This is a current picture of me pregnant and I will share a photo of when I was pregnant with Raylan at the end.
Every pregnancy is different and no two pregnancies are alike and I find that to be true as I experience my second pregnancy. What I love most about being pregnant now is that I was able to embrace it from day one and not feel like I had to hide my pregnancy. I got pregnant with Raylan while being a freshman in college so I felt a little embarrassed or ashamed of being pregnant while on campus. Of course, once freshman year was over and I moved back home, I was able to be open with my pregnancy but I kept feeling like such a failure or like I screwed up my life. Once Raylan was born, I realized my life wasn’t over but beginning in a new way and I wish I spent more time just loving being pregnant while pregnant with him. So, with this pregnancy, I am embracing everything that comes along with it and just enjoying being pregnant.
While being pregnant, I have noticed some differences with this pregnancy compared to my first.
Below are the 12 differences I’ve noticed with this pregnancy compared to my first:
1. I am way more exhausted this time around. And that probably has a lot to do with me running behind a very rambunctious 4-year old this time around.
2. Morning sickness is sticking around a lot longer this time around and the morning sickness is the absolute worst. Now that I’m moving into my 2nd trimester, it’s not as bad but I remember having days where I could barely get out of bed.
3. I gained weight immediately and it didn’t take me long to start showing. It took me until I was about 20 or so weeks to start showing with Raylan.
4. Healthcare is so different compared to 4 years ago. It was easy getting Medicaid and finding a doctor to accept it versus now where I had to jump through hoops just to be approved. The struggle has been real and even though I am finally insured, trying to find a doctor was an uphill battle.
5. I am more paranoid and scared this time around because I know what to expect and I have read a lot of horror stories.
6. I felt the baby moving a lot sooner this time around. And my little one is very active. Raylan was also a very active in the womb but I didn’t feel the movements this soon.
7. Headaches are more frequent. I suffer from migraines and this pregnancy is bringing them on more frequently than usual.
8. I am hungry all the time. I can have a 5 course meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner and still be starved like I didn’t eat anything at all. I don’t remember being this hungry with Raylan. I do remember having random bursts of starvation and cravings but nothing like I’m experiencing now.
9. I am all boobs, booty and belly with this pregnancy. I was all belly and nothing else with Raylan.
10. I am at a much better place in my life now. I feel like when I was pregnant as a college student, I wasn’t ready to be a mom and wasn’t sure I would make a good mom because I wasn’t mentally or financially prepared for a baby. Once Raylan came into the world, all of that changed and I was more ready than I thought I was. Now that I have 4 years of motherhood under my belt and in a better place mentally and financially, I feel ready to have this baby.
11. The new baby gadgets and jazzy baby equipment doesn’t excite me as much. I will actually have a blog post on the items I really like and considering purchasing. I spent so much unnecessary money on trendy things when pregnant with Raylan. I will try not to do that this time around.
12. Time is moving so fast. I feel like February will be here before I know it. It feels like it was just July when I found out and now we’re headed into Fall.
Raylan has wanted a baby sister since he was about 2 years old and I have always longed to have another child but I wanted to wait until Raylan was a little older. Before I had Raylan, I remember wanting three boys. Even though, my biggest concern is having a happy healthy baby, I wouldn’t mind having a little girl. I am just so excited and cannot wait for my little one to get here.
This is the last photo I took while pregnant with Raylan.
