17 Insights Kate and Will Should Consider About Welcoming Baby #2

1. Get Pregnant Fast

   As you prepare for baby number two, most discussions will revolve around how the firstborn will react. Should you get him a little gift “from the baby”? Who will care for him while you’re in the hospital? And if you leave him with Aunt Sophie, what if she doesn’t cut his sandwich just right? You might even think about creating a 34-page manual for his care.

2. Don’t hesitate to opt for the epidural this time. The first time around, you might have been adamant about going natural, repeatedly telling your partner, “No pain meds for me!” But once labor hits, you’ll be begging for that needle. The second child? Get the epidural right away—seriously, like, right now.

3. Expect that most of your hospital conversations will center around how to manage your first child’s feelings during this transition. Meanwhile, the new mom in the next bed might chuckle at your worries about your older child’s emotional state. (And you might just be lucky enough not to have a roommate!)

4. You’ll find that the experience of labor, delivery, and nursing is less shocking this time. You recover faster; while with the first child, you clung to the hospital like it was a lifeboat, now it might feel more like an airport you want to escape from. You’ll be lobbying to head home sooner.

5. Your suspicions about sleep regressions will be confirmed: there’s no such thing as a four-month or seven-month regression. The baby is simply messing with you.

6. Forget expensive baby detergents; you’ll be washing everything in something much cheaper. You’re not falling for that marketing trick anymore!

7. You’ll already have your binge-watching lined up for those nursing sessions. Orange Is the New Black was your savior last time; the chaotic energy of prison life somehow felt relatable during those long breastfeeding hours.

8. You truly have all the baby gear you need this time. Even if you once thought co-sleeping was the best route (despite your husband’s protests), you’ll soon realize that a proper crib is essential after sleepless nights. By now, your collection includes the quirky contraption that slings your newborn safely while taking up half the room.

9. You likely have a stash of frozen meals ready to go, and fingers crossed your friends will arrange a meal drop. It’s so comforting that you might even joke about having a third child just for the food. Your husband, however, may not find that as amusing.

10. Teething pain? It’s a mystery. Or maybe it’s just a part of the gig. Either way, it doesn’t really matter.

11. You now know the duration of each stage. The sleepless nights used to feel endless, but now, you can gauge how long they last—if you’re lucky, only two months! But knowing this also means you might find yourself counting down the days.

12. Pulling out the tiny clothes you haven’t seen in years will tug at your heartstrings. You might tear up at the sight of the little lion onesie, lamenting that you need a third just to relive those moments.

13. Any hobbies or personal time you enjoyed with just one child will dwindle to nearly nonexistent. Your husband might only break into song while reciting Eric Clapton’s “Darling, You Look Terrible Tonight” after a long night with the kids.

14. At some point, you’ll notice baby number two and think, “Hey, he’s actually pretty cute!” He’ll likely be a little bruiser, demanding attention in ways that your firstborn never had to.

15. Quality time with your partner will diminish. When you do get a rare hour alone, you might find yourselves collapsing into bed for much-needed sleep instead of enjoying each other’s company.

16. You’ll come to realize that socializing is more important than sticking rigidly to a schedule. Nights will be tough regardless, so don’t miss out on lunch with friends just because it might mess up nap time.

17. Eventually, your first and second child will start playing together, resembling a lifeboat sighting after weeks at sea. You may get a fleeting twenty minutes of peace, just enough to entertain thoughts of a possible third child.

For those on a similar journey, this blog post offers some valuable insights. You can find more helpful tips on pregnancy and home insemination in our other articles, like this one from Cervical Insemination. Additionally, if you’re considering at-home insemination, check out Make a Mom, a reliable retailer for insemination kits, and for more information on fertility, visit Womens Health.

In summary, preparing for a second child is both thrilling and daunting. With experience comes wisdom, and while the journey may seem overwhelming at times, you’ll navigate it with a newfound perspective.