Are we gaining more weight? Does the belly come out faster? Will the course of pregnancy be similar? And childbirth? The point on what changes (or not) during the second pregnancy with the liberal midwife Catherine Delaunay.
Do you gain more weight in the second pregnancy?
“The first pregnancy enlarged the pelvis and it is common for the mother to keep a few pounds gained during the previous pregnancy”, notes midwife Catherine Delaunay. “It all also depends on the morphology and metabolism of the mother”, she ponders. Just like the time elapsed between the two pregnancies. Thus, in the event of close pregnancies, it is therefore likely that the mother has not yet lost everything and that the scale therefore displays a weight higher than that recorded during her first pregnancy. However, “To move on quickly to a new pregnancy can be more tiring for the mother, and her body can draw on its reserves, so she will not necessarily gain more weight”, notes the midwife. In short, it all depends on the women and the pregnancies. Same for the stretch marks. They are not related to the number of pregnancies, but to the growth of the baby. “If he makes rapid growth spurts, there is a risk of stretch marks. Also, maybe the laxity of the skin and muscles means that there may be less in a second pregnancy“she explains.
Does the pregnancy belly appear faster?
What really changes in the second pregnancy is that “the belly comes out faster and earlier“, emphasizes Catherine Delaunay. The reason ? “There is a laxity in the ligaments and abdominal muscles, the uterus weighs more on the muscleswe are less toned, which makes the baby show up more easily”, she explains. In addition, the woman integrates her pregnancy more quickly because she has experienced it. Thereby, “Some women are 3 months pregnant with their second baby and it looks like they are in the 6th month”, remarks the midwife. But, if the belly is often bigger, “The baby will not necessarily be. It can be more or less so than the first. Each pregnancy is unique”she says.
What are the symptoms of a second pregnancy?
“The symptoms of the second pregnancy are generally the same that can be observed during a first pregnancy.“assures Claire Delaunay. “The difference is that the mother spots them faster because she has already experienced them”. On the other hand, she concedes that the body being less toned, one can have more pain in the ligaments. Being more tired too. On the one hand, since you are already a mother and therefore have to take care of the first and less easily rest. And then, “pregnancy itself is tiring, but this is the second one”, she notes. After the delivery of the second, the trenches, that is to say postpartum contractions are often stronger. In effect, “the uterus has been distended a second time and therefore it will probably take more contractions to allow it to retract and return to its place. Similarly, the contractions are likely to be felt more“, adds the midwife. As for the risk of developing Gestational Diabetes,“it is more frequent during a first baby, because the body must adapt to this fetus, filter both the body of the mother and that of the baby and this is a first for him”, she explains. Fact, “with a healthy lifestyle and good self-compliance, normally there is little chance of having diabetes in the second pregnancy, if you did not have it for the first”, she reassures. However, she argues, “As pregnancies go by, we get older and the body may have more difficulty filtering at 40 than at 30, gestational diabetes may thus appear even if there was none during the first pregnancy”.
Is the 2nd pregnancy more painful than the first?
“The second pregnancy is not necessarily more painful than the first“, reassures the midwife. We can also have had a bad experience of the first pregnancy and that the second takes place without incident (less nausea, heartburn, etc.). Conversely, it is possible that the minor ailments intensify during the second pregnancy, or even that pathologies appear. “It’s random and variable from one woman to another”she insists. “Psychologically, acceptance can also be less good during the second pregnancy, it all depends on the context of the mother’s life during each of her pregnancies”she adds.
To best manage this second pregnancy, the midwife suggests getting enough rest and especially maintain regular physical activity. “Exercising eliminates toxins, while staying inactive will build up and may bring out symptoms faster”, she explains. As a result, you risk having more heartburn, cramps, etc. “Being pregnant is not a disease, you need to play sports, to live your pregnancy so that it goes as well as possible”, she adds. Who says second pregnancy also says change of organization, of logistics, because we will have to manage the eldest in addition to the unborn baby.
Is the second childbirth easier?
“In general, childbirth is easier. But there are also women for whom it becomes more complicated with each new pregnancy. nuance Catherine Delaunay. “And then for others, childbirth will be simpler and more expeditious with each new pregnancy”. According to her, “All babies know the way, but the passage is often easier for the second because the body has a memory : he remembers that he was distended and opened to let the first pass. At the psychological level too, the mother will resist the pain less, struggle less than for the first time when she was in the discovery, because she understands these contractions that she has already experienced”concludes the midwife.