Your second pregnancy is as individual as the baby you'll deliver. While your obstetrician is your best guide, your second pregnancy is unlikely to be the same as your first. Your body is different this time around, making some things easier and some more difficult.
Carrying Differences
In your second pregnancy, your baby belly appears about a month earlier than it did with your first pregnancy. In addition, you'll carry lower because the abdominal wall already has stretched for one pregnancy, so will start out slightly more stretched. This means that you'll feel a need to urinate more often more quickly as the baby bumps against your bladder. It's also reasonable to expect that you'll feel the baby move earlier this time around.
Side Effects of Pregnancy
If varicose veins, hemorrhoids, lower back pain and bladder leakage were an issue the first time around, they'll be issues again. While resting and staying off your feet help with the first three issues, the last one means that you must exercise. Do your Kegel exercises every day to keep your pelvic floor in good shape, minimizing urine leakage and also helping prepare for a healthy birth.
Medical Issues
If you had gestational diabetes in your first pregnancy, your doctor will monitor you closely, as it's likely to reoccur; however, other medical issues vary by pregnancy. Again, speak with your obstetrician to get individual advice, but keep in mind that a 2000 study of women in Finland who had preeclampsia in their first pregnancy, for example, found that a second pregnancy did not automatically mean preeclampsia the second time around.
Fatigue
The biggest issue for many women in their second pregnancy is fatigue. With your first pregnancy, the opportunity to rest was frequent and the level of support often very high. With your second pregnancy, you might have another child running around. Rest when that child rests, letting go of all but the most critical household tasks. Keep up with exercise, however, by taking a daily walk with friends. The fresh air and companionship help your mental outlook and exercise is good for a healthy pregnancy.
