Becoming a mother makes you realize you can do almost anything but becoming second time gives you double happiness. Pregnancy is the state of carrying a developing embryo or feotus within the female body. It lasts for about nine months, measured from the date of the woman’s last menstrual period (LMP). It is conventionally divided into three trimesters, each roughly three months long. Pregnancy is one of the most vital and delicate times in a woman’s life.  During this period you have a great reason to love your stomach and take care to it. The biggest rule throghout your pregnancy is to ensure that you maintain a healthy and balanced diet. You should keep in mind at all times that your baby is getting all nutrients from you.

Talking about second pregnancy lets talk about first pregnancy.

Are you wondering if you might be pregnant? Are you first time mom to be? The only way is to take pregnancy test and become sure. But there are some early signs and symptoms also for first time pregnancy-

• Spotting and cramping
• Breast changes like they become tender, swollen, sore, enlarge and nipples become dark
• Nausea and vomiting
• Missed period or having abnormal period
• Fatigue
• Bloating
• Weight gain
• Breast enlargement, nipples become dark
• Frequent urination than the usual
• Constipation
• Mood swings
• Sometimes headaches and back pain also occur

Second Pregnancy: 11 Things You Should Know

Important things about first time pregnancy

• Sometimes false symptoms lead to confusion so you must be sure about your signs and symtoms that indicate your pregnancy. Confirmation can be done by pregnancy kits and by test done by doctor. Then comes the fisrt time pregnancy symptoms like nausea, vomiting, missed periods, swollen breasts.
• To make sure your first time pregnancy is healthy and no complications are present  you should visit to doctor for prenatal care regularly. Never skip your monthly check ups for proper mother’s and baby’s health.
• With your every checkup your doctor will inform you about important vaccinations. These prevent you from falling sick. Some of the vaccines are- hepatitis B, hepatitis A, tetanus, diptheria, pertussis, polio vaccine.
• Physical activities are a must which ensures smooth functioning of your body. It also strengthen your muscles during labour pain.
• Don’t worry about your weight gain during pregnancy. The baby should get proper nutrients to grow and healthy development. Have healthy and nurtritious diet with vitamins and health supplements. Follow the diet chart given by doctors. Stop drinking alcohol, quit smoking and reduce caffeine intake.
• Thinking about to extend your family ? Go ahead for your second baby and is actually better for your first baby too. As it is said ‘hum do, humare do’. Although the symptoms are same as that of first one but there can be some changes as well.

Every pregnancy is different and ofcourse your second will be different from first one. That does not mean they will not have similarities. Yes obviously you will get benefit from your first pregnancy experience. But there are certain things one should know.

11 Things to Know during Second Pregnancy

• Fatigue or tiredness is common in first as well as in second because it will never go away. But in second one you are more likely to get more tired as you have to work more due to this weakness occurs.  You have to take care of your first child at the same time of your second growing baby. And have less time to nap. The growing baby  needs more blood supply so blood pressure and sugar level are low. Ask your family to help you out with your work.
• After having first baby the uterus does not shrink back to its original size along with this abdominal muscles which  have been stretched out and became loosened by the first so they don’t hold pregnancy in as efficiently. Because of this the bump is seen sooner and bigger. In first it is seen in 18 week  while in second as early as 14 week. Be prepared to start wearing maternity clothes earlier.
• Morning sickness will be back this time. Experiencing nausea and vomiting will be same and will occur again as happened in first pregnancy. Other symptoms will also occur like headache and dizziness.
• Second pregnancy will have advantage of feeling the foetal movements and kick of baby as early as 13 weeks whereas during first pregnancy it is late about 16-20 weeks. This is because of the abdominal muscles which were stretched in first, help to sense movement of baby earlier during second.
• This time more of aches and pains will be seen beacuse abdominal muscles don’t get back in shape so back pain is higher now. With this there will be  more of back pain and will occur earlier as compared to first. Blood vessel walls as well as musculoskeletal system weaken during first pregnancy, so the second baby stresses these already weakened systems earlier.Keep in mind that back pain will always increase with each subsequent pregnancy. Make sure to always bend your knees and then lift and go for exercise to reduce your pain.
• More of Braxton-Hicks contrations (intermittent weak contractions of the uterus which occur during pregnancy) due to decrreased uterine muscle tone which is result of first pregnancy. These contractions can also be stronger with a second pregnancy. Sometimes , these contractions are not seen with first pregnancy so may be alarming situation with second one. They come early as in second trimester and are painful too.
• Lack of voluntary control over urination or defecation called as incontinence. This happens more because the nerves got damage during first that control the bladder. It can be stress induced incontinence. Must have suffered from constipation and hemorrhoids during first one so try preventive measures early on by eating plenty of fiber and taking a fiber supplement with this drink plenty of water and exercise regularly.
• As the uterus, cervix and vagina are well experienced in first during labour pain so one can expect to have short labour and less pain.The afterpains of second pregnancy are even worse because the uterus has less muscle tone than the fisrt time and this results in stronger afterpains.
• Having pregnancy stretch marks last time, you ll get some new ones with this pregnancy and increase as your age. Be careful not to gain an excessive amount of weight which may avoid stretch marks. Breastfeeding will still be hard but it becomes easy because you have done practice in first time.
• If you had any kind of  pregnancy complication previously such as preterm labor and birth, preeclampsia, a placental abruption or postpartum haemorrhage you have a higher risk of having that complication this time also. With this you may suffer from high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. But if you are healthy woman and had no complications in previous pregnancies your risk of complications will be low this time. If there were any prenatal vitamins or other supplements continue with this time also to avoid iron deficiency. If suffered from varicose veins during first then wear special support hose as early this time because it get worse with next pregnancy. Elevation of feet and legs can be done with exercise.
• During second time the baby is carried lower in the abdomen because of stretched abdominal muscles are weaker this time, making it tougher to hold baby up higher. It becomes easy to breathe because there’s less pressure and crowding over lungs.

Conclusion– There are some things that tend to change after your first pregnancy and some that tend to remain the same. But it’s important to remember that every pregnancy is different and manage accordingly.