Hi all!

[babydoll]

I am in my 15th week of pregnancy with my second child. I nursed my dd until 31 months. I really believe in breastfeeding and there is no doubt I will nurse the baby in my womb, but the last few days I have been thinking about how hard the first few weeks with my dd were. I know I will be soooooooo exhausted. Is it easier after you have nursed one? What is it like the second time versus the first? My most recent experience nursing my dd was as a toddler, not as a newborn that needed to nurse soooooooooo often.

I know I can do it, but I just remember how tired and sore I was after my last (had a c-section and it is medically necessary for me to have another one). I am going to try to organize a schedule with my mom and mil and whoever else offers to help me - nighttime was the hardest with dd because she would not sleep at night!

Any advice?

Babydoll

[Galatea]

Sorry to tell you this, but ds1 nursed easily and ds2 was tough and I had to teach him everything.

[LeosMama]

If you have to have a c-section, are you going to schedule it? I would think that if your mother and MIL can be available b/c you can schedule the c/s, that should help a little. Maybe you could get your older child used to sleeping at Grandma's house once or twice a week so that you can send her to G'ma on occasion when you need the break.

I think that you just never know how a baby is going to be and you could have an 'easy' or 'difficult' baby coming. It's going to be hard, you're going to be tired and sore. But you knew that when you got pregnant again. I'm not trying to beat you up or scare you, just remind you that women are strong, you are a good mama, it will be tough, you did it before, you will do it again.

Be sure to write in here and talk to your mothers whenever you need support. Don't forget la leche and LC's.

Good Luck and Happy Pushing!

[merpk]

Am thinking that one of the things that helps the second time around is that you are (well, I was ) so much more confident about what you're doing, and there's just so much less of that newness in everything, IYKWIM. I mean, the baby's new, the experiences are new, but it's not the first.

Does that make sense?

Anyway, I always found a newborn to be a wonderful excuse for me to put my behind in a chair, my legs up on another chair, and just hang out with the baby latched on as long as possible. Making sure to have some sort of entertainment nearby for the bigger one, or maybe that's entertainment-plural, and the phone within arm's reach and a water bottle, too ... and just try not to stress about anything you don't really absolutely have to stress about.



In other words, don't worry, be happy.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

It was much easier with my ds since I had much more confidence in myself and how to care for a little one. I was prolly just as tired and sleep deprived but I dont think it affected me as much because I knew that eventually it would get better.