Pregnant Again?: Pregnancy Symptoms
During your first pregnancy you were a ball of nerves, always wondering if your symptoms were normal, whether you were eating the right foods and doing the right exercises to stay healthy. Now that you’re pregnant again, you have a better idea of what to expect and can’t help but feel calmer. However, there are some changes that you should expect between your first and second pregnancy.
An Easier Time
Many women have an easier time realizing they are pregnant the second time around. This could be because the symptoms themselves start to appear sooner. Or it could be due to the fact that you actually know what to look for now. Although every pregnancy is different, some discomforts may flare up again, like backaches. You may even decide to get varicose vein treatment this time around. If you haven't done so already, then consider investing in a prenatal support girdle.
Since you are probably feeling more relaxed with this pregnancy, why not start a free online pregnancy journal? A pregnancy journal can provide a great outlet for your feelings. Plus, writing one online makes it easy to share this special time with your family and friends, where ever they may be. It will also provide you with a momento of your pregnancy that you can cherish forever and share with your child when she is older.
Much to the delight of many women, labor is often easier with the second pregnancy. However, you may still want to consider using pain medication. Additionally, numerous women have reported much shorter delivery times than with their first child. Why? Because your cervix has softened therefore it is not as difficult for your baby to make its way out.
The Times are a Changing
If it’s been a while since you had your last child, you may be wondering what the latest trend is in the delivery room. It’s not a natural birth. It’s not having your entire family by your side. And it’s not having your partner videotape the whole experience. If you want to be a hip parent, then you need to consider cord blood banking.
While it wasn’t that long ago that umbilical cords were simply thrown away after birth, nowadays, many parents are deciding to hold onto those cords for just a few extra moments. Why? Well, umbilical cord blood has been found to be a rich source of stem cells. Not only that, but it is incredibly easy to collect the stem cells from your baby’s umbilical cord blood compared to gathering stem cells from adult bone marrow.
Why Do It
After your baby is delivered and the umbilical cord has been cut, your midwife or doctor will hand you your baby. Meanwhile, a nurse will take the cut umbilical cord and drain the blood into a bag or vials. The whole procedure shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes and at no time will it interfere with the health or care of your baby. Once the blood has been collected, it is sent off to the banking facility that you have chosen where it will be stored.
The stem cells found in umbilical cord blood can be used to treat a continually growing list of illnesses and disease. For families that have a history of a particular illness or disorder, like leukemia, banking their child’s cord blood means that they have an easily accessible treatment if their child becomes sick. Even if your family health history is free of serious illnesses, banking your child’s cord blood can help you sleep easier at night knowing that you have taken steps to insure your child’s health.
Concerns
If you experienced the baby blues or postpartum depression after your first pregnancy, be aware that this depression can reoccur, and possibly be more severe, in subsequent pregnancies. Other complications that you are more at risk of during the second pregnancy include Rh disease and preeclampsia.
It is very important to take the time and prepare older children for the arrival of a new sibling. While having another baby can be a very happy and exciting time for you, that may not be the case for your child. Toddlers are especially known for not always being supportive when another usurps their position as only child in the home. You can make the transition easier for them, though, by helping them feel special about their new role within the family.
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