Whenever I chat with expecting moms, experienced moms, or just other women in general lately, the first thing to come up in conversation is how I am feeling and what my first pregnancy was like compared to this one. There are a lot of similarities between the two, but this one has definitely been more difficult. I am currently at about 31.5 weeks and have experienced a whole new round of pregnancy symptoms so I think I am fully prepared for this blog post. Below I listed the differences and similarities between the two. Hope you enjoy!
NAUSEA | I have experienced nausea in both pregnancies, but with Charlotte I was only sick from weeks seven to about thirteen. This time around however, I started feeling sick at week six and it hasn’t stopped. I was sick all day everyday, like so nauseated I couldn’t function until about week sixteen, and now I just experience nausea in the afternoon and in the evening round 8 PM. The one bright side is I only threw up about six times and taking B6 with Unisom did mellow out my symptoms a little bit. Oh and although I hated drinking it, Coke helped my stomach pain as well.
HEADACHES | I had terrible headaches with Charlotte and of course refused to take Tylenol so I suffered through them with the help of a little bit of peppermint oil. This time around I have had one headache, so there is ONE symptom this pregnancy I haven’t really experienced.
ROBBED OF MY BEAUTY | With both Charlotte and this baby, my beauty has definitely been stollen from me in more than one way. I get a ton of back acne and it ruins, I mean absolutely destroys my long lashes. This time around has been worse though, I literally LOST all of my lashes where as last time they just thinned out and got shorter. Luckily I have found a pregnancy safe lash serum that has been bringing them back to life.
LETHARGY | Unlike last pregnancy where I got the second trimester energy, I am tried ALL THE TIME. It takes a lot for me to push myself to workout on the daily, honestly.
HAIR GROWTH | I have heard for some women their hair grows like crazy during pregnancy. Not me. For both pregnancies, I have experienced an extreme decline in hair growth, which could honestly have something to do with it ruining my eye lashes.
ALLERGIES | With Charlotte, my allergies got terrible throughout the majority of the first trimester, but this time around I only struggled with them for a couple of weeks in May – thank God.
HEARTBURN | Heartburn is something I will never be able to avoid I guess. With both pregnancies, heartburn hit me hard in the third trimester.
BRAXTON HICKS | Much like heartburn, Braxton hicks are a common symptom for me in the third trimester. In both pregnancies I feel a consistent tightening and hardening of my belly throughout the day. It can be uncomfortable but it isn’t painful.
THE BUMP | My bump started showing a lot sooner this time around. I felt as though I had a small bump starting around week twelve, whereas I didn’t start showing until around week nineteen with Charlotte. I have hard this is very common for second pregnancies though!
If you want to read up more on my pregnancy, check out my Pregnancy Q&A, HERE.