IMG 6947I was 29-years-old the last time I was pregnant. This time around, I’m 35. And while I wouldn’t say I’ve had a rough pregnancy especially compared to others’, it’s certainly been different the second time in a number of ways:

  1. I’m much more short tempered because I have less time to relax from having to take care of a five-year-old’s needs plus his school-related activities and all the other added household duties that comes with having an additional person in the house as compared to last time when it was just Marv and me in the house.

  2. I also feel much more emotional than I remember being the first time. It’s probably because there’s a lot more stuff going on now. Needless to say, being emotional is exhausting!

  3. I tire more easily even though I think I started out the pregnancy no less physically fit. It’s partly due to age and partly due to increased responsibilities (see #1).

  4. I’ve experienced more sciatic pain in my right buttock for no known reason. When I was deathly ill with the flu this past week, the sciatica was 100 times worse. I literally sobbed when I had to get up to do anything, including haul myself down several flights of stairs between our bedroom at the top of the house to the bottom two floors to the kitchen, living room, and laundry.

  5. I get heartburn at the drop of a hat. I get it when I’m hungry, I get it when I’ve just eaten, I get it for no reason at all. It always feels like there’s food pushing up on my stomach on through the esophagus. I am unable to eat more than half the amount of food I used to at any one sitting. I guess that helps with keeping the pregnancy weight gain down!

  6. Speaking of weight, I am not counting calories this time around. When I was pregnant with Stephen, we were living in Japan where all the women are told to keep their weight gain under 22 pounds (10 kg). Here, no one’s asked me at all about my weight since the first doctor’s visits at 6 and 12 weeks. I feel that I’m eating sensibly and gaining weight at a reasonable rate. It’s a relief not to have the pressure of controlling my weight gain obsessively.

  7. Maternity clothes are sooooo much cuter this time around. I’ve got pants that look like normal pants from the hips down with attached stretchy maternity tummy band at the top that stays hidden under my tops. Because I’m pregnant through most of the winter this time, I can still look normal wearing my winter sweaters. Nursing/maternity tops are also tons cuter and less awkward looking.

  8. I’ve got blogs to read which makes the wait more entertaining. One of my guilty favorites is Celebrity Baby Blog. Even celebs can look ordinary and frumpy when they’re pregnant or taking their kids around town!

  9. I am not nearly as neurotic about preparing for the baby. I have a few books on how to parent siblings but haven’t gone through them in detail yet. I also haven’t bothered buying much of anything for #2 except for a baby bathtub and some towels in green, yellow, and white. Even though we’ve been told that the baby “appears to be a girl,” I’m not going to be totally convinced until I meet her in face-to-face.

  10. I am bordering on denial when it comes to the birth of #2. With Stephen, I read and thought about everything related to babies. With #2, I am more inclined to wait until the final moment when I have no choice but to face the fact that I will be the mother of two! I hope we all survive the transition….

  11. I am forgetful. The previous two items on the list are practically the same but I didn’t notice until the post was published.

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