Pregnancy // 10 things nobody tells you about being pregnant… with a Toddler in tow (Second Trimester)

Following on from 10 things nobody tells you about being pregnant with a Toddler in tow (First Trimester), here is my…

1. Blooming yet? The only blooming you’re feeling is blooming exhausted following another midnight Toddler rave, which ended with a 10th round of Elmer the Elephant at 3am. By which point the baby in your tummy has woken up and is now squirming around so you can’t get back to sleep…

2. …And at 4am, because you’re still awake, you find yourself praying to every single God that this doesn’t mean your second child is going to be nocturnal.

3. Do you remember your Midwife appointments in your first pregnancy? Do you remember how they were a safe haven? A quiet space to reflect, to ask questions, to raise concerns? Now add a Toddler to the mix. The constant stream of rice cakes you put in their hand to keep them quiet while you ask the questions. The exasperated looks from the Midwife as she tries to explain something, and you try your hardest to listen, but your Toddler decides that actually this appointment is going to be all about her, and she’s going to shout “Mummy!” until you give her the attention she deserves. The feelings of exhaustion when leaving the appointment, and the internal swearing monologue that follows when you remember you hadn’t asked the Midwife the important questions you had planned… and the realisation that you won’t be seeing her for another 8 weeks, because you have far fewer appointments during your second pregnancy.

4. The Midwife appointments might be more stressful with a Toddler in tow, but they’re also more magical – the moment your first born listens to their sibling’s heartbeat is truly beautiful… Although, as a consequence of this, they will spend all future appointments asking to listen.

5. You love your Toddler with every fibre of your being, but if they leave a finger of sandwich on their plate and say “all done” then you will eat it. Even if they don’t actually mean they’re “all done”, they were just being contrary. Same applies to fish fingers. Or Thomas the Tank Engine shapes.

6. Your patience is waning in the second trimester, and your argumentative side is starting to rear its ugly head. Remember all those pointless arguments you got into during your first pregnancy? The big one about why a colleague didn’t like Wuthering Heights? Now you find you’re arguing with your Toddler about which CBeebies programme to watch next. And you have to win.

7. As it transpires, baking with the Toddler is not only a great afternoon activity, it’s also a very good opportunity to make all the tasty things you’ve been craving! Scones anyone?

8. If you didn’t suffer from swollen feet in your first pregnancy, then you will in your second! It’s all the running around after a little crazy person that does it… Elevation doesn’t really happen – unless you count the Toddler using your legs and feet as a see-saw.

9. You find that the books in your Toddler’s collection change slightly; anything vaguely linked to becoming a sibling is put at the top of the pile and encouraged, especially since the “I don’t want baby” incident…

10. Despite the above incident, your Toddler is already a very proud sibling, and will tell anyone and everyone that “Mummy has a baby in her tummy!!!” with great excitement… and everything that comes in one big, one small form is automatically now a Mummy and a Baby. Even strawberries. And aeroplanes.
Hannah