Preparing For A Second Pregnancy

June 16, 2020

My son is almost 3 years old now. I’ve kinda gotten used to being a mommy by now, and we’ve been thinking about maybe adding a second kid to the mix. I thought it’d be a great idea to share a few tips with other moms who are thinking about getting pregnant that want to prepare.

At the end of the day, everything that you did to prepare for your first pregnancy will still apply to your second. This means you will need to eat well, exercise, self-care like crazy, and of course, do your preconception checkups. Now, I know how hard it can be to juggle all these things on top of already being a mother. Hopefully, this article will shed some light on things you can do now.

The average time that our bodies take for our period to start up again after pregnancy, is six to eight weeks after you give birth [1]. Your period should go back to your regular schedule, which means the return of fertility. I think it’s pretty amazing that our bodies somehow know when we’ll be ready for another pregnancy. Our hormone and fertility cycles only get fired up when our bodies can cope physically with the demands of another baby.

The main lesson I learned from my first pregnancy is that pregnancy is extremely physically demanding. You should know that if it hasn’t been long since your last baby, it becomes even more so. That’s why preparing well for it will improve your chances of conception and go a long way in boosting your baby’s health during pregnancy.

This article will take a closer look at some of the things you can do to prepare your body for a second pregnancy. It will also shed some light on how you can prepare your firstborn for a brother or sister.

If you have been thinking about baby number 2, here are some of my best tips on how to prepare:

1. Start drinking more water
It sounds so obvious, doesn’t it? Drinking more water is a great and very easy way to prepare for a second pregnancy. Proper hydration is essential for better egg health. It reduces the thickness of blood and makes it flow around the body more easily. Aim for about 2 liters or 8 glasses of water a day.

2. Improve your diet
This goes for both you and your partner. What you eat affects egg and sperm quality. This is why diet is such huge deal infertility. Make sure all your meals are well-balanced and contain essential nutrients. Whenever possible, eat organic to avoid introducing toxins to your body, which can adversely affect fertility.

3. Pay close attention to your cycle
Doctors advise monitoring your cycle because it is the only way to know when you are most fertile. If you are trying for baby number two, this can increase your chances of getting pregnant by a huge margin. Luckily, it is easier than ever to monitor your cycles these days. There are apps for it, and you can also use an ovulation predictor kit, temperature charting, or monitor your cervical mucus. Check out our article on how ovulations tests can help you get pregnant.

4. Use prenatal vitamins and supplements
You can never be sure of the nutritional content in food these days. That’s why you need supplements to support your fertility journey. Prenatal vitamins help cover all your bases and give you some peace of mind that you are getting your necessary daily vitamins that your body requires. Prenatal vitamins comes in softgels or gummies – I definitely recommend getting gummies because its east to take at any moment without needing to get a glass of water, you just chew the Yummy vitamin gummies 🙂

Here is a list of essential prenatal vitamins and supplements that you may need:

· Prenatal vitamins: Go for one that contains the regular vitamins as well as zinc, selenium and inositol. Some brands sell his and hers vitamins in a dual pack which is very convenient if you are doing this with a supportive partner.

· Omega 3: I use fish-body-sourced omega 3 instead of fish-liver-sourced. The latter is not good for the developing embryo. (Prenatal gummy vitamins with Omega 3 fish oil by SmartyPants)

· Other supplements: folic acid, iron, magnesium, probiotics

5. Watch how you exercise

This is really important for us moms who are trying to get pregnant again. You need to exercise gently. Too much exercise is actually bad for you and your conception efforts. Balance in everything.

Also, I know first-hand how hard finding time to exercise can be difficult now that you already have a child. Consider asking someone to watch your child as you work out, working out when your firstborn is asleep, or getting active with your baby! I suggest pulling up a Youtube video and practicing at home Yoga with you and you child. It’s super fun and it let’s you connect and live in the moment with you bundle of joy.

6. Talk to your doctor about it

It is very important to check with your doctor first before trying to get pregnant. In fact, they might provide invaluable insight that will help you get pregnant sooner. On your next doctor’s visit, here are some of the things you need to get cleared up:

· If you have any chronic medical conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure, find out how you can get them under control for your next pregnancy

· Get your blood checked for nutritional deficiencies. If you have any, find out how you can work your levels back up before trying for your second baby.

· Get vaccinated for infections that can be dangerous during pregnancy like chicken pox and rubella, then wait a few months before trying to conceive.

· Get your teeth checked for gun disease, tooth decay, and periodontitis. These can lead to preterm birth.

· If you are on any medication, find out if they are ok to keep taking through your pregnancy
· Get screened for STDs. Don’t assume that your health is exactly as it was during your first pregnancy.

Will your first child resent the baby?

Let’s be honest, if you are trying for baby number two, and if your first is still quite young, this question has crossed your mind a dozen times by now. I constantly worry about how my almost-three-year-old will take having a little sister or brother.

So, will your first child be resentful over the loss of attention? Yes. And this is to be expected, no matter the age difference. Depending on how you prepare your firstborn, they will react in one of several ways: they will have a lot of love for the new baby with occasional bouts of jealousy, see the new baby as an object of curiosity, see them as a rival for mom and dad’s love, or ignore the baby altogether.

Another factor that will determine how well they take the arrival of the new baby is the age difference. If your kids will be roughly two years apart, it is your toddler who will be hard work, not the baby! When you combine the challenges of the terrible twos with the arrival of a new tiny human in the household, you get the perfect recipe for extremely challenging behavior. The silver lining here is that while it may be difficult at first, once they get used to the baby, they’ll get along really well and enjoy playing together. This is the one thing that’s making me optimistic, ha-ha!

There are a number of things you can do to prepare your older child and help ease the transition:

· Talk to them about being an older sibling. Start doing so quite early in your second pregnancy. Some people, however, think that doing so several months before the baby comes can be confusing to younger kids. This all depends on you. Personally, I’ve decided to wait for my son to notice my growing tummy, get curious, and bring up the subject himself.

· Consider using kids’ books to help prepare them for their new role. There are many great books out there that will help ease the transition. If you want to get crafty and create physical memories, then definitely check out this super cute Celebratory Journal for a New Big Sister or Brother. This Journal helps sibling-to-be get creative by drawing, coloring and playing games to express and document their feeling in this precious time.

· Get them a doll that they can practice feeding, clothing, and diapering for fun. It is a great way to show them what having a new baby sibling will be like.

Final Thoughts

Clearly, once you make up your mind to add another child to the family, there is a lot to think about. However, with a just little preparation, you will be well on your way to a happy, healthy, and wonderful pregnancy. I really hope this information will help you get ready for your next bundle of joy. Good luck!