Second Pregnancy Bump (and Labor) Comparison, Part 4

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Ahh pregnancy weeks 37 and beyond, a full term baby bump!  I had to wait to do this final post because I needed to know how long my little guy would be staying before I could finish the first and second pregnancy bump comparisons, and boy did he surprise us!  You can click these links to see Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of my bump comparisons.

Baby J’s birthing time began at 40 weeks 1 day and she was born at 40 weeks 3 days. I remember how despondent I felt that she hadn’t come on or before her guess date; there is nothing more terrifying to me than an induction.  I was convinced Baby C would come much earlier than her, in fact we were hoping for sometime in week 39…nope!

My birthing time began very early in the morning at 41 weeks. And I thought waiting one extra day for Baby J was hard!  I didn’t get a chance to take my weekly picture because we left for the hospital (which is an hour and a half away) early that morning.  Baby C arrived at 41 weeks 1 day at 1:30am. So I took my final baby bump picture on what would have been 42 weeks when he was 6 days old plus added a pic of what that dress looks like on a non-pregnant body (my bridal shower 5 years ago).

So, here are the final comparisons of the first and second pregnancies, this time regarding the actual labour rather than the bump (which looks lower the second pregnancy, eh?):

one: contractions. I was shocked at how different the birthing waves (aka contractions) felt for both babies. With Baby #1 they were like a powerful cramping of my stomach, right in the middle near my belly button. I was waiting to feel that again and never did!  With Baby #2 it was a radiating pain beginning in my pelvis up to where the top of a pair of bikini bottoms sit. Not at all what I was expecting, I even googled it to see if contractions can be felt differently in different pregnancies (yes, they can!).

two: total time in labour. With Baby #1 I went 56 hours without sleep and 45 hours in labour, and I did it all naturally using Hypnobabies–no pain meds!!  I felt like superwoman afterwards!  With Baby #2 it took a total of 21 hours, again using Hypnobabies and no pain meds!  So a significantly shorter experience, though it was still long–we were expecting to give birth in the vehicle on the side of the highway, we thought second babies come fast…not that fast I guess haha!

three: pushing. Even though many women who use Hypnobabies don’t push at all, pushing feels right for me. With Baby #1 I pushed for 3 hours (ugh) and with Baby #2 it was 2 hours (uuuggh).  Again, I was not expecting it to take so long the second time, I was under this impression that things happen sooo much faster; it was an hour less, but still long!

four: walking. With both babies I walked and walked and walked all throughout the birthing time. I don’t take birthing waves sitting down–literally, I don’t sit or lay down during a contraction, for me standing feels best. With Baby #1 we were admitted early on so we just did laps around the maternity ward. With Baby #2 we chose not to be admitted but instead spent the morning and part of the afternoon walking around a few little shops in town, and we went for breakfast and lunch. It was a nice distraction for me but was very nerve wracking for my husband.

five: waiting. With Baby #1, we were just excited and anxious for baby to arrive. I was totally ready for her and just kept myself busy with crochet projects and my yoga teacher training anatomy course. With Baby #2 we were still excited and anxious, but there was a lot more worry in the mix. Worry about childcare, worry about Baby #1’s reaction to bringing home Baby #2, worry about being past my guess due date and needing to be induced, and even a little worry about not making it to the hospital on time. Thankfully it all worked out in the end and there was no need to be worried, but how could I have known?

Baby C is now home and Baby J is loving him more each day.  She likes to touch his toes and ears and hair and tell us what they are, she helps me burp him, she rocks him in his Nuna Leaf chair, and she’s kissed him on the head a few times.  It’s really lovely!

As for me, I am doing great!  While of course having a newborn as well as two under two is exhausting, I feel really good. I’m not exercising more than walks just yet but I’ve already started my Postpartum Diet, and I’ve packed away all my maternity clothes!  Even though the labour was long, it went really well and I almost feel totally back to normal already!

I am blessed to be having such an easy recovery and such beautiful babies, not to mention a tremendously supportive and strong husband. Life is exciting, I can’t wait to see what comes next for our little family!  Stay tuned, I will keep posting whenever both babes are asleep at the same time…

PS: you can read about why I don’t post pics of my kid’s faces here.

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First Pregnancy Dress: Olian Cary Empire Maternity Dress

Second Pregnancy Dress: John Zack for Asos.  It’s not maternity, just stretchy, and I got it on eBay years ago to wear to my bridal shower so I can’t find it any longer, but here it is in black.

Here’s a link to the maternity version as well, just not white.  This one by Seraphine Maternity looks similar.

Jungle Jam Swaddle Blanket: Aden and Anais

Ralph Lauren Stripe Kimono Two-Piece Newborn Set: Nordstrom

Camera used in the second Pregnancy and baby announcement pics: Olympus O-MD E-M10 Mark II with 14-42mm IIR lens

 

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