11 Reasons the Second Pregnancy is Harder!

I've heard that the second baby delivery is easier and quicker than the first baby... (Praying that is true for me!) But in regards to dealing with the actual pregnancy the second time around... It sucks.

23 weeks 5 days pregnant (second pregnancy)

12 Reasons the Second Pregnancy is Harder

1. I have gained more weight earlier in my pregnancy. I started to show a couple months earlier than the first pregnancy. More weight gain means that it is harder to breathe and harder to find clothing that fits comfortably. 
2. I have less tolerance towards pregnancy symptoms. I no longer have the patience to deal with weight gain and the general discomfort of being pregnant. I've already done a full term pregnancy once so I no longer have that initial excitement and curiosity about what will come next. Don't get me wrong, I'm still excited about each pregnancy stage but in general "I've been there, done that". 
3. I feel physically exhausted more often. My lower back and rib cage hurt like hell and instead of understanding that it is just a pregnancy symptom that will fade, I constantly whine and complain about my aching body. I have a lot of motivation to do the things I want to do but my body literally cannot handle it. 
4. I have had trouble breathing since 20 weeks pregnant. My oxygen supply is being limited and I still have a long pregnancy ahead of me. My least favorite pregnancy symptom from the first pregnancy was the inability to breathe during the last month of the third trimester. I hated it. I felt claustrophobic all the time simply because it was hard to breathe. I am in shock that I am feeling these symptoms so early on during this second pregnancy. It sucks.
5. I constantly forget to take my prenatal vitamins. I understand the importance of taking vitamins... but I cannot seem to remember to take them with my meals. I put the bottle by my bathroom sink and now they are on the kitchen counter to remind myself to take them... but I still forget! By the time I remember, it has been two hours past the meal time and if I took them then, I would vomit them back up. I have children's chewable vitamins too as a backup that are easier on the stomach... but it's still a matter of remembering those. I never had this problem with my first pregnancy. 
6. I have no desire to avoid caffeine. This second pregnancy has carried on day by day with a morning cup of coffee or two. I no longer see the harm in drinking caffeine while pregnant. I do limit myself by not drinking espresso or too much coffee/caffeinated pop but during my first pregnancy, I completely eliminated it during my entire pregnancy. I only had a small cup or two of coffee at the end of my pregnancy to keep myself awake at work but it was very minimal. 
7. I am scared of birthing this second child. I did not know what to expect during child delivery the first time so I was oblivious to the amount of pain I would suffer. This time I know how much pain it is going to be. It's going to be the absolute, most unimaginably painful experience of my life. It will be so painful that the world around me will be one giant blur. I'm scared.
8. I am scared and nervous about raising another baby. Last pregnancy I was (again) oblivious to what was to come. Therefore, I had no fear of sleep deprivation and what toll it would take on my body. I can't fathom doing it again.
9. Same as #8 but remembering I still have a two year old to raise. I can't imagine raising a baby and a toddler at the same time. It scares me to death. People do it all the time... but people are other people and not me... I'll have to pray for myself. 
10. I am scared of the postnatal recovery period. It hurt like a b*tch to use the bathroom. I dreaded having to go but at the same time, I had to maintain my fluids in order to be able to breastfeed my child... and keep myself healthy. 
11. I'm scared of the postnatal hormones that will completely take over my mind. I find it difficult to deal with emotions normally, without being pregnant. I find it even more difficult to deal with emotions during pregnancy. After pregnancy is unimaginable. I will develop a mom brain, or therefore lack of brain and an uncontrollable chaos of mood swings. I am hoping I won't, but it is likely that I will sink in and out of an unbelievably dark, black pit of depression. 

So basically, the second pregnancy is harder because my body can't handle it and I don't understand how I'll be able to raise another child after truly understanding the difficulty of raising one child. 

Now with all that being said and done, I'm still excited about having a baby boy! I can't wait to be holding a tiny, little, newborn baby in my arms! I'm happily looking through tiny little boy clothing and organizing all his bottles, bibs, and toys over and over and over again... I know that all the pain and suffering will be worth it in the end! =) I just need to keep that in mind throughout these long pregnancy days.