Being pregnant the second time around, I thought I knew what to expect. I mean, I was literally pregnant just the year before, so what more could possibly change, right?

To my surprise, a whole lot changed, actually. I thought since it was my second pregnancy, I’d be smooth sailing since I knew exactly what my body would do and how I would feel. So, I thought I’d share the real tea, at least from my experience, on what it’s like to be pregnant the second time around.

You’re More Tired // Pregnancy by itself makes you tired. But being a full time working pregnant mama is a completely different ballgame. Thinking back, I honestly don't even know how I made it to work most days because I was so tired. Dealing with a very active toddler at the time, packing up our one bedroom apartment and moving into a bigger space just a month before my due date didn't make things much easier, either.

Your Body is Tired // When I was pregnant with my son, the last few months were really difficult not only because of the different moving parts in my life at the time, but because of how he was positioned. I carried my daughter up higher, but with my son I carried really low. My hips would hurt all the time, and the round ligament pain was no joke. And quite frankly, your body just isn't the same after you have a baby. I had my children 17 months apart, so my body screamed for rest constantly.

Baby will still come when they're ready // My daughter decided she was ready to make her debut three weeks early, so you can imagine my frustration when week 37 came and went...and my son still hadn't arrived! I was so over being pregnant, but it worked out for us. We got to find a new apartment, pack, move, and settle in right before he came!

The Snap Back is NOT Real // Ya'll...losing baby weight this time around is much harder! One because I’m on birth control now (baby # 3 will not be making a debut!) Birth control just makes it difficult to lose weight with side effects like bloat and weight gain. But I’m also a busy working mom, so finding the time to actually shed this weight is so hard when you’re trying to hold everything together.

You Re-learn Life with a Newborn // With motherhood this time around, I feel like I’m relearning things. No matter what you did the first time around, things may be a little different this time around. Children have very different personalities, so what worked for the first baby may not necessarily work for the second one. My son was a bit different from my daughter. With my daughter, she was a chill baby for the most part and could entertain herself without needing me or my husband under her all the time. With my son, we have to teach him to be more independent. He loves affection and loves being held, which we can't necessarily do all the time, so we have to teach him to be content by himself.

Mom Guilt is Real // There are so many days where I feel like I’m not giving my two year old the time and attention she needs due to my one year old needing more of my attention sometimes. Or, I feel like I may be doing too much for them and it’s harder to find time to make sure I’m present for my husband. Yall, it’s a forreal struggle!

No matter how different your pregnancies are, the thing that I have learned is that the more children you have, the bigger your heart gets. That’s one thing I can say I struggled with while pregnant with my son : will I be able to love him just as much as I love my daughter. And thank God that answer is yes! I am head over heels in love with my babies, and I am so grateful for them!