Differences Between 1st, 2nd & 3rd Pregnancies:

Your Clothes:

• 1st baby-you begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your ob-gyn confirms your pregnancy.
• 2nd baby-You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
• 3rd baby-Your regular clothes are your maternity clothes.

The Baby's Name:

• 1st baby-You pore over baby-name books and practice pronouncing and writing combinations of all your favorites.
• 2nd baby-Someone has to name their kid after your great-aunt Mavis, right? It might as well be you.
• 3rd baby-You open a name book, close your eyes, and see where your finger falls. Bimaldo? Perfect!

Preparing for the Birth:

• 1st baby-You practice your breathing regularly.
• 2nd baby-You don't bother practicing because you remember that last time, breathing didn't do a thing.
• 3rd baby-You ask for an epidural in the eighth month.

The Layette:

• 1st baby-You prewash your newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them,and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
• 2nd baby-You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
• 3rd baby-Boys can wear pink, can't they?

Worries:

• 1st baby-At the first sign of distress - a whimper, a frown - you pick up the baby.
• 2nd baby-You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
• 3rd baby-You teach your 3 year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.

Activities:

• 1st baby-You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and BabyStory Hour.
• 2nd baby-You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
• 3rd baby-you take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaners.

Going Out:

• 1st baby-The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
• 2nd baby-Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
• 3rd baby-You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.

At Home:

• 1st baby-You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
• 2nd baby-You spend a bit of every day watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
• 3rd baby-You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.