Women who have given birth to more than one child agree that all pregnancies are different. If you felt fantastic in the first pregnancy and the birth was natural, it does not mean that the second will be as smooth as possible. The story of Alicja, who was planning a second pregnancy from the beginning, is not alone.
I was planning a secondpregnancyand … let's say my husband was too. I persuaded him - smiles Alicja, mother of 6-week-old Julka and 3.5-year-old Antek. - I wantedbabyin the spring and everything went according to plan. Julka was born on May 18. It was very big. At 37 weeks of pregnancy, an ultrasound scan showed that she already weighs four kilograms, and the doctor in charge of the pregnancy decided that it would be safer for the baby to be born sooner. Therefore,childbirthwas artificially induced.
Every pregnancy is different
It would seem that everything is known the second time, but each pregnancy is different. I had various ailments with Antek. I had back pains. It was difficult for me to sit and walk, so I lay down a lot. Despite my husband's assurances that I look nice, I didn't like me when I was pregnant. It was different now. I was active almost until the end. I accepted my appearance. In the first few months, my only problem was my emotional swings. I was angry, I cried for no reason. Jarek, my husband, bore these moods stoically. He cared for me very much, fulfilled all my wishes. Once, I even forced him to bring me a Coca-Cola, because in the initial period I had a great appetite for sweets. Later I had to give them up.
Diabetes in pregnancy
In the fifth month it turned out that, just like during my first pregnancy, I had diabetes. Slight, but the diet was necessary. There was also a glucose meter - after each main meal I measured the sugar level. It wasn't the only problem anyway. In the fourth month, I started having trouble with my heart. They manifested themselves with attacks of breathlessness and weakness. One day I passed out and was taken to the hospital where I had a drip. Doctors diagnosed attacks of supraventricular tachycardia. Fortunately, by the day of delivery, the attacks did not show up anymore. But the biggest worry was yet to come.
Serological conflict in pregnancy
We have other blood groups with Jarek - me"0", he "A". Despite this, neither with the first nor with the second child, no one even asked about my husband's blood type. After Antek was born, I didn't get any antibodies. On the day of Julka's delivery, I only heard a question full of resentment: "Why did you not do an antibody test?". It's not me who should remember that! I gave birth in the hospital at ul. Starynkiewicz in Warsaw. Ten days ahead of schedule. I was lying on the pathology of pregnancy for three days.
induced labor
I was given a vaginal gel to fuel the contractions. And it drove … so that for two hours I thought I was going to die of pain. During this time, I was not able to have an epidural. And when the dilation was right, they barely had time to administer the anesthetic injection. All in all, even though everything lasted less than three hours, I remember Julka's birth much worse than Antoś. Fortunately, Jarek was with me, and as usual, he was very supportive. The midwife told him to hold my head so I could push better. He was doing it very delicately - too delicately, so I shouted at him: "Harder, you don't have the strength ?!". I must admit that my husband does not lose his head in such situations. He's also a cool enough guy not to give a woman the feeling that he looks like a thousand misfortunes. With him, even in such difficult moments, I always feel feminine. Jarek also does not exaggerate with showing his feelings. He avoids manifestation and that suits me very well. When I need his help, he focuses on me, not on my own experiences. It was like that when he saw Julka and cut the umbilical cord - just like Antek did. I saw that he was very touched, but I could count on him the whole time.
Postpartum Jaundice
Right after giving birth, the pediatrician noticed that Julka has a blood group different from mine. This worried her, and she recommended lamps to prevent severe jaundice. They took the child, and I was dying of anxiety. In addition, the morphology showed that Julka has anemia. That is why, after leaving one hospital, we almost immediately went to another one - the children's hospital in Dziekanów Leśny. We both spent four days there. She was under stress all the time, because Julka was in danger of a transfusion. Fortunately, I ended up with the vitamins she still gets. We also have to check her blood every two weeks. And yet we could have avoided it if someone thought about giving me antibodies
The next child is much less stress
Julka is an exceptionally calm child. With her, I don't even know what a late night means. It was the same with Antek, but I was much more nervous then and because of that I couldn't sleep. With my first child, I had a lot of fear. Too many…I was worried about whether my son was he althy, was gaining enough weight, and whether he would develop well. My fears were not unfounded - I have a younger brother with cerebral palsy and I am oversensitive on this point. That's why I paid for my first motherhood with depression. Probably due to stress I only fed Antek for two and a half months. Then I lost my food. I'm going to keep Julka next to my breast for a year. I am much more at ease than I was before, and I believe that I will be able to keep my food for so long. This, of course, requires a lot of discipline. I am not allowed to eat many things because I have had stomach trouble since I left the hospital. I have a bad reaction to fruit and milk, I cannot eat fried, I avoid sweets. Julka is also very sensitive and gets colic for any reason. However, breastfeeding gives me great joy.
Antoś turned out to be a caring brother
Antoś was not interested in Julka until the baby appeared at home. When asked if he wanted a brother or sister, he would definitely say no. I was a bit afraid of what it would be like. How can I manage if my son doesn't accept the new situation? Meanwhile, Antek turned out to be a very protective brother. She still wants to hug and kiss her sister. He strokes it, covers it with a quilt, is curious about everything and willingly participates in care activities, for example in bathing. He shows no jealousy, although he likes to get attention now. As if his behavior was telling us: "Notice that I am here too!" We don't neglect it.
After giving birth, there was a natural division of responsibilities
Jarek, who took over many duties related to Antek during my pregnancy, still devotes a lot of attention to him. He is much less interested in Julka. I think only when she gets older will she become "daddy's little girl". For now, Julka is mine, and Antek is my father's. My son is able to ask several times a day: "When will my dad come back from work?" And when Jarek is at home, our mother may not be at all. My guys have their own male affairs. They play together all the time, fly kites, take out the queue, DIY. My husband is the first to play boys. This is Peter Pan - a daddy who not only plays with the child, but with his whole being in his world and … allows him to do everything. I am much more demanding and sometimes we have conflicts when it comes to upbringing, but all in all … we probably complement each other quite well.
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