2+ moms: What will you do the same? Different?

minervam830

There is so much I learned from my pregnancy with Parker that I am already starting to think about the things I would like to do the same and differently.  

Same

- Definitely getting maternity and newborn photos done.

- Take weekly shots again of my progression and how I am feeling. Looking back on the last pregnancy will be a great tool as I progress through this one.

- I stayed away from all of the foods and drinks they say you shouldn't have. Everyone keeps telling me I will be more "lenient" this time around but I don't plan too. I got my BFP Friday night and that afternoon was my last Diet Dr Pepper for 9 months, lol.  

Different

- I NEED to do better with eating cleaner and actually doing my prenatal yoga DVD's. Last pregnancy I didn't really focus on that. I got my BFP at 186 lbs and didn't gain much until the last trimester when the swelling kicked in and things got out of control. I think it made recovery harder and even after 18 months, I wasn't able to to get back down to 186.

- As long as everything is going smoothly, I want to try for a VBAC this time. I am going into with a little more knowledge so I will be more confident in telling them what I want. 

- I really want to do the placenta encapsulation this time. PP emotions and recovery was hard, especially with a c-section. I have heard so many great things about it and I am willing to try almost anything this time!

I am curious what other moms have thought, I am sure I am leaving some things out!

cmumama

Grace0609 said:

I will probably do the same as I have done for each of the three other pregnancies: try to survive. Take care of my three kids under five and continue to perform at work and keep up my end of the marriage. I am a bit annoyed that my last alcoholic beverage was a not very good citrus flavored drink at a waterpark. I wish I could go back and change that and have a good glass of red wine instead!!

LOL!  I got lucky.  I enjoyed a couple delicious honeydew martinis and some red wine before my BFP.  I was spending the weekend with one of my best friends before i got my BFP. 

I can't really think of anything that I'll do different.  I don't really eat deli meat.  I can settle for cooked sushi.  I still drink my coffee.  I have always been active throughout pregnancy.  I'm just going to keep on keeping on.  I do want to have a professional photo shoot of our new family of 5 once the baby is here. 

arschm02

Same: having my husband take awesome b&w photos of the baby's first moments at life. Putting LO in its crib from day one. Different: (try) not to stress about when I'll go in to labor, not stress about breast feeding --if it works, it works. if not, formula is just fine

JSS1002

Grace0609 said:

I will probably do the same as I have done for each of the three other pregnancies: try to survive. Take care of my three kids under five and continue to perform at work and keep up my end of the marriage. I am a bit annoyed that my last alcoholic beverage was a not very good citrus flavored drink at a waterpark. I wish I could go back and change that and have a good glass of red wine instead!!

This exactly (except I only have one other kid and my last boozy drink was actually a bloody mary at the last Vikings game before they tore down the dome!). 

No but seriously -I probably won't bother with weekly pics of my tummy,just a few shots... I looked pretty cute during pregnancy #1, definitely won't be as cute this time around. ;-)  I will abstain from sushi and alcohol, and only have 1 cup of coffee per day, but I only have 1 cup of coffee per day anyway... 

I'd like to be more physically active through this pregnancy, if time and energy allow (so in other words...that's not happening - ha!). No, seriously, I have a treadmill in the basement and there is simply NO reason I can't get on it while watching TV,doing laundry, whatever. My husband is awesome with our son and he is very supportive of me getting out and doing stuff with my friends or on my own, so there's no reason this can't happen.

I'd also not like to spend $498709873048976 on things I don't need.  If we have another boy, I think all we really need is another crib, a dresser, and a double stroller.  If we have a girl, same thing except I'll need to sell/donate all the boy clothes and pick up some cute girly stuff!

Athena0809

@Grace0609 LOL Mine was some Redd's apple beer, yuck. I wished it had been at least my favorite beer!

Same:

• I plan on taking care of myself the same way I did with DS, it may required an effort to get my workouts in with a toddler but I am determined.
  
• Maternity shot
• Nursing right away
  

Different:

• Althought I ate "healthy" with DS I realize now my idea of healthy was completely wrong. I am now on nutrient dense foods since making my switch to Real Food, and boy what a difference!
• I don't plan of having an epidural, possibly a home water birth, but definitely using a doula this time
• Delaying cord cutting
• Using cloth diapers from day one in the hospital
• Bringing my own baby products instead of letting the nurses bathe baby with toxic Johnson & Johnson's shampoo.
  
• Take at least monthly progression belly pics. I only took about three my whole pregnancy with DS and I wish I could see my progression. 
• ETA: placenta encapsulation
  

portentosa

Same:

* Follow the food rules. I'm not any less concerned about food poisoning just because I'm not a FTM.

*Keep active at work lifting 30+ lbs and walking 10,000+ steps for as long as I can. Didn't have to lighten up the lifting until 28 weeks last time.

* BF on demand from day 1.

Different:

* Take monthly bump pictures and do a maternity shoot. I only have a handful of pictures where you can see my bump last time, most of them wedding photos.

* Don't stress planning a wedding, glad I finally got that out of the way!

* Delayed cord cutting and donating the cord to save lives.

* Pump before I go back to work and be more diligent about protecting my supply.

Bonnesetter27

Same:

• Work out my entire pg (after the m/s lightens)

• cloth diaper
• Follow food guidelines

Different:

• delay cord cutting
• be completely prepared to bf (I have insufficent glandular tissue but I will be ready for that this time.)
• More skin to skin
• try for a nonmedicated birth
  

BookitBoo

Same

Maternity photos. Those are still some of my very favorite pictures of DH and I.



Differently:

Exercise more and eat healthier. I really don't need that 4th donut, even if it is really really really really good.

Attempt to Breast feed. We tried for 3 months and I never produced more than 2 ounces. And If It doesn't happen, I won't beat myself up about it like I did last time. A happy healthy baby is the most important thing, no matter where that meal is coming from.

Have more meals prepared for the actual birth. I had NO appetite but we still needed to eat!


I'm forgetting quite a lot, but that's what comes to mind this early in the game.

hunterjumper102

Same

Breast Feed

Maternity/Newborn Pictures

Crib from day 1

Belly shots throughout pregnancy

Differently

VBAC and try for non-medicated

Not stress about having everything perfect

Birth photography

Placenta encapsulation

I really loved reading all of these especially since I feel like I want to change alot about how my L&D goes this time around.

SingleMom31

Same:
- Keep eating what I want. I didn't give up much the first time around (with my OB's blessing) and won't now either.
- Room in with baby to get a start on breast feeding.
- Use the crib right away.
- Work up until the end to maximize my time off.

Different:
- Skip the maternity shoot. We'll probably just do the newborn shoot and call it a day.
- Stress less about having everything ready and perfect.
- Try to sleep during labor. By the time DD arrived, I'd been up for nearly 31 hours. At the end, I was so exhausted.
- Get help breast feeding sooner. And don't freak if we do have to supplement again... Formula isn't poison.

poptart109

Same: biweekly belly shots, work as long as I can, stay active.

Different: not spend as much $ on baby stuff (kept DS's things from years ago), buy better maternity clothes. I wore a bunch of hand me downs because everyone in the fam was pregnant at the same time.

woahbabyno4

Same:
*Weekly belly shots and blog post
*Paleo diet
*Active to the end
*Materity, birth and newborn photography
*Med-free birth

Different:
*Nursing didn't go as well with DD, due to my work schedule, which has changed.
*Enjoy everything as the last time! Because it will be the last time.

mytinc

Different: 

Have hospital bag packed at 36 weeks.  It wasn't packed for my surprise induction at 38 weeks.

 

kayemgi

This is actually a really interesting thread for a first-timer to read too! I see a few of you mentioned that one of the things you want to do differently is have the baby in the crib from day one. Why is that? 

caden1206

Different:  Once I see a HB I am going to try and relax and enjoy this pregnancy more. I think I have peed on every test this side of the Mississippi. Due to my son's birth, I was on high alert for everything with my daughter.  Now that I have had a successful, full term pregnancy I would like to feel normal.  I would also not like to gain 50+ pounds.  If I accomplish that I will do maternity photos.  I have also been having one cup of coffee a day.  I didn't do that with DS and not until 28 weeks with DD.

Same:  My son made my daughter a Build-A-Bear at 25 weeks 5 days.  That is the gestation he was born at.  This time they both will make one at the same gestation for the new baby.  I am also going to refuse all baby showers.

Irisheyes1247

kayemgi said:

This is actually a really interesting thread for a first-timer to read too! I see a few of you mentioned that one of the things you want to do differently is have the baby in the crib from day one. Why is that? 

The two reasons I would think of right away as common issues on TB are

1 - it can be a tough transition to a crib if baby starts out someplace else and gets used to it (for example a RnP, which is at an incline)

2 - babies make a lot of noise in their sleep, so they are grunting and groaning in your room, so you are up because suddenly your hearing has become supersonic, so you check on them but then that wakes them up, so now you have to take care of them, basically you spend all night waking each other up.

kayemgi

Irisheyes1247 said:

kayemgi said:

This is actually a really interesting thread for a first-timer to read too! I see a few of you mentioned that one of the things you want to do differently is have the baby in the crib from day one. Why is that? 

The two reasons I would think of right away as common issues on TB are

1 - it can be a tough transition to a crib if baby starts out someplace else and gets used to it (for example a RnP, which is at an incline)

2 - babies make a lot of noise in their sleep, so they are grunting and groaning in your room, so you are up because suddenly your hearing has become supersonic, so you check on them but then that wakes them up, so now you have to take care of them, basically you spend all night waking each other up.

Ah, I see, thanks! As a first-timer I was planning to have a co-sleeper bassinet in our room for a little while. I feel nervous about using the crib right away, but I guess that's normal. It's great to see what second-time or third-time or more moms would do differently!

Irisheyes1247

kayemgi said:

Irisheyes1247 said:

kayemgi said:

This is actually a really interesting thread for a first-timer to read too! I see a few of you mentioned that one of the things you want to do differently is have the baby in the crib from day one. Why is that? 

The two reasons I would think of right away as common issues on TB are

1 - it can be a tough transition to a crib if baby starts out someplace else and gets used to it (for example a RnP, which is at an incline)

2 - babies make a lot of noise in their sleep, so they are grunting and groaning in your room, so you are up because suddenly your hearing has become supersonic, so you check on them but then that wakes them up, so now you have to take care of them, basically you spend all night waking each other up.

Ah, I see, thanks! As a first-timer I was planning to have a co-sleeper bassinet in our room for a little while. I feel nervous about using the crib right away, but I guess that's normal. It's great to see what second-time or third-time or more moms would do differently!

Personally, I plan to have LO in our room for a while, just because it makes night feedings easier. But they really are very noisy sleepers. I would like to try and use the crib right away for naps though, as that was an area we struggled with dd2 and ended up with a nap monster for a while.

kayemgi

Irisheyes1247 said:

kayemgi said:

Ah, I see, thanks! As a first-timer I was planning to have a co-sleeper bassinet in our room for a little while. I feel nervous about using the crib right away, but I guess that's normal. It's great to see what second-time or third-time or more moms would do differently!

Personally, I plan to have LO in our room for a while, just because it makes night feedings easier. But they really are very noisy sleepers. I would like to try and use the crib right away for naps though, as that was an area we struggled with dd2 and ended up with a nap monster for a while.

That sounds like a great compromise! Thanks for the idea!

MarisaKathleen

I plan on doing everything the same except BF.  I saw 3 lactation consultants with my first and it just didn't work.  The stress we both felt was stupid and unnecessary.  I won't do that again.  This time I'm going to take the class again but WITH my husband and hopefully it'll work.  

My doc is the "everything in moderation" type.  I can't get it up over lunch meat, sushi, soda, coffee debates, etc.  

aggiefrau08

Irisheyes1247 said:

kayemgi said:

This is actually a really interesting thread for a first-timer to read too! I see a few of you mentioned that one of the things you want to do differently is have the baby in the crib from day one. Why is that? 

The two reasons I would think of right away as common issues on TB are

1 - it can be a tough transition to a crib if baby starts out someplace else and gets used to it (for example a RnP, which is at an incline)

2 - babies make a lot of noise in their sleep, so they are grunting and groaning in your room, so you are up because suddenly your hearing has become supersonic, so you check on them but then that wakes them up, so now you have to take care of them, basically you spend all night waking each other up.

I actually got a lot more sleep because we coslept than I would have if I was worried about him in another room. Also, I didn't have to completely wake up to BF him. It was divine and I will absolutely be doing it again. This baby won't be in the crib until at least 6 months.