Your second pregnancy is often different than your first. You might show sooner, feel more tired, have stronger or more frequent back pains, and notice Braxton Hicks contractions earlier. Labor will likely be faster, but postpartum recovery could take longer.
Despite having gone through it before, you might find that things are a bit more difficult this time. Of course, it might not feel this way and you may be having a positive experience – all pregnancies are unique after all - but if you're struggling, there is help out there.
3 Reasons a Second Pregnancy Can Be Harder
Symptoms can occur sooner. For example, your joints will likely begin to ache earlier in your first trimester, as your ovaries start to release a hormone called relaxin sooner than they did during your first pregnancy.
You May Have More Intense Lower Back Pain
Back pain, which can develop as your center of gravity shifts to accommodate your growing belly, can occur earlier in pregnancy the second time around. "If your abdominal muscles are a lot weaker in your second pregnancy, you may have back pain earlier," says Dr. Holmstrom.
For most mums, being pregnant a second or subsequent time can be easier than the first. Having experienced it before, you'll be more equipped to know how to look after yourself. In fact, that's the reason some mums are offered fewer midwife appointments than during their first pregnancy.
Women have told us that they have noticed the following differences: The bump gets bigger sooner, probably because your stomach muscles have already been stretched out once before. You may feel that you can feel the baby 'kick' or 'move' sooner.
GAP OF TWO YEARS: There are doctors who recommend couples two years to have a second child. Not only it is good for mother's and new born's health, the first also reaches at a stage where he/she could express and starts to understand things better.
Although there is likely to be some minor differences to the first time around, you can feel confident in knowing it is more likely to be marginally quicker and less painful. For more general information and advice surrounding the birthing process, head over to our birth section.
Is it harder to lose weight after your 2nd baby? Not usually, but sometimes. For many women, losing their baby weight after the second baby is quicker and easier the 2nd time around mainly because, with two kids, you are so busy you rarely get a chance to sit down!
And, in 20% of study participants with a pregnancy gap of less than 12 months, the next pregnancy was one day shorter. However, a recent 2022 survey on the length of pregnancy for first-, second- and third-time moms indicates that second babies arrive around the same time as the first, at 39 weeks and 5 days.
The first trimester of pregnancy can often be the hardest. Pregnancy hormones, extreme fatigue, nausea and vomiting, tender breasts, and perpetually needing to wee make life growing a human no easy feat.
The average first-time mom will give birth at 40 weeks and 5 days. The average delivery week for a second-time mom is roughly 40 weeks and 3 days—a whopping 2-day (average) difference. So yes, statistically, 2nd babies do come earlier by an average of 2 days (but 2 days nonetheless!). I know, I know….
You have more aches and pains
The baby may also lie lower in the abdomen, due to prior stretching, which can cause backaches, loose hips and round ligament pain. “I had a lot of sacroiliac [SI] joint pain and discomfort that started earlier in my second pregnancy,” says Coolen.
While there's no rule that says your body won't recover the second or third time, for lots of mums it's harder because there's simply less time to exercise! If you're not feeding, changing and cuddling your newborn, you'll no doubt be spending your spare time with your other child.
While you may have more understanding of what to expect the second time around, second pregnancy can also feel a lot different than the first one. It is also believed that you may put on more weight during your second pregnancy as your baby bump may get bigger, sooner.
For many women, stretch marks are as much a part of having a baby as diapers and feedings. “My belly was so itchy and tight when I was pregnant -- and sure enough, I noticed the lines as my tummy grew," says Maggie Shaw, a 38-year-old mom in San Francisco. "They got even worse after my second pregnancy."
But there are some simple ways to avoid gaining too much weight during pregnancy: Do your best to eat balanced meals and healthy snacks, stay hydrated, choose complex carbohydrates over simple carbs, get into a regular exercise routine, and ask your healthcare provider for help.
The first stage of labor for a second baby
They may feel more noticeable or intense or appear earlier on in your pregnancy versus the first time around. If it's the real deal, this first, latent phase of labor can take around 10 to 12 hours for repeat moms compared to about 20 hours for first-timers.
However, women are more likely to have a repeat third- or fourth-degree tear or an elective caesarean section in the second pregnancy. Strategies to prevent third- or fourth-degree tears are needed.
A gap of 18-23 months between two pregnancies is best and ideal as it gives you time to recover and replenish your body's resources. The risk was also evident in babies conceived within seven to 17 months, though lesser than the babies that were conceived within six months.
37 is no longer that old to have a baby and, with the right medical care, you can get the answers to your questions and feel comfortable going forward. I absolutely loved my high-risk OB, whom I went to for both pregnancies, even though only my first was complicated.
Will I have a bigger baby? There's evidence that second babies tend to be bigger than first babies (Bacci et al 2014). But this isn't always the case, and the difference doesn't tend to be dramatic. On average, second babies are about 100g (3.5oz) heavier than first babies (Bacci et al 2014).