Last updated on May 6th, 2024 at 10:18 am
This is the pregnancy diary of my two sugar lumps. Buba, was born in 2011 and Missy Moo, was born earlier this year. Below is a time line comparing my two experiences of being pregnant and giving birth.
For me, my two pregnancies were nothing alike. There are old wives’ tales that say it would be because one was a boy and one was a girl but I don’t believe that. My friend had two boys and her pregnancies were totally different. It makes sense each pregnancy is different because they are different people already inside us. Buba was quiet and didn’t move around a lot until the very end. However, Missy Moo was nonstop dancing from the moment I found out I was pregnant. Funny how they are now polar opposite to their womb personalities. I loved being pregnant and would love to do it again and again. It feels powerful to grow a human inside you. In both pregnancies I felt excited, overjoyed, and on top of the world.
My first pregnancy was without a hiccup. I never got sick, never felt exhausted, never had the munchies, no vomiting, no nothing. It ran smoother than I expected. I had my “What to Expect” pregnancy app telling me what was going on at each milestone and what fruit my sugar lump was similar size to. My second pregnancy started off miserable. I was nauseous constantly, vomiting, achy, exhausted beyond relief, you name it, I felt it. I don’t know if it was the added task of taking care of a one year old and being pregnant but for the first 20 weeks it was hard. I still loved it. I loved my belly growing with each child. I didn’t mind the weight, I could get rid of that later. The second time around you are so busy with your first child things like keeping up on milestones, and what daily size fruit I was, didn’t happen. There is something to be said with being the second child.
Being a first time mommy, I was too scared to workout. Would it hurt my baby? Obviously not, but I too nervous to take that chance. I ate every healthy food I could get my hands on, and steered far from fast foods and junk. Although I definitely ate for two, another lovely myth. I was pregnant, paranoid, and new at it. I put on 42 lbs (3 stone for you UK mummies) with my son . Then came my second pregnancy, clearly working out was healthy for me and the baby. I continued to go running, Zumba and yoga the entire time. I actually went to Zumba up until the week before my daughter was born. I felt better for it, and I gained half the amount of weight I did the first time. It’s a lot easier to lose 25 lbs instead of 42 lbs.
Caring for a one year old while pregnant was never going to be easy, I was prepared for that. I wanted my kids close in age so I knew, though it’s hard at first, in the end it would all be worth it. Hopefully. 😉 I remember one day, I was about 35 weeks pregnant with Missy Moo, I was attempting to look like I was playing cars with Buba on the living room floor. To say I was exhausted wouldn’t have described what I felt. I could barely hold my head up. I laid my head down right next to him and closed my eyes for a brief moment. I was jerked awake (mere seconds later) with my son driving his cars on my swelling belly. I couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same moment.
Buba was born two weeks late, overcooked, at 42 weeks, four hours before my scheduled induction. Missy Moo decided she was going to arrive early like her momma always does and was born at 37 weeks. It shocked me that I could be so late with one pregnancy and early with another. I didn’t even have Missy Moo’s hospital bag finished yet. Luckily I had everything else done and ready to go. I recall how uncomfortable it was to be overdue but it still didn’t bother me when Buba’s due date came and past, I had a calm sense about it. He would come when he was ready to. Two sweeps and nothing happened, I wasn’t keen on being induced. I had a few words with my son and he came just in the nick of time. Missy Moo on the other hand decided to brace us with her graciousness in the most surprising birth ever. Both woke me up in the middle of the night and came into our lives at record speed.
My Two Birth Stories
Buba was born at 5:16 AM all natural. From the time we left our house to the hospital to his birth was less than an hour. To say I have babies fast doesn’t describe it. I woke up with a stabbing sharp pain deep in my belly. I remember thinking my first baby was going to take awhile, and its highly recommended to have a bath. As I drew the water for the bath the pains got worse and worse but because it was my first experience giving birth, I got in the bath anyways. Everyone always says its the worse pain ever so I was prepared for it to get worse and it did. I just wasn’t prepared for it to get worse, instantly. Within five minutes I was screaming for my husband, P, to get the phone and call the hospital. The midwife gave no sympathy for my current condition and told me to go back to bed and take two paracetamol (USA mommies that’s like tylenol). Not helpful as I was having pains every four minutes. I ignored her suggestion and told my husband to take me to the hospital immediately. I was 8 1/2 cm dilated when I got there. No drugs, no time for epidurals, the doctor said it’s time to push. Twenty minutes later, my son was in my arms, skin to skin, nestling close for the warmth of his Momma.
Missy Moo was born at 1:38 AM all natural. From the time I woke up to her birth was 38 minutes. Even though she was three weeks early, we were prepared that the birth could be faster than her brother and it was. My midwife kept asking me if I wanted a home birth since I had my son so fast but I wasn’t ready for something like that. We scheduled to have her at a smaller, closer hospital but it was a natural birthing center so even if I wanted, I couldn’t have drugs, epidural, etc. I was ok with this since I didn’t have anything with Buba. It was 1 AM and I woke with that same stabbing deep pain in my belly as I had had with my son. This time I got my things, woke P. up and said,”let’s go”. By 1:05 AM we were in the car and on our way. We got to the hospital in less than five minutes. The staff were lovely, saying things like, “you are doing good, but it will be awhile” or “its not time to push, just keep breathing.” I arrived at the hospital 9 cm dilated. I remember turning to a lovely lady and half screaming at her (apologies now) “I had my son in less than an hour, I want to push now!” Three pushes, yes literally, and my daughter was clinging tight to my shirt and peeking up for the first time at her Momma.
Neither of the births of my two sugar lumps went according to plan. I am a huge wuss and wanted to have every drug, epidural, gas & air that they offer. I really wanted to try one of those birthing pools too, more pain relief I was told. In the end, I was surprised and blown away how well I did with not having any of those things (like I had a choice). I felt truly blessed that both births went so smoothly for me and I had two beautiful healthy babies. I often wonder was I only lucky because the big man upstairs knew I couldn’t handle anything past an hour without being fully sedated. 🙂
I love sharing my pregnancy and birthing stories with all of you, as you never hear the good birthing stories only the long scary ones which used to scare the day lights out of me. I would love to hear other pregnancy and birthing stories from all you wonderful mommies out there. Feel free to leave a comment about your own experiences.
Aw I love reading pregnancy diaries and HOW CUTE are your bumps?! Lovely. And I agree- good, positive birthing stories need to be shared more, to dispell the fear and normalise what is the most normal thing in the world. Thank you for sharing x x
Ahhh thank you. It was great to compare them next to each other.