A child, no matter the first, second or fifth, is always something to celebrate. But your Pregnancy and delivery can look drastically different, especially when you compare that of your first and second child. During pregnancy, a mother’s uterus expands nearly 500 times its size in 9 months and then goes back to its original dimensions (1). And physical changes are not the only thing that women have to worry about. Many women even report memory impairment and confusion during pregnancy (2). But still, women often chose to go through the painful process of childbirth again and again just to have another bundle of joy in their hands. But there are bound to be some major differences between your first and second pregnancy. So, here are some things you should know before you have your second child. Keep on reading!

1. Second Pregnancies Can Tire You Out More

We’re sure you saw this one coming. Remember your first pregnancy and how energetic you felt? Well, it’s more likely that most of that was just anxiety and adrenaline. But now that you know what to expect, you may not have the same pep in your step on your way to the delivery room. Not to mention that you are probably worn out from having to take care of your firstborn too. Having the responsibility of looking after a child means that you have less time to yourself and less time to rest up for your big day.

And you may not get the same princess treatment that you did when you were pregnant the first time, when you were pampered by friends and family. Besides, your body is being flooded with a hormone called progesterone, which is readying your body for all the physical changes of birth and delivery. Unfortunately, the side effect of this hormone happens to be fatigue (3). So you may feel waves of exhaustion the second time around.

2. The Delivery Of The Second Baby May Take A Different Route

The birthing experience of the second baby may vastly differ from that of your first one and that’s something that you need to be prepared for. In fact, most women agree that labor is often reduced in the second pregnancy and goes on getting easier with each consequential birth. We’re sure this is good news! Not to mention that your experience with the first birth will help you prepare for what to expect and this can better equip you for anything that happens the second time around, no matter how different the delivery may be to your birth plan. However, on the flip side if you had a C-section the first time around, chances of a VBAC, as in “vaginal birth after cesarean,” are pretty low, which means that you will likely have to have a C section again (4). But this differs from case to case.

3. You’ll Feel The Baby’s Movements Much Earlier On

Your baby’s first movements in your womb are called quickening and, usually, in first time pregnancies, you can feel them between the sixteenth and the twenty-fifth week for the first time. However, during your second pregnancy you can feel the baby’s movements as early as 13 weeks. This is mostly due to the fact that you already know what they feel like and therefore can recognise them earlier on in the pregnancy (5). How awesome is that!

4. The Bump May Be Visible Sooner And Bigger

The coveted baby bump will be back in full swinger sooner rather than later into your second pregnancy. For women who are pregnant the first time, their baby bump only makes an appearance during the second trimester and they don’t typically show for the first three months at all. But during a second pregnancy or any after that, the bump shows up earlier. Experts say that this is possible because the abdominal muscles have already stretched out quite a bit and that they may not have returned to their normal size before you are pregnant again (6). So hiding a second pregnancy isn’t as easy as keeping the first one under wraps. And it can also lead to more stretch marks.

5. Morning Sickness Can Either Be Absent Or A Lot Stronger

Here’s one perk of pregnancy that we’re sure you didn’t miss. Morning Sickness is something that you can never predict, no matter how many times you’ve been pregnant. Even the sickness you experience during your second pregnancy may be nothing like that of your first pregnancy. For some women, the dreaded morning sickness may never arrive. Whereas for other less fortunate women, it comes back with a vengeance. Only time can tell!

Pregnancies are a beautiful and surreal time in your life and bringing home another little one is certainly something to look forward to. But before you jump the gun, it’s important to know that things can be different the second time around and there’s nothing wrong with that!