Differences Including Symptoms of Second Pregnancy From Your First

You might be wondering if there are really that many differences including symptoms of your second pregnancy to your last pregnancy.

My first pregnancy was a breeze. So naturally, I was anxious that my second pregnancy was going to be the complete opposite.

Although it wasn’t exactly the complete opposite, there are definitely some different things including symptoms from my second pregnancy that I thought were worth mentioning in this blog post.

Before I dive into the biggest differences between my two pregnancies, I wanted to go over a few popular questions you might be wondering about.

Is the second pregnancy different from the first?

This answer varies from woman to woman. I wouldn’t say two pregnancies are ever completely identical. That’s not to say that they can’t be similar. Or you could have two very different pregnancies!

Is labor faster with the second baby?

Most of the time, yes. Your body has gone through pregnancy and labor once. If you had a vaginal birth the first time around, your body will be better prepared for it the second time around.

Symptoms of Second Pregnancy That Differ From Your First

You might not experience any of these things I experienced in my second pregnancy. Or you might agree with all 10 of these symptoms from your second pregnancy.

1. The symptoms from your second pregnancy can be different even if you’re having the same gender.

Like I said earlier, my first pregnancy was smooth sailing. So smooth that I wouldn’t have even known I was pregnant if it weren’t for my missed period and growing belly.

However, the symptoms from my second pregnancy was unlike my first. I had a girl the first time and was convinced I was pregnant with a boy this time around.

I was really sick throwing up and was always nauseous and tired. I’m assuming I was also extra tired this time around because I was pregnant with a toddler. There is no way I could have gotten adequate sleep without pregnancy-safe sleep medicine.

2. You might not feel as connected with your second pregnancy.

This might be a me thing because I was so sick I couldn’t enjoy my pregnancy. We also moved across states during my third trimester because my husband got stationed in Georgia.

But don’t get me wrong! I was ecstatic finding out I was pregnant again because we were trying for months.

However, over the course of my rough pregnancy, I was feeling an immense amount of mom guilt. I didn’t buy much for my second daughter (mostly because we already had everything). I also hardly took any pregnancy progress pictures.

Part of me felt like “how could I ever love this baby as much as I love my firstborn”. And the more I opened up about my feelings with my friends with multiple children, they reassured me that these thoughts were completely normal and natural.

One thing that helped me get even more excited about my second pregnancy was having a gender reveal party.

3. Things might be a little more laid back during your second pregnancy.

You might have been super uptight and strict about what you did and ate during your first pregnancy. And become more relaxed during your second pregnancy.

4. You’ll be extra exhausted during your second pregnancy especially if your pregnancies are closer together.

You’re going to be exhausted no matter what because for one, you’re pregnant. And two, you have another little human you’re taking care of while growing one in your body.

Your second pregnancy is also more exhausting because you had the freedom of napping whenever you could during your first pregnancy when you only had yourself to take care of.

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5. When do you start to show during the second pregnancy

You’ll most likely show faster with your second pregnancy versus your first pregnancy. I started to show pretty close to 25 weeks with my first pregnancy. And closer to 15 weeks with my second pregnancy.

The reason why you show sooner during your second pregnancy is due to stretched abdominal muscles.

And your body is more familiar to being pregnant the second time so it adjusts accordingly including making room for the growing baby.

6. You feel your baby moving much quicker the second time around.

Along with showing sooner your second pregnancy, it’s more likely that you’ll feel your baby move sooner than you did the first time around.

I personally didn’t feel my baby move until I was well into my second trimester during my first pregnancy. But it also could have been because I didn’t know what it felt like.

I felt my baby girl move for the first time around late first trimester and early second trimester.

7. Your labor might be a lot shorter in your second pregnancy.

Your body has done this before and your abdominal and uterine muscles have already been stretched out.

8. You’re going to be less anxious than you were in your first pregnancy.

Everyone is always anxious, fearful, and full of mixed emotions with their first baby. And some of us stay like this pregnancy after pregnancy.

But it’s also okay if you’re less anxious during your second pregnancy. It’s because you’re more knowledgeable and familiar with what to do and what not to do.

9. You’ll unlock a new set of fears and emotions knowing you’ll have two little humans to care for.

During your first pregnancy, you’ll have a list of first-time mom fears that are inevitable. You’re basically fearing the unknown because you haven’t gone through motherhood yet.

You’ll unlock a new set of fears and emotions during the last bits of your second pregnancy wondering how you’ll juggle two little humans.

I feared and worried about how my two girls would get along. And mainly, how my first daughter would react to having a sibling who’d be sharing the attention.

10. You might not need to spend as much money during your second pregnancy if your babies are closer in age.

This is especially true if you’re having the same gender as your first.

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Final Thoughts

Symptoms from your second pregnancy can feel and overall be different than your first pregnancy. But also it doesn’t mean something is wrong if they end up being very similar.