We’ve all heard that every pregnancy is different. Here are a few of the differences between my first and second pregnancy.

Showing Early

I feel like I peed on a pregnancy test stick and ten minutes later my belly popped. Apparently, after your first baby, your uterus doesn’t shrink back to its original size. Just like everything else about your body following your first pregnancy. Awesome!

Your skin, your abdominal muscles, and your ligaments are already familiar with all the necessary physical changes, so they accommodate your growing body faster, and you end up showing earlier. I’m still amazed that I was able to conceal my pregnancy for so many months, but once I got to month four, there wasn’t a sweater big enough to hide this bun in the oven.

Way More Tired

Pregnancy is exhausting regardless but this second pregnancy is seriously kicking my a$$! There are so many things to factor here—I’m four years older than I was during my first pregnancy, I spend a lot of my day running after a toddler, and of course, I’m running MAED now too. The mid-day naps on my living room couch I had during my first pregnancy are elusive. Because well, let’s face it, there are too many errands that need to get done.

To combat my exhaustion, I’m listening carefully to my body and have learned to get to bed early, like really early. Since I can’t nap, making sure I get to bed early ensures I’m getting the rest that I need.

Noticed Movement Earlier On

Early during my first pregnancy, I wasn’t positive that what I was feeling was my baby moving. This time around it feels like my baby’s been competing in a dance-off all day and all night since week 16.

It’s common that a woman would be more aware and can more easily identify flutters during her second pregnancy. Some women report feeling fetal movement as early as 13 weeks.

More Aches and Pains

Increased aches and pains can be present if your abdominal strength never came back after your first pregnancy. Again, chalk this up to the fact that your body already knows what to do and to relaxin, a hormone produced during pregnancy to soften and widen the cervix and relax the ligaments. It’s said that relaxin is way more effective during your second pregnancy.

If you’re like me and had an array of back issues, the first go-around and then it’s no surprise that they’ll be back with a vengeance. Getting out of bed is painful AF for me, but things tend to feel a bit better once I get myself up and moving around. Seeing a prenatal chiropractor is an extremely beneficial and safe way to relieve discomfort in the body. Check with your insurance company because there’s a good chance they will cover a portion of or the entire cost of each visit.

Worry

I worried during my first pregnancy and I worry this pregnancy, but the worry is very different. During my first pregnancy, my concern was about everything unknown. This time around the fear lies in everything I do know. I’ve experienced my body go through the birthing process before so I’m even more confident that it will instinctively know what to do. However, I’ve seen so many very delicate situations surrounding pregnancy and birth in the last four years, that I find myself worrying about new things. I guess I now know how scared it all is.