When it comes to pregnancy, I have been so lucky. I’ve had no problems conceiving or carrying healthy babies to term; and other than having my children via c-section, I have not had complicated births. Because my children are so close together in age — 5, almost 4 and 2 — and because I have breastfed all three, my monthly cycles were non-existent for more than five years (whoot!). And so because of that fact, I have relied on intuition to know that I was pregnant each time.
When I was pregnant the first time I had an awesome pregnancy journal that I picked up at Target. I meticulously filled in all of the dates and eagerly read of my baby’s growth progress throughout the 9 months.
When I found out that I was pregnant with number two, I crossed out all of the first dates and replaced them with the new dates.
That journal is still in my house somewhere, but with pregnancies three and four I have focused mainly on my other children rather than keeping track of the baby’s growth — after all, when you have small children running around, it’s hard to focus on much of anything.
As I think back over my preparations for child #1 vs. child #4, there are so many things that I just don’t meticulously to do anymore — some because I have other small children to focus on, others because I’ve “been there, done that.”
Here is what my experience with child #1 vs. child #4 looks like …
Confirming Pregnancy:
Child #1
Meticulously counting days from the first day of my last period to now to determine fertile days. Purchase a three pack of store brand pregnancy tests, and start testing the first day that I am eligible to test.
Child #4
Start having that “feeling.” Head to the Dollar Tree to purchase a handful of pregnancy tests. Use one a day until suspicions are confirmed.
Scheduling The First Prenatal Doctor’s Appointment:
Child #1
Immediately call the doctor upon seeing that faint positive sign on the pregnancy test. Dismayed to find out that my ob doesn’t see “low risk” patients until the 11th or 12th week. Keep using pregnancy tests in the interim “just in case.”
Child #4
Call the doctor and schedule an appointment. Whenever. Nurse schedules an appointment with the prenatal nurse and the doctor the same day because “you know how this goes.”
Prenatal Instructions:
Child #1
Follow all of the prenatal instructions. To. The. Letter. (Even though two days prior to testing positive, I downed a large draft beer at the Flying Saucer.) No more steak, no more deli meat, no more sushi. Tylenol only.
Child #4
Follow all of the prenatal instructions, although I have had deli meat. And hot dogs. And sushi. (It was cooked; I don’t like raw fish.) I’m a rule follower.
Ultrasounds and Discovering Gender:
Child #1
Anxiously count down the days until the prenatal ultrasound. Decide there is no other way to do things other than finding out the gender of the baby. Fill the drawers with blue onesies and sleepers. Dismayed to discover that because my pregnancy is low risk, only one ultrasound is scheduled.
Child #4
Happily report to friends and family that baby has 10 fingers and 10 toes, and everything is as it should be. Decide to not to find out the gender of the baby — after all, it’s one of life’s greatest mysteries, right? When at the appointment, waited for the doctor for a considerable amount of time after the ultrasound; finally left without seeing him because again, “you know how this goes.”
Packing the Hospital Bag:
Child #1
Meticulously pack the hospital bag with everything that the baby and I need. Several months in advance. Have it ready to go at a moments notice.
Child #4
Grab the iPad, a toothbrush and toothpaste on the morning of my scheduled c-section. (Well, that’s the hope anyway; baby #2 decided that he wanted to come five weeks early, and baby #3 was delivered 2.5 weeks early due to my rising blood pressure.)
Post Baby Delivery:
Child #1
Deliriously happy that after a successful c-section, child #1 is healthy.
Child #4
Deliriously happy that after a successful c-section, child #4 is healthy. (That’s the plan!)
What did you do differently when preparing for the birth of your first child vs. subsequent pregnancies?
