Pregnancy the Third Time Around: what’s different?

I think the question I’ve gotten the most since announcing this pregnancy is how it compares to my first two. When I was pregnant with Sunshine, I sometimes didn’t like the fact that I didn’t know what to expect—oh, sure, there was What to Expect When You’re Expecting but pregnancy is different for every woman and even for every baby.  Now that I’m doing pregnancy the third time around, I sort of know what to expect… but some things are still different.

What’s Different than My First Two Pregnancies

I’ve had worse morning sickness with this pregnancy than with my first two. With Sunshine, I had very little morning sickness; I missed one morning of work, threw up a few times, but generally, if I could get out of bed and get something into my stomach, I was fine. I snacked regularly throughout the day to keep my nausea at bay and by the end of first trimester, my morning sickness was gone. With Lily, it started sooner, lasted longer, and was much worse. I took Diclectin and made sure I didn’t have any opening shifts at Starbucks because I couldn’t do early mornings.

With this baby, I spent a few days on the couch watching the girls play before calling the midwife and saying, “Get me that prescription.” It’s hard having no energy when you have two little girls running around. My husband helped a bit because around the time that I was feeling bad, he was done classes and studying for exams, so he could come home to watch the girls for a few hours while I had a nap. Taking Diclectin helps, but I’ve still been really tired this pregnancy—I go to bed by 9 pm most nights and get up with the girls around 8 am (or later if they sleep in…).

What’s the Same as My First Two Pregnancies

Otherwise, pregnancy the third time has been similar to the first two. I had a feeling I was pregnant even before my period failed to happen. I just knew—like I just knew with Sunshine and Lily, before any of the other symptoms showed up. I waited a few days and took a pregnancy test, but it came back negative.

Okay, so maybe my hunch was wrong; but I was hardly ever late, so it was strange. I waited a few more days and then took the test again, and this time it was faintly positive. The next morning, I took another test which was once again positive—but that only confirmed the feeling I’d had all along.

It was hard waiting to tell people about this pregnancy, especially when I was laying around the couch sick and couldn’t even gripe to anyone about that except my husband. Now that I’m into the second trimester, I’m waiting for this morning sickness to subside and some energy to return.

Oh, and something else that’s different this pregnancy: coffee turns my stomach. I drank several cups a day when I was pregnant with Lily (mostly decaf) and love the smell of coffee, but lately just the thought of it makes me think, “Um, maybe not.”

Enjoying Pregnancy the Third Time Around

Each pregnancy is, in its own way, different. The first pregnancy is new and exciting. A second pregnancy might be about “doing it better,” depending on the experience of your first pregnancy. And a third pregnancy… I find that I’m enjoying it more and feeling more confident as a mom. As a third-time mom, it’s easy to see how pregnancy is such a short (even though it feels long!) period of my child’s existence. I get to hold them in my womb for only 9 short (long!) months, and they are out in the world.

Sacred Pregnancy: a Loving Guide and Journal for Expectant Moms has been helping me enjoy each stage of this pregnancy. This journal focuses not just on the physical side of pregnancy but also the spiritual and emotional side. I think it’s easy for us moms to talk about the physical sensations like back pain or baby kicking, and less easy to talk about the emotional growth or paint we’re experiencing. Journaling has been a good way for me to work through some thoughts and emotions during this pregnancy.

Follow along with my pregnancy updates:

• 21 weeks and craving sushi!
• 32 weeks and baby kicking!
• 38 weeks and ready to pop!
• My homebirth story!

Did you notice any differences with pregnancy the third time around, or was it very similar to your other pregnancies?

Is this your first pregnancy or your third? After having my fifth baby, I compiled all my pregnancy notes and research into a book for new moms! Beginner’s Guide to Growing Baby: Tips to Help You Through All Four Trimesters includes everything I’ve learned through five pregnancies, as well as the wisdom and advice of my good friend, Anna Eastland. She’s a mom of 8 babies, including one in heaven. If we could have you over for coffee and sit down to chat about bellies and babies, this is what we’d tell you! Between us, we’ve got you covered for everything you need to know about a natural, healthy pregnancy!

Beginner’s Guide to Growing Baby is available on Amazon.