Yes,
parenthood changes everything. But parenthood also
changes with each baby. Here are some of the ways having
a second and third child differs from having your first:
Your
Clothes
- 1st
baby: You
begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN
confirms your pregnancy.
- 2nd baby:
You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
- 3rd baby:
Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.
The Baby's Name
- 1st
baby: You
pour over baby-name books and practice pronouncing and
writing combinations of all your favorites.
- 2nd baby:
Someone has to name his or her kid after your great-aunt
Mavis, right? It might as well be you.
- 3rd baby:
You open a name book, close your eyes, and see where your
finger points.
Preparing for the Birth
- 1st
baby: You
practice your breathing religiously.
- 2nd baby:
You don't bother practicing because you remember that last
time, breathing didn't do a thing.
- 3rd baby:
You ask for an epidural in your 8th month.
The Layette
- 1st
baby: You
pre-wash your newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them,
and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
- 2nd baby:
You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and
discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
- 3rd baby:
Boys can wear pink, can't they?
Worries
- 1st
baby: At
the first sign of distress--a whimper, a frown--you pick
up the baby.
- 2nd baby:
You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your
firstborn.
- 3rd baby:
You teach your 3-year-old how to rewind the mechanical
swing.
Pacifier
- 1st
baby: If
the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you
can go home and wash and boil it.
- 2nd baby:
When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off
with some juice from the baby's bottle.
- 3rd baby:
You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.
Diapering
- 1st
baby: You
change your baby's diapers every hour, whether they need
it or not.
- 2nd baby:
You change their diaper every 2 to 3 hours, if needed.
- 3rd baby:
You try to change their diaper before others start to
complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their
knees.
Activities
- 1st
baby: You
take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby
Story Hour.
- 2nd baby:
You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
- 3rd baby:
You take
your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner.
Going Out
- 1st
baby: The
first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call
home 5 times.
- 2nd baby:
Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a
number where you can be reached.
- 3rd baby:
You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she
sees blood.
At Home
- 1st
baby: You
spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
- 2nd baby:
You spend a bit of every day watching to be sure your
older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
- 3rd baby:
You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the
children.
Pass
this page on to all the great Moms out there!
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