Every Pregnancy is Different

If you watch any type of pregnancy/baby related show, you have probably heard this saying. That is, if you haven't heard it from a friend, family member, or your doctor. My doctor gently reminded me of this when I was in her office begging for Zofran due to my extreme nausea and vomiting with Sarah. I was asking her why I had such horrible "morning" sickness when my mom had absolutely none with all 5 of her pregnancies. And she said "Well you know, every pregnancy is different."

Little did I know how true that statement could actually be. With Sarah, I had every pregnancy symptom in the book. Nausea, check. Heartburn, check. Lower back pain, check. Crazy food cravings/aversions, check. Weight gain, check. (Make that 50 checks, one for each pound.) So logically, I assumed that my second pregnancy would be more of the same. Boy, was I wrong. And I am so glad that I was wrong. Normally, I hate admitting that I'm not right. Baby #2 has been so much easier than Sarah was. (At least this far.) Basically this pregnancy has been so easy, that I forget I'm pregnant about 80% of the time. My frequent trips to the bathroom are good reminders though. My tiny baby really likes hanging out near my bladder. Or my crazy mood swings will remind me that I have something else with me. My moods are a little more unpredictable this time around.

But it's not just symptoms that make every pregnancy different. I think attitude plays a big part as well. With Sarah I was overly cautious and worried having just suffered a miscarriage. This time, I don't have the luxury of worrying over every little twinge and cramp because I have an energetic toddler to chase around. And there's not a shroud of mystery surrounding pregnancy this time. I know what to expect, and what's normal. So it's not as stressful for me. With Sarah, Ryan and I sat down and read about how our baby was developing each week and I did my best to stay away from everything on the "Not Recommended" list. 

Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm not interested in or uncaring towards this new baby. I just don't have the luxury of sitting and really thinking about the baby that's coming like I did when I was pregnant with Sarah. Your first pregnancy is a time when you're showered with attention. Everyone wants to talk about the baby, how you're feeling, if you know its gender, and so on. I was spoiled and pampered when I was pregnant with Sarah. Ryan often did things for me because I was too sick to do them myself or he would make me something to eat because it was the only thing that sounded good in days. Basically, I treated myself like some fragile object because I was so worried about the unborn baby.

This time, I'm just living my life as normally as I can. Sarah and I spend hours on the floor playing and she's not always mindful of my growing belly. I chase her around, lift her up, spin in circles with her and carry her around when she gets tired. Being pregnant is an incredibly wonderful time, but after your first pregnancy, it's not a reason to do nothing and be waited on. You have to continue to live life because you now have someone (or multiple someones) counting on you. I've struggled with feeling like I'm somehow depriving this baby of something because the excitement isn't as prominent. But we just don't have the time to really linger on it as much. I know that once this child gets here, he/she will be loved just as much. So for any of you first time mamas out there, soak up the luxury of focusing on just yourself this time around. And for all you other mamas, I'm right there with ya.

Speaking of Baby#2 we have 12 days until our big ultrasound! I am so excited to find out if this baby is a boy or girl. Feel free to vote in the poll on the lefthand side so I can see what you all think it is. I'm still not 100% sure if I think it's a boy or girl.