Pregnant Again: What Questions Do I Ask?

Pregnancy can produce so many questions. I’m going to begin this post a little differently than what we normally do at MapsCookingKids, just so I can give you a tiny bit of background. I am the mother of a two-year-old boy. I gave birth to my son while living in Italy; we lived there for three years, due to my husband being stationed there. My son’s birth story is not all sunshine and roses. As harsh as it may sound, I prefer not to think about my son’s birth. I know I’m not alone in this because though giving birth is a magical experience, it is also painful, messy, and tumultuous. 

With all that being said, I’m here to announce, in a three part series of posts I’ll be writing, that I am pregnant again! I know I left that first paragraph as a bit of a “Debbie downer,” so you may expect that this announcement came as a shock. It did not. My husband and I were hoping to get pregnant again. Though this news was met with happiness, it was also met with fear, trepidation, and anxiety. Could we balance parenting an infant and a toddler? Did we have enough love to shower upon not only our children but also each other? Could we survive the newborn stage again? 

So many questions came to the forefront of our minds, much like it does as first-time expectant parents. In my mind, that’s a good thing. When I was pregnant the first time, I wanted to hear all the details, even the gory ones. I felt this would better prepare me for what lay ahead. I’m still that way to an extent; I want to read all the books, listen to the podcasts, and take in all the parenting materials accessible to me. Even though I’m already a mother, there are still questions I have that I hope will be answered. 

What are the common questions asked, especially as a first-time mom? WebMD gives us a list of questions to ask your doctor while you’re pregnant. This list can be used as a first time expectant parent or as a second time expectant parent. After all, no two pregnancies are alike, and how your first pregnancy progressed may be very different from how the second one is progressing. Here is the list of questions they (https://www.webmd.com/baby/questions-about-pregnancy) suggest you ask:

1. How is my due date determined?
2. What are prenatal vitamins? Why do I need them?
3. How can I tell if the symptoms I’m having are normal?
4. When should I call a doctor?
5. What is the normal amount of weight to gain during pregnancy?
6. What remedies do you recommend to ease morning sickness?
7. What do you recommend about exercise and specific foods I should eat?
8. Are there any activities, medicines, or foods I should avoid while pregnant?
9. Is it safe to have sex during my entire pregnancy?
10. Am I at high risk for any problems during pregnancy?

Again, some of these you will be familiar with if you’ve been pregnant before, but some of these you can ask yourself again while expecting your second. Perhaps you are having symptoms that didn’t occur with your first child. Maybe you’re gaining weight or losing weight much more quickly than you believe is healthy. Are you at high risk due to complications that occurred with your first pregnancy? These are all good questions that one shouldn’t feel ashamed to ask simply because you’ve been pregnant before. 

My questions this time around center more on already having a child and how another one will fit into the dynamic of our family. As for right now, my health questions are minimal because the baby is healthy and growing as he/she should be. For that I am very thankful. But there are questions ahead, such as my birth plan, that my husband and I are very undecided upon. I know, however, that I can contact my doctor at any point and ask questions I may have. Or I can call up my mom and seek her advice. Or I can gather friends around me and unburden some of the doubts and fears I may have. 

The point is to not be afraid to ASK. Each pregnancy is different, whether you’ve had one child or five children. I’m going to utilize all the resources in my arsenal to prepare myself and my family for our new addition. Even so – labor, the newborn stage, family dynamics – none of that will be perfect. It’ll be messy, tiring, and a struggle. But what will be perfect is the tiny little bundle I’ll hold in my arms, the look on my husband’s face at our newborn’s arrival, and the reaction of my son as he greets his new sibling. 

I hope you’ll continue to follow my story with my next post, where I’ll be focusing on how my first pregnancy differed from this one so far. In the meantime, I hope you’ll share with us your own thoughts and feelings of being a mother multiple times over. Connect with us on Instagram @Mapscookingkids or on Twitter @Mapscookingkids. Until next time, Agape, be kind and happy parenting!