I am SO not feelin' it this time around.

[amberskyfire]

With my first baby, I had wanted children for so long. I researched childbirth for 8 years before we started trying. While I was pregnant, I was in heaven. I did the meditation and felt like I was a glowing goddess and took photos. I enjoyed every second of my pregnancy. It was a miracle to me.

Now I've totally been there, done that, had the home birth and with this second pregnancy I feel like "yeah, goddessy belly, earthy-birthy, yadda, yadda, WHEN DO I GET TO THE PART WITH THE BABY ALREADY?!"

I haven't read any birth books. I never look at baby books. I don't care about reading birth stories. Yeah, yeah, whatever. JUST SKIP TO THE PART WITH THE BABY!

I feel like that episode of SouthPark:

Phase one: get pregnant

Phase two: uhh...umm...

Phase three: BABY!

Any other mamas in the same boat? How do you manage to enjoy your pregnancy? This'll be my last one and I feel kind of guilty for wanting a fast forward button.

[sundaya]

I think it's totally different, being pregnant with no other children, and the world revolving around your beautiful amazing pregnancy, and being pregnant with a toddler.

Here was my pregnancy:

1st trimester: felt really crappy and still chasing DD around. Worrying about how I was ever going to manage 2. Forced myself to meditate for a few minutes, tried for daily, ended up being a few times a week. started doing prenatal yoga with dd (You're a tree, mommy, I climb on you!) Not the same relaxing thing it was when I was pregnant with DD.

2nd trimester: felt good. otherwise, same as first.

3rd trimester: see first trimester. exhausted. Felt guilty for not being able to be a better mom to DD.

I think that for me, the sheer energy and time involved in taking care of an older child took up the space I had the first time to feel so involved, and I just totally wanted that fast forward button. What helped me slow down was to focus on my relationship with DD, keeping in mind that it was her last run as an only child, and she'd be sharing me soon. Also, focusing on preparing her for the new baby. Towards the end, she and I spent a decent amount of time talking and singing to the baby. So, for me, it was totally different from the first time around, definitely not so centered on the new life to come, but it still worked to help me bond with this little guy and enjoy the pregnancy. He's 5 1/2 weeks now, and now I want the slow motion button!

[Katico]

Originally Posted by sundaya 

I think it's totally different, being pregnant with no other children, and the world revolving around your beautiful amazing pregnancy, and being pregnant with a toddler.

Here was my pregnancy:

1st trimester: felt really crappy and still chasing DD around. Worrying about how I was ever going to manage 2. Forced myself to meditate for a few minutes, tried for daily, ended up being a few times a week. started doing prenatal yoga with dd (You're a tree, mommy, I climb on you!) Not the same relaxing thing it was when I was pregnant with DD.

2nd trimester: felt good. otherwise, same as first.

3rd trimester: see first trimester. exhausted. Felt guilty for not being able to be a better mom to DD.

This, this this!

I'm 32 wks now and EXHAUSTED.  I have definitely felt some guilt for not spending enough...emotional energy? on this baby/pregnancy.  Time has been flying by and I've been taking care of DD and coping with pregnancy discomforts.  I've spent lots of time preparing for the baby in practical ways - knitting and sewing and cooking for the freezer and buying what we need.....but I have spent VERY little time thinking about this pregnancy or the birth.  No birthing stories or books here either.  This time around, I'm all like "yeah, birth, whatever...let's get to it and get that baby born and home!  Meditation?  breathing?  visualizations?  m'eh..."

I did just have a checkup ultrasound and seeing that sweet little girl on the screen brought it home a bit more.  I'm hoping to have everything ready in the next week or so, and spend the next month  or two relaxing, spending lots of time with DD and starting to get back into the happy woowoo birth mode....we'll see how that goes 

[dot1]

Oh me too me too!  Same thing as all of you are saying.

The feeling was so unexpected, given it took 2 years to conceive this second one you'd think I'd be a little more excited (this will also be our last).   For me, my impatience is coming from my body falling apart in the summer heat, being exhausted and just wanting to get back into shape and be able to enjoy normal stuff like taking dd to the park (instead of it being a recipe for sore feet, more varicose veins, knee pain, etc. etc etc.).  DH has been a grump too and not attended any prenatal appointments (except my ultrasounds where I wanted him to be there in case I got news that wasn't good) which has sucked some of the fun out of it too.

Thank goodness dd is interested.  Going to focus on preparing her for the birth :)

[bluedaisy]

I can relate!  I'm 17 weeks and some days I literally forget I am pg.  My dd just keeps me really busy and I read SO much with her and it was only 2 1/2 years ago so I still remember most of it anyway.

I do try to keep up with my ddc on here but otherwise I don't do much in terms of being engaged with the pregnancy.  DH is super stressed with financial and career issues right now and I know he'll be excited when the baby gets here but we just don't really talk about it much.

I'm not one of those women that LOVES being pg anyway - I don't mind it and it's definitely worth it to get a baby in the end, but I think I'd skip seven or eight months of the pg and go right to the birth if I could :)