A very different pregnancy with an almost 2 year old in tow!

[Monkeyfish]

Today i am 37 weeks pregnant with my second child who is due on 12th February. I also have a daughter who will be 2 on 24th Feb! My goodness, what a contrast in pregnancy experiences.

I pretty much sailed through my first pregnancy. Yes i had morning sickness which was, in reality, all day nausea until about 18 weeks however i was able to indulge my every need. Outside of work i could sleep when i wanted, eat what i wanted and when, go out in the evening or stay in if i fancied. When i went into labour i ran baths during the night and i didnt worry about going off to hospital in fact i desperately wanted to be there!

I have learnt how very different it is with a small child to consider as well. Morning sickness and dirty nappies do not mix!! My daughter is fabulous but very demanding and she didnt start walking until she was nearly 19 months old so poor old pregnant mum had to lug her around everywhere. I nearly cried with relief when she took her first proper steps. As for sleep and rest, how do you rest with a toddler?? Its the toss up between getting into bed when she does after lunch or using that precious time to get house work done (the housework didnt get done!).

Now i am getting close to giving birth the worries and anxieties are really setting in. I have developed really bad pelvic girdle pain to the point that i can hardly walk and certainly cant lift anything. This makes looking after my daughter really hard. I have Group B strep so have been told i must go into hospital as soon as my waters break or if my contractions are 10 mins apart so they can hook me up to IV antibiotics. Plus baby is still back to back which could see me in for a long labour and i am going for a VBaC! There will be no relaxing baths in the middle of the night for fear of waking my daughter and i will feel stressed the whole time that she is upset or unsettled because i am not there. What if she wakes in the night and i am not there to sooth her? This stresses me out far more than the thought of birth!!! And if i end up needing another cesarean? Nightmare, i couldnt possibly manage two children after that operation.

Its not all doom and gloom. I am excited about meeting my new baby and all of us starting our new life together. I just hope he decides to make an appearance soon so i can start to relax about things again and get on with life. This is it now, no more babies!

[Skyblueboston]

Wow you are brilliant and deserve a pat on the back, I'm 18 weeks with my first baby and I sleep and eat whenever I need to, plus I have all day sickness up to six times a day so useless to anyone.

I hope you have someone like your parents to take your little one away maybe for a couple of days,so u can still have your baths and try and maintain calmness before the birth.

Good luck xxx

[immysarch]

I am kinda in the same boat, 28+5 with baby number 3. My first is now 7 years old and when my second was born she was nearly 5 yrs old so not a bad age gap except i worked all.through way through the second job, very physical, lot of time on my feet .etc. My.little boy is now 27 months and a monkey. Very full of energy and doesn't get much down time in the day except his nap which is generally 1-2 hrs. Now being pregnant and looking after a very boisterous boy is taking its toll on.me. I don't always sleep well but can't sleep in the day. Somedays i wish i was back at work lol. I also had a section.first time but had planned second time due to having difficulties actually going into labour. Provisionally booked for a section on the 4th April, which i also dread this time around has having a newborn and a 2 yr old. All the best for your vbac xx

[SALX4]

I think I understand what it means, even if I am only 7+3. I have a wonderful 23 month old boy who is really demanding (my fault ;)) and who still does not sleep at night!!! He wakes up at least 3-4 times per night, and up to 6 times, usually asking for my breast: I am still breastfeeding him. In the afternoon sleeps (with interruptions) about 2 hours.

Obviously I feel quite tired already, and I am also working (fortunately only 3 days per week), so do not get enough rest.

Wow immysarch, 2 children and one coming, I really admire you! I would like to have 3, but it's already difficult for me to juggle everything with 1 child, and I do not imagine how it will be with 2! I hope that experience will make me improve.. Good luck to all of you!!

[Monkeyfish]

I cant imagine being pregnant with two children already! I have to admit i am feeling quite low at the moment. My pelvis is so painful i can hardly walk from room to room and i hate being inactive. I find it challenging keeping my daughter entertained in the house all day as we are used to going out swimming or to gym sessions but i am just not capable of doing this now. I just keep telling myself that i can only have a maximum of 4 weeks to go (if i have the misfortune of being 2 weeks late) and then i can start moving forward.

Good luck all. xx