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Community Corner

Six Reasons Carrying My Second Baby Rocks

Confidence and local resources give a pregnant mother peace of mind.

Pregnancy is a difficult, glorious time of life. I'm pregnant with my second child and thought I knew what I was in for this time around. But, there are unexpected joys that come with doing it again.

  1. You don't have to listen to anyone's sage words of wisdom on how you should feel. With both pregnancies, I got overly nauseated and irritable at three and a half weeks pregnant. The first time around, my cousin convinced me it was wishful thinking. "There's no way you'd feel it this early," she said. This time, I took a pregnancy test right away because I trusted myself.
  2. Helpful resources have already been identified. I was afraid to leave my house during the first month of my son's life. Now I know I can go to the weekly Loudoun Hospital New Mom's Group to commiserate with other moms afraid to leave their homes.
  3. You know you'll be a good mom. No more waking at night with nightmares of driving off with the baby carrier on top of my car. Now I know the baby can survive that. (Just kidding!)
  4. Doctors believe you now. During the first pregnancy, I started feeling sharp pangs during the fifth month. My doctor said it was gas. I now know they were contractions. When I mentioned early contractions last week, my doctor did an exam instead of encouraging me to clear Walgreens' stock of Tums.
  5. The fear isn't as great. Oh, I'm a bit apprehensive about throwing a second kid into our finally stable family. But, that fear-of-the-unknown isn't overwhelming me.
  6. You trust yourself. No two pregnancies are alike. I've had a few surprises and I expect more to pop up along the way. But, the best perk to having the second baby is not feeling like a deer caught in headlights. My confidence has me feeling fabulous. Now I can say with pride, "No, that's not just my big, fat gut anymore. I'm pregnant!"
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