What I'm Doing Differently As a Second-Time Mom
Stocking up on baby gear less & investing more in mama rest.
This pregnancy, much more so than our first, has seemingly flown by. Turns out that chasing after a toddler 24/7 makes for a pretty significant distraction from the new being growing inside of you. As the weeks progress though, baby boy’s increasing strength and activity call my attention (ouch!) and now at less than four weeks away from our due date, I’m starting to panic think about what we have/don’t have ready for his nearing arrival. Even with a subtle, underlying nervousness, I’m heading into this birth much more chill than with Sofia. Here are a few ways I’m approaching our son’s arrival differently:
Stressing less about the gear
With one baby-to-toddler graduation under our belts already, we feel semi-confident that we have what it takes to do it a second time around. Much of the prep for Sofia involved registry building, baby showers, and adhoc Target runs and Amazon orders to pick up the rest. This time around, many of the items we purchased for Sofia can be reused by baby boy. There were some remaining items that we needed to source (diapering items, a few extra clothing pieces, and a new bassinet) but this time around, I tried to be more mindful of what I bought new vs. pre-loved. For example - babies go through clothing sizes so quickly. We discovered with Sofia that our favorite pjs in the early days are Magnetic Me, and I was able to grab a few sizes of gently worn pairs off Poshmark. On the other hand, with Sofia we used a pre-loved Pottery Barn wicker bassinet that I didn’t feel good about using this time around (I believe most things have multiple lives in them but you can never be too careful about safe sleep!). So this time, I ordered a Maxi Cosi bassinet on Prime Day this summer that would give me more peace of mind.
Investing more in myself
As noted in my last post, my body has been making it pretty clear in the last few weeks of pregnancy that it needs more rest. Instead of running around focusing on the typical “nesting” activities (e.g. deep cleaning the house, meal prepping, doing a bathroom renno…what?) I’m spending more time taking care of myself and getting into the best physical and mental state possible for birth. A few activities I’ve completed:
Three sessions with Flow Chiropractic - a Berkeley-based chiropractor who specializes in prenatal/postpartum care (and the Webster method for those who know about it!). I found her online and booked as soon as my back took a turn for the worse and walking became nearly impossible. I’d never been to a chiropractor before (had always been way too scared tbh) but was desperate. While it seems like I have more of a back strain going on than chiro adjustments alone can solve, my sessions with Adrienne have been so gentle and relaxing - not at all like the loud and violent-looking YouTube videos I scared myself with before going.
A prenatal massage - again, not typically a massage person but desperate times call for desperate measures! I had a session with Susi Galloso on Friday (also specializes in prenatal massage)and it was amazing. It felt so good that I nearly expected to jump off the table afterwards, magically cured! Instead, I hobbled back out of there albeit much more relaxed than before. As I edit this on Monday before posting, my back is actually feeling so much better!! Could it have been the massage?! We’ll never know, but I do know that the hour of relaxation I experienced was 1000% worth it.
Epsom salt baths - why haven’t I done these before?! A couple cups of 365 by Whole Foods Eucalyptus Epsom Salts into warm (but not too warm!) water seems to be just what the doctor ordered. 20 minutes of soaking and reading my kindle (finally hopping on the Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow train) makes me feel like I’m in a spa. Can’t wait for my next afternoon soak :)
Planning for mobility
When we had Sofia in the summer of 2021, it was still pretty Covid-y in the world so we took extra precautions with a newborn at home. We stayed mostly at home and in the neighborhood, going out for walks often but distancing ourselves from indoor social situations. We also got early blood test results that showed Sofia might be immunocompromised (turned out not to be true, thank God) which further contributed to leaving-the-house anxiety. This time around, K and I are itching to make the most of this precious time as a family together and go on as many outings as our new baby and schedule will allow. I’m talking lunch dates in town, continuing our afternoon park ritual with Sofia, and maybe even sneaking in a trip to Hawaii?! Hawaii may end up being overly ambitious but my point is, this time around we are excited to embrace the newborn days in a more active way. Let’s see if we can pull it off :)
Any tips from other moms/parents who have made the transition from one to two? Let me know!
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