Every Parent Must Know
Expanding your family will bring more joy and excitement in your life along with some more hard work and stress. But trust me happiness is 80% and stress will only be 30% because for every parent children are the greatest gifts from god. This one feeling in your heart is enough to boost your happiness to 100%. By the way, How old is your first baby now? Have you started planning for a second pregnancy? Have you made a budget plan?You may have so many doubts in your mind regarding your second pregnancy like:-
- When should I plan my second baby?
- What changes will take place in my body during this pregnancy?
- Is my body ready for another life?
- Are my partner and my family members ready for another change?
- What effect will it show on my first child?
- Will it affect my career and routine life?
- What precautions should I take before planning a second baby?
You must be excited about your second baby and also a little bit nervous as you don’t know what can happen in the future. Because we humans don’t see or can predict the future. It is all written before itself in heaven. But still, we can take some precautions and care for our future safety and also gain knowledge on each and everything we need to go ahead.
Welcoming a new baby into your life can make so many changes in your routine life and the environment around you. So it’s very necessary to plan and take the decision with the help of your partner and family members.
According to medical science and doctors, they recommend planning for a second pregnancy between 18 to 24 months or more after your first delivery but not more than 5 years. You shouldn’t wait for 5 years to conceive or plan for your second baby. This can cause risks in your pregnancy when you conceive. Similarly, pregnancy before one year of your first delivery can also have the same risk. Risks include underweight or preterm babies, pregnancy and birth complications, and placenta previa if the mother had a c-section before. Check here to know how to pre-plan for a healthy pregnancy.
When should I plan my second baby?
According to my point of view, it’s better to plan your second pregnancy when your first baby reaches 2 years of age. Well, every couple has different experiences with their first baby so I can’t tell how or when to plan but I can tell you my point of view regarding the second or third pregnancy. Before conceiving my first baby, I thought pregnancy and taking care of a baby can be easy as I was healthy and strong enough to do all the household work and other things. But when I was pregnant for the first time, it was completely the opposite. Your body and mind go through so many hormonal changes that will affect you a lot in every way. Like mood swings, frustration, weakness, back pain, headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and much more. You may also get thyroid, diabetes, anemia, and high blood pressure during pregnancy which you never got pre-pregnancy. You have to stay strong and positive all the time throughout the 9 months for your little one and take good care of yourself by self-meditating, walking, eating a healthy diet, and staying mentally strong.
After your delivery, if you had a c-section, then you will have more health issues than vaginal birth. Because vaginal birth is a natural process and doesn’t cause you much harm after delivery. You will only have some stitches on the vagina and you have to take a correct healthy diet for breastfeeding and maintain your proper health post-pregnancy.
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But in the case of a c-section, an incision is made in your abdomen to take out the baby. which leaves a very big scar on your stomach. You will have 12 stitches which can be a little painful after delivery. You have to stay in the hospital for one week to make sure your stitches are ok and you’re recovering fast. For the first 2 days of the c-section, you will be on complete glucose without any food or water. You can’t even see or feed your baby these two days. After your first delivery, you may think that one baby is enough for me as you have gone through so much struggle. Once you see your baby grow and reach milestones and love you, you think it’s ok now to bear the pain again for the sake of your child who needs a sibling to play with.
After a c-section, your body needs at least 6 months to one year to go back to its normal healthy state. In the case of vaginal birth, you will be normal after 40 days of delivery. In those 6 months and later you may have lost so much blood in your body due to the incision and severe back pain due to the injection in your spinal cord. So the mother needs to take most care for at least one year after the c-section. Since you might be breastfeeding your baby for one year or more, you may not gain all the strength you had before pregnancy until you stop breastfeeding. So, before planning for another pregnancy make sure your body is back to its healthiest state and your mental health is also strong.
Here are some tips to follow before getting pregnant:-
1. Visit your doctor:- It is very important to go on a full checkup of your body before conceiving. Your doctor will study all the reports and tell you if you might need any vitamin tablets or if you have any other diseases which should be treated before pregnancy. You can gain so much knowledge from your doctor on some topics like a healthy pregnancy, birth defects, health issues during pregnancy, and how to maintain a healthy weight and diet. Your doctor will discuss with you if you had any previous pregnancy problems, the medical history of your family, mental health, pregnancy history, vaccinations, medicines which you are taking now, and what steps you can take before pregnancy to decrease birth defects in your newborn.
2. Maintain a correct body weight:- Women who are overweight or underweight can face many problems during pregnancy. Overweight women have a high risk of complications in pregnancy, diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. Visit your doctor once and seek advice on how to maintain a healthy weight before getting pregnant. You have to change your lifestyle by walking, exercising, swimming, bicycling, and eating healthy food and drinks. You can also take prenatal exercise classes. Get in the correct shape to make your pregnancy and labor easier.
3. Write down a plan:- If you want a baby, plan when to conceive. On which year or month? If you are using birth control methods, then stop using them. Take genetic counseling too with your doctor. You have to know about your family history of genetic diseases which can pass on to your baby too. Make an appointment with a dentist too. As you will have teeth and gums-related issues during pregnancy you need to maintain proper oral hygiene from now on. Get pre-pregnancy care if you have certain diseases like:-
- History of miscarriage, stillbirth, and birth defects.
- High blood pressure, thyroid, and diabetes.
- Family history of genetic disorder and HIV.
- Age above 35.
- Overweight or Underweight.
- Sexually transmitted diseases.
- Urinary tract infections.
4. Talk with your partner:- Both the couple needs to be engaged and plan accordingly for a new life to come in. You two have to discuss with each other how you’re going to welcome and share space with a newborn. Because taking care of a newborn is not so easy. It is not only the mother’s task to take care of the baby all by herself. Fathers also have some responsibility to help the mother and take care of both the mother and the baby. The couples should start talking about their priorities, fears, and expectations throughout pregnancy and birth. Also, talk with your mom or other family members about their pregnancies and gain more knowledge.
5. Plan a budget:- Of course, a newborn baby has so many things to do that cost money. From diapers, food, car seat, stroller, swings, beds, toys, bottles, formulas, and clothes, to school and university. So plan before yourself how to save money for your livelihood. Make a list of all these items and start looking to buy them. Buying in bulk will reduce your cost of buying. Shop your maternity clothes too.
6. Eat Healthily:- Your body will need so many nutrients, iron, folic acid, and calcium during pregnancy. So focus on nuts, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and green leafy vegetables in your regular diet. Avoid packaged foods, junk foods, soft drinks, sodas, and chips. Stay mentally strong and positive about everything.
7. Take medicines:- Only after consulting your doctor, you can take vitamin tablets to get ready for pregnancy. Folic acid is very important as it prevents serious birth defects. Folic acid is present in many foods like green leafy vegetables, beans, and citrus foods. But still, nowadays every doctor is recommending folic acid tablets throughout pregnancy as many pregnant women don’t eat the right healthy food. You can also start multivitamin tablets daily before conceiving.
8. Working women:- If you are working daily in the office, plan your maternity leave and check with your company if they can give you home-based work after your maternity leave which will be very easy for you and your baby. Check your health plan and insurance given by your company and see which hospitals it covers. Getting your pregnancy treatment there can save you a lot of money.
9. Spend some me-time:- Since you will not be able to travel with your baby bump everywhere you can plan a vacation or a trip to some of your favorite places. Go to movies and parties. Enjoy your me-time alone or with friends and family. You deserve it. This can make your mind fresh and happy.
10. Quit Smoking and Alcohol:- Smoking, drinking, and having drugs and steroids can cause some serious health problems for the mother and the baby during pregnancy. Premature birth, infant death, and birth defects can also occur. Limit caffeine intake. No more than one cup of coffee a day.
What effect will it show on my first child?
You have to prepare your first child for his sibling.
- Make sure that your child can communicate his needs. This will be very helpful when you are busy taking care of the newborn. Since you will be utilizing most of the time with the newborn you won’t be able to understand what your child needs. If he can communicate, he will let you know what he wants like food, water, clothes, bathroom, bathing, playing, etc.
- Give proper attention to your child. This is very important as most parents don’t do this. We become busy with our newborn, that we ignore our child and see him as disturbing. Whenever your child comes to you then please don’t tell him to go away or scold him. Engage your child with you in taking care of the newborn. This creates a strong bond between each one of you.
- Talk to your child about his sibling and let him touch or play with him. Just keep an eye so that he doesn’t hurt the baby. So many women think that if they give their child to their family members, grandparents, or caregivers he will be happy and won’t get depressed but this is wrong. A mother is your child’s priority. He needs you and your love and attention everywhere. If you want your child to have a strong bond with you then don’t let him go away from you instead carry on with your work along with him. You will be surprised that your child will help you in taking care of the newborn by passing on diapers to you, wipes, bringing feeding bottles, bath towels, etc.
