got it then I felt great. Naps weren't needed, but then again I have never been a nap person. The need for so much sleep passed around 12 weeks though, which was nice because 11 hours really isn't logical for me.

3. Exercise is even more important to me this time around
Exercise was definitely important to me with my first pregnancy, but not nearly as much as this time. I would exercise 3-4 days a week when I was pregnant with Rosalie mostly because that is all I really made time for between work and school. With this pregnancy I find that working out around 5 days a week (give or take) gives me so much more energy to get through my day and makes me a much better mom. I really need those endorphins.

4. I have much different food cravings and aversions
When it comes to the foods that I want, each pregnancy has been like night and day. When I was pregnant with Rosalie I craved french fries, pizza, bubble gum, frosting, purple skittles, and ramen. I ate a lot of sandwiches with veggies, but could never get myself to stomach salads. Chocolate was also one of my favorite things before getting pregnant and I wanted nothing to do with it. Now don't get me wrong, I didn't always just eat garbage ha, that is just what I craved. With this pregnancy I have had such different cravings. At first I couldn't stand salads, but now they sound amazing. I have been obsessed with Cafe Rio, but french fries and pizza just don't sound good to me like they did. I also loved ranch with my first pregnancy, but not this one. Chicken and meat in general, when served alone, never sounds good. Oh and chocolate sounds great to me this time around. ;) One big downside to this pregnancy is that my stomach is even more sensitive than it has ever been before, so most foods make me feel sick. :(

5. I felt this baby move sooner
Rosalie was never a big mover and I remember being nervous because all of my friends were saying that they felt their babies move and I still hadn't felt a thing. Finally around 23 weeks I felt Rosalie move for the first time and was thrilled. She never moved a lot, but the bigger she got, the more I felt her of course. I felt this little guy for the first time around 18 weeks and he has been pretty consistent ever since. His favorite time to move is when his big sister is sitting on my lap and squishing him. ;)

6. My stomach is bigger this time around 
I know that this is a pretty common one, but I wasn't sure if it would be true for me. My stomach is definitely bigger this time around though and I am glad. I got so sick of hearing "Is your baby okay?" or "How can you possibly be __ months along and be that small?!" I understood that people were considered but it just made me uncomfortable and sometimes stressed me out because Rosalie did measure small. In the end I was induced because of her small size and they determined that my placenta was the problem. This little guy is measuring big though and it makes my heart so happy! I will gladly welcome a bigger belly and I LOVE showing sooner!

Pregnancy #1 At 18 Weeks

Pregnancy #2 At 18 Weeks 

7. This one actually seems to be going by a little bit slower.

This is one thing where I am pretty sure I differ from most women. I always hear that the second one goes by so much faster because you are so busy caring for your little one, but that hasn't been true for me. Yes it has gone by fairly fast so far, but my first pregnancy seemed to go by even faster. I remember being so busy with school and work that I hardly had any extra time to think about being pregnant. The only slow part of my first pregnancy was the last 6 weeks, and that's because I graduated and was just working. With this pregnancy I have had more time to think about being pregnant and I know how amazing it is to have a baby, so I am super excited and anxious to get this precious little guy here.

7 is kind of a random number, but that is all I can think of at the moment so I am going to end there. :) One thing that I know for sure is that I am so grateful to be pregnant again and I wouldn't trade it for the world! I feel so blessed!

xoxo

Rachel