What to expect when you're expecting (19 page)

It’s not realistic to always put your pregnant body first when you’ve got other kids clamoring for care (the days of pampered pregnancy ended with your first delivery). But taking more time to take care of yourself—putting your feet up while you read that story, napping (instead of vacuuming) while your toddler naps, getting into the healthy snack habit even when there’s no time for sit-down meals, and taking advantage of help whenever it’s available—can help lighten the load your body’s carrying, minimizing those pregnancy miseries.

“I had some complications with my first pregnancy. Will this one be just as rough?”

One complicated pregnancy definitely doesn’t predict another one. While some pregnancy complications can repeat, many don’t repeat routinely. Others may have been triggered by a onetime event, such as an infection or accident, which means they’re extremely unlikely to strike twice. Your complications won’t recur, either, if they were caused by lifestyle habits that you’ve now changed (like smoking, drinking, or using drugs), an exposure to an environmental hazard (such as lead) to which you are no longer exposed, or by not
getting medical care early in pregnancy (assuming you’ve sought care early on this time). If the cause was a chronic health problem, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, correcting or controlling the condition prior to conception or very early in pregnancy can greatly reduce the risk of repeat complications. Also keep this in mind: Even if the complications you faced last time have a chance of reoccurrence, earlier detection and treatment (because you and your practitioner will be on the lookout for a repeat) can make a big difference.

Discuss with your practitioner the complications you had last time and what can be done to prevent them from being repeated. No matter what the problems or their causes (even if no cause was ever pinpointed), the tips in the response to the previous question can help make your pregnancy more comfortable, and safer for both you and your baby.

“I became pregnant unexpectedly just 10 weeks after I delivered my first child. What effect will this have on my health and on the baby I’m now carrying?”

Expanding your family (and your belly) again a little sooner than expected? Starting another pregnancy before you’ve fully recovered from the last one can be hard enough without adding stress to the mix. So first of all, relax. Though two closely spaced pregnancies can take their physical toll on a mom-to-be who just became a mom, there are lots of things you can do to help your body better handle the challenge of back-to-back baby making, including:

Getting the best prenatal care, starting as soon as you think you’re pregnant.

Eating as well as you can (see
Chapter 5
). It’s possible your body has not had a chance to rebuild its stores of vitamins and nutrients, and that can put you at a nutritional disadvantage, particularly if you’re still nursing. You may need to overcompensate nutritionally to be sure both you and the baby you are carrying don’t get short-changed. Pay particular attention to protein and iron (ask your practitioner whether you should take a supplement) and be sure to continue taking your prenatal vitamins. Try not to let lack of time or energy (you’ll have little of both, that’s for sure) keep you from eating enough. Healthy grazing may help you fit those nutrients into your busy schedule.

Gaining enough weight. Your new fetus doesn’t care whether or not you’ve had time to shed the extra pounds his or her sibling put on you. The two of you need the same weight gain this pregnancy, too, unless your practitioner prescribes otherwise. So shelve any weight loss plans for now. A carefully monitored gradual weight gain will be relatively easy to take off afterward, particularly if it was gained on a high-quality diet, and especially once you have a young toddler and an infant to keep up with. Watch your weight gain carefully, and if the numbers don’t start climbing as they should, monitor your calorie intake more closely and follow the tips for increasing weight gain on
page 180
.

Fair-share feeding. If you’re breastfeeding your older baby, you can continue as long as you feel up to it. If you are completely exhausted, you may want to supplement with formula or consider weaning altogether. Discuss
the options with your practitioner. If you decide to continue breastfeeding, be sure to get enough extra calories to feed both your baby and your fetus (ask your practitioner what to aim for). You will also need plenty of rest.

Resting up. You need more than may be humanly (and new-motherly) possible. Getting it will require not only your own determination but help from your spouse and others as well—who should take over as much of the cooking, housework, and baby care as possible. Set priorities: Let less important chores or work go undone, and force yourself to lie down when your baby is napping. If you’re not breastfeeding, let daddy take over nighttime feedings; if you are, at least have him do the baby fetching at 2
A.M
.

Exercising. But just enough to energize you, not enough to exhaust you. If you can’t seem to find the time for a regular pregnancy exercise routine, build physical activity into your day with your baby. Take him or her for a brisk walk in the stroller. Or enroll in a pregnancy exercise class or swim at a club or community center that offers baby-sitting services.

Eliminating or minimizing all other pregnancy risk factors that apply to you, such as smoking and drinking. Your body and your baby-to-be don’t need any extra stress.

“I’m pregnant for the sixth time. Does this pose any additional risk for my baby or for me?”

On your way to testing out that cheaper-by-the-dozen theory? Happily—for you and for your large brood—women receiving good prenatal care have an excellent chance of having healthy, normal babies in sixth (and later) pregnancies. In fact, beyond a small jump in the incidence of multiple births (twins, triplets, and so on—which could mean that your large brood could potentially grow even larger still), these more-the-merrier pregnancies are almost as likely to be uncomplicated as any first or second.

So enjoy your pregnancy and your large family. But while you’re at it:

Get rest—all the rest you can get. Sure, you could probably do pregnancy in your sleep by now, but that doesn’t mean you should try. Every pregnant woman needs her rest, but pregnant women who are also caring for a houseful of other children (plus the house they’re filling) need even more.