For those w/ kids less than 3yrs apart....

[DeChRi]

Did you find your second was harder to physically recover from vs the first? Both asthetically and otherwise?

This is my third, but my first and second were 8 yrs apart. #2 and #3 are 2.5 yr apart. This 3rd pregnancy is SO much harder that the first two, abs pulled further apart, prolapse issues, etc. I know that this is normal the mroe kids you have. But I had very similar recoveries with #1 and #2 and was wondering if the 3rd was more likely to follow in the same route, or if the two closer together was just harder for you body to adjust to.

[BetsyS]

I'm pregnant with #3. THere have been 23 month gaps both times.

#1 was a really hard pregnancy. I was working in a stressful job, probably a little much, and I really pushed myself (for good reason--we wanted to and did pay off all our credit card debt the month he was born). I was incredibly swollen, borderline PIH/preeclampsia, and looking back, I was not as healthy as I would have liked to believe.

#2 was a walk in the park compared to that. Seriously. I went 13 days over, and it was no big deal. I just kept on keeping on.

With #3, I am exhausted. More so than #2, probably around the same as #1. I'm also huge, so I'm concerned about the size of this baby (seriously huge at 30 weeks).

I have had 2 c-sections. Recovery from #2 was much easier than #1, but #2 was scheduled/no labor, and #1's labor was very long.

I'm curious about the recovery this time.

[sanguine_speed]

[starlein26]

#1 was a fairly hard recovery. Ds was 9lbs 13oz and I pushed for over 2 hours. All in all, about 2 weeks of recovery (with the first week being the hardest).

#2 was an extremely easy recovery. It's almost like I didn't even give birth. Weird.

#3 was my hardest recovery. I retained clots in my uterus right after birth which caused me to hemorrhage. And I tore in an odd place which was very painful. It took EIGHT weeks!!!!!! to recover. It was awful.

[mama2toomany]

My first was at 17 and my labor was 38 hours long, natural no drugs nothing. 2nd 2 years later was 14 hours long and so much easier. I recovered quicker.

My 3rd was 5 years later and It was over before it began I never pushed and she came right out 4 minutes after my water broke. seriously. I recovered completely in 8 days.

[DeChRi]

Thanks for the feedback.

My #1 I had about a fingertip of ab separation, 15 hr of labor but about 4 hr of hard labor, and within a week felt normal. I did have an episiotmony and tore as well, but didn't bother me much after. Stomach was flat 5 days later and prepreg weight at 4 weeks.

#2 I had about 2 fingertips of ab separation, water broke, GBS+, no labor later he next day, 9 hrs of pit with no pain meds, 4 stitches for a little tear, stomach flat again in about 2 weeks, prepreg weight at 6 weeks.

This time I have a solid 3 fingertips of ab separation and some other odd things. I was packing last night and started to toss in pants to wear home I did with DD2 and thought...holy crud, what if my stomach just doesn't respond like the last two! And hit a minor panic. Not that there is much I can do, but just preggo emotions went WHAM.

[mbhf]

So far, my recoveries have been easier. I guess my third was a little harder than my second, but the birth was harder. My fourth was my best/easiest recovery yet. With my first I still looked pregnant a week after the birth, with my others I had a normal shape within a few days. I felt much better (physically and emotionally) more quickly with each of my pregnancies, with my fourth I felt pretty much 100% by the end of the first week. My kids are 20-23 months apart. My third pregnancy was more difficult than my others, I felt more tired and sore. for what that's worth.

[beckyand3littlemonsters]

None of my recoveries have been "hard" although after cameron (2nd birth) i was sick and felt very weak for a couple of hours and found it hard to pick cameron up just laid in bed but other than that i've been up and about pretty quick, my afterpains got worse with each one though.
I have 22 months between chloe and cameron, 16 months between cameron and caitlin and 33 months between caitlin and cadet.

[beckyand3littlemonsters]

Originally Posted by DeChRi

This time I have a solid 3 fingertips of ab separation .

I had this with all mine (may have been more actually) i thought it was really strange, especially when i could stick my fist in my belly.

[callieollie]

My first was a very difficult 28-hour back labor with 3 1/2 hours of pushing, a vaccuum extraction, and a third degree tear. I had an epidural, IV, pitocin, etc. I felt like I had been hit by a truck afterwards. I could barely lift my arms for days afterwards, they were so tired from holding my legs during pushing, and I couldn't stand up without help because of my tears and sore stomach for days.

My second was an easy 3 hour labor with 4 minutes of pushing. No drugs. Second degree tear. I felt physically fine (other than the tear) immediately after birth and the tear was much easier than my first and was fine within a few days.

[limette]

Mine aren't really comparable. My first was a c-section and the second was a vbac with a uterine infection 9 days post partum.

This pregnancy is definitely harder than the previous ones, we'll see how the recovery goes.

All three are (will be) 28 months apart.

[Aka mommy]

DD#1 10/2003 - horribly hard pregnancy with HG the entire time. Birth was a you know what to recover from, but it was a really intervened hospital birth.

DD#2 10/2005 - my easiest birth. Only 14 weeks of HG. She was born posterior with a nuchal hand but the next day i was walking around felt amazing the day after. Her birth was ecstatic and simply wonderful.

Surrogacy #1 4/2009 - my easiest pregnancy physically. The birth was the hardest but shortest (2 hours). It was really hard to recover from. Ultimately the hardest of all 3.

Surprise #3 due 6/2010 - we shall see how it goes. There were only 4 months in between pregnancies so this has been the hardest on me mentally and physically. I had 29 weeks of HG and have been dealing with horrible SPD for months now. I'm pretty miserable. But im feeling confident this will be a very easy birth to have and recover from.

[Norasmomma]

With DD I had a very easy pregnancy, went into labor at 41 weeks, had a 30 hr labor which turned into an emergency c/s due to my uterus starting to fail contracting and DD having fetal distress. I ended up with a T incision on my uterus due to DD being so wedge in my pelvis. My recovery was amazingly easy though, I walked 12 hours after all of that and was released fairly quickly. I came home DH cleaned the house and we ate all the yummy food I had prepped while nesting. I only bled for a couple weeks and pretty much felt fine, even with a c/s. I went to town shopping when DD was a week old.

DS's pregnancy was waaaaaayyyy harder, I actually only gained 16 lbs(DD was 30), I had heartburn all the time, I actually ate Zantac most days. I was a vegan for 2 months because meat was so gross. I got sick the day I got my BFP, it lasted most of the pregnancy-though not as bad as the beginning. His birth was a scheduled c/s due to my T(it runs a much higher chance of rupture). I was really prepared for it and I had a very easy recovery, I again stood and walked around 12 hours later, but this time I knew from the Dr I could leave if I did 3 things, walked, took pain meds by mouth, and went to the bathroom-if I did those things I could be released after 24 hours. I did and was released. His recovery was sooooo much easier and I felt so much better all the way around(I didn't realize how sick I actually had been). I recovered really fast went to town shopping when DS was 5 days, barely took any pain meds. I lost ALL his weight gain from him in the hospital, and started losing that extra from DD that was leftover.

The second was actually easier on many levels.

[Adamsmama]

My first - I had a very difficult recovery but I think it was because he was sunny-side up and the dr. had to reach in with forceps and pull him/twist him out. Very painful -- I had a difficult time walking/standing for a while afterwards.

2nd -- so easy and I felt great-- up walking around right away, went out on outings right away (thinking back -- I can't believe how much energy I had).

3rd -- I was more tired than with the 2nd but probably because it was an induction and very physically wearing...

[Peony]

1 and 2 are close to 4 years apart, 2 and 3 were exactly 2.5 years apart. The third pg was exhausting, really, really exhausting, birth was harder but the recovery was so easy. I was out grocery shopping on day 3 and to a gymnastics meet by day 5. Regular life resumed fully when DS was 7 days old and DH went back to work. The one thing that did not bounce right back was my body. DS turns one next week and my abs are still shot, and I am still not back to my regular size. I have never had that happen before, DS really took a toll on my body that way.

[emmalizz]

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[DeChRi]

A follow up to those that noted their bodies didn't bounce back like before....do you think that was a function of actual "out of your hands" phsyical changes that happened with more kids, or more of a function of it is realllly hard to exercise well and eat well and push back into shape like it was with less kids?

Just curious.

[lunita1]

Originally Posted by DeChRi

Did you find your second was harder to physically recover from vs the first? Both asthetically and otherwise?

This is my third, but my first and second were 8 yrs apart. #2 and #3 are 2.5 yr apart. This 3rd pregnancy is SO much harder that the first two, abs pulled further apart, prolapse issues, etc. I know that this is normal the mroe kids you have. But I had very similar recoveries with #1 and #2 and was wondering if the 3rd was more likely to follow in the same route, or if the two closer together was just harder for you body to adjust to.

I have a different take on this. I think the biggest difference you're experiencing this time is your own age and the wear and tear on your body. I think this is especially true if you were holding on to a few extra pounds at the beginning of this pregnancy.

[Aka mommy]

Originally Posted by DeChRi

A follow up to those that noted their bodies didn't bounce back like before....do you think that was a function of actual "out of your hands" phsyical changes that happened with more kids, or more of a function of it is realllly hard to exercise well and eat well and push back into shape like it was with less kids?

Just curious.

I think it's personally the fact that our bodies aren't able to refresh all the nutrients, vitamins, hormones, ect that a pregnancy take out of us when you have back to back pregnancies. Also, yes it is easier to bounce back with less kids.

For example, my surrogacy pregnancy was the fastest i bounced back from. I had a 6 and 4 year old and no new born and was getting FULL nights of sleep. It was oddly wonderful and i was able to devote an hour and a half a day to work out (who can do that with a breastfeeding newborn?) and i not only lost 38 lbs my dh said i was in the best physical shape of my life (interesting since i was a work out aholic before we ever conceived children). Now with my other 2, i had bounced back by 6 weeks but was still not chiseled and in shape and feeling as wonderful as i was by 6 weeks with this last pregnancy.

And i agree with PP. Add age to the mix and things are going to be different.

[wbg]

My first 3 were 3 under 3, but I bounced back easily with the 1st 2. The 3rd took a while. My whole body changed shape and honestly did not come right till about 3-4 months after I stopped BFing. My 4th came after an almost 5 yr break. My body defs found it the hardest to carry and it has been a long recovery. I am still feeding her though, almost 2 yrs now so I hope, (pray) that when I stop feeding my body will come back. I find that I hit a certain point and then until I stop feeding, I not only can not lose weight, but my shape etc is totally different. Does not matter if I am feeding 6 times a day or just the 1.
As for time....I find that it is certainly harder to schedule exercise with young nursing babies and toddlers, but still even when I made a huge effort by walking everywhere, carting groceries on the stroller, and getting to yoga twice a week, things were still different till I stopped breast feeding. I do think that age is a factor as well as the feeding.