10 Differences In Your Third Pregnancy

This summer our family will be welcoming a new little band member to our bunch!

Announcement

We are all over the moon excited for our newest little blessing to make his/her debut later this summer. It will be quite an adventure having three children under four but I am up for the challenge. My oldest son is currently three and a half and the youngest is 18 months.  And despite the never ending piles of laundry and fact that my house always looks like a bomb went off, a third baby is going to be the perfect addition to our family. It is extra fun this time around too because my older son actually understands that he will have a new little brother or sister soon. He has been “practicing” changing diapers and feeding bottles to his stuffed animals. It is incredibly cute. He is insistent that he is going to have a little sister so I am extra excited to find out soon whether he is right or not!

So far, this third pregnancy is shaping up much differently than the first two. Today, I wanted to share 10 things that are different about pregnancy #3.

1) Bring On The Maternity Clothes: As soon as you take the confirming pregnancy test, be ready to break out your maternity clothes. With baby #1, I didn’t start wearing maternity clothes until close to 18 weeks. It was a little earlier with baby #2, more like 12 weeks. But with this baby, my body “assumed the position” pretty much as soon as I peed on that little stick! I even started to think I was farther along than I was because of how big I was getting. But after a quick google search I confirmed this is pretty normal with the third pregnancy. Thank goodness.

And I found this Maternity Bra to be the most comfortable and loved this Nursing Bra with my past two pregnancies!

Baby 2

2) Nesting Early: Remember that overwhelming need to clean and organize everything in sight that usually hits towards the end of your pregnancy? The nesting instinct.  Well I am doing that already. It started pretty much the second I found out I was pregnant. It is probably just the realization and appreciation for how chaotic and unorganized it already is but I seriously can’t find enough drawers or closets to clean and organize right now (*Note: That does not mean anything is actually getting cleaned or organized but the desire is there).

3) Bring on the Java: Did you give up caffeine in your first pregnancy? I did! Cold turkey. With baby #2 I debated it a bit more but did drink some coffee during the course of the pregnancy after getting the green light from my doctor. It was necessary after long nights up with the newborn trying to keep up with the 22 month old. Well with this third pregnancy, I didn’t even think twice – of course I am going to drink my morning cup of coffee! I have two kids I am chasing all day everyday  — it really wasn’t even a second thought. And in the spirit of honestly, I have been slightly more lax about some of the other pregnancy rules as well, namely the lunch meat one.

4) No Time For Research: You don’t rely on the pregnancy books nearly as much as you did in your other pregnancies. During my first pregnancy I consulted with the “What To Expect When You’re Expecting” book daily. I kept it on my nightstand and would read it regularly with joy and excitement.  It was so fun to learn around the various milestones and changes that were taking place each week. This pregnancy I have only consulted it once. Who has time to read it? I pretty much know what is going on this time around anyways!

5) Where Can I Buy A Mini Van? You seriously consider purchasing a mini van. I have been a very happy SUV-driving mommy for three years now and I really don’t have an interest in changing this. Until we found out we are pregnant with baby #3. Now we are thinking it might be necessary in order to fit all three carseats in! I’ll keep you posted on what we decide!

And speaking of fitting three kids – this is my favorite triple stroller option!

6) Leaving the House With Two Kids Suddenly Seems So Easy: For the past 18 months leaving the house has been such a challenge.  The grocery store, the library, the mall, chasing two at the play centers — everything has been more difficult since the arrival of baby #2. However, once pregnant with baby #3, you suddenly think it is super easy to go out and about with your two children! It is amazing how much my attitude has changed on this issue.

7) Oh the Urge: Remember the end of your pregnancy when your expanding uterus presses on your bladder so much you have the constant urge to pee? Yeah, well that is how I started to feel beginning at week 10. I can only imagine what it is going to feel like by week 38!

8) What Week Am I Again? In my first pregnancies I could tell you precisely what week and day I was throughout most of the pregnancy. This time around I regularly have to stop and think about my answer when people ask me how far along I am. You just completely lose track of weeks and days this time around because you are so busy chasing the other two!

9) No Time To Be Tired: There is very little time to be sick or tired. Remember that first trimester exhaustion? I pretty much skipped right into the second trimester energy. Maybe I got super lucky but I blame some of it on the fact that I simply cannot be sick or tired. Moms don’t get sick or vacation days. It just isn’t the reality of my days right now. So yes I feel a little bit extra tired when I finally sit down for the first time all day at 9pm each day, but I can’t tell if it is from chasing two toddlers or if it is from the pregnancy!

10) Diaper Coupons, Anyone? I have already gone through the routine of having two children in diapers at the same time. For a time I was going through approximately 18-20 diapers a day! Hence my desire to potty train the older one as quickly as possible! It can be expensive if you aren’t prepared! I have learned to stock up on diapers when they go on sale so I never run out and am forced to pay full price for a pack of diapers. Once again I started as soon as I got the positive pregnancy confirmation because I have a solid three more years of diapers in my future.

Click here to read also: 10 Gift Ideas for Second (or Third) time Moms (That They Actually Want)

And here are some fun ways to share the news with your kids!

Have you experienced three or more pregnancies? Are there any differences I am missing? Please share!

83 COMMENTS

  1. I feel like I could of wrote this article myself I have a 27 month old and a 3nd half year old and I’m exspecting my 3rd in August. This is my 6th pregnancy I miscarried my 1st 3 however I feel massive I honestly thought I was further along so booked a private scan and was told I was 8 weeks the maternity jeans have been worn since I found out. Mini van already have a 7 seater so This mama is sorted. Just need a bigger house a move is on the cards for us next lol. Good luck to all you mamas put there xx

  2. Wow, great post! I can relate 200% to everything!
    This is my 4ht pregnancy, but I miscarried my first at 19 weeks 🙁
    I’m about 9 weeks along now, and last weekend, I swear, just over night I ‘popped’!
    Suddenly those giant hoodies were a neccessecity to conceal this unexpected super early bump, rather than just to stay warm!
    Definitely started to reconsider if my last period was as normal as I thought? was I really 12-13 wks? Is it multiples? another couple of weeks til first ultrasound, but I feel better about it now having read all these comments!
    I also just upgraded from small car to SUV AND brand new house – less than a year ago, to acommodate the 2 bulky car seats, and a second bedroom for the baby. Looks like the hunt is back on for both! Need a 6 bedroom house (1 for office due to current COVID working situation!) and a 7 seater SUV! oh sigh…
    Luck to all!! xo

  3. I feel like you took every single thing I have been doing and thinking, even ur kids ages are my kids ages, and you wrote it in the blog. Ur a tiny bit further along than me but oh my gosh this is blowing my mind. So I am officially gonna call this my blog. Thank u. Lol!
    But seriously, this is so incredible. Congratulations and I can’t wait to find out if ur son is right. My daughter thinks we are having a girl as well. She told me, “we already have a boy, I think it’s a girl”. Lol!!
    Two things that cracked me up the most was when you talked about how you thought you were further along because of how quick you popped, and how you started nesting right after you peed on the stick. Well also when you wrote about not being tired or sick, because there just isn’t time and because we don’t get sick days. I literally said “same” to all of that and laughed pretty hard. Thanks for making my day. ❤

  4. Thank God for this posting! I was so down on myself about how big I have been getting with my third baby. But after reading, I feel normal again. My doctor has told me that I am within normal weight gain range, but I just feel huge.
    Someone even asked me if I was having twins and it wrecked me. I am really interested to hear about the triple stroller. I have a 3 and 2 year old. The 3 year old doesn’t really like to go in the stroller anymore. Should I just stick with our double? Or do you think an extra seat just in case will make a difference?

  5. This article is perfect. I am expecting my 3rd baby in December. I currently have a 27 month and 13 month old. There’s no time to take naps any more and I am in overdrive to nest and prepare for this baby. It also does seem a lot easier to handle two babies now and the oldest is on his way to being fully potty trained. Nobody has time to change three sets of bottoms.

  6. I am so nervous about knowing if I’m pregnant or not. My husband and I are not doing good right now. The last thing we need is another child. All symptoms point to yes and I have been more moody than ever too. Anything seems to set me off. Headache too. Am I in denial.

  7. I am currently 11 weeks pregnant with my 3rd. I have a 4 year old girl and a 27 month old boy. I showed faster with my 2nd and surprisingly I started showing almost as soon as I found out the third time! The maternity clothes were broken into very soon after that.
    The peeing a lot same thing and where I had no symptoms with my second I am having symptoms with my 3rd of nausea as I did with my first.
    Due Apr 2021 and yes husband and I are also looking for a bigger car now lol.

  8. This is me to a T. I have a 2 year old boy, a 10 month old little girl, and for our a week ago I was having #3. All so close in a little scared about it but life will figure it’s self out! Has anyone else got any this close?

  9. Great article. I’d like to mention that lunch meat is t recommended because it could contain listeria which is a bacteria that could cause a loss of the baby. It’s bad stuff.

  10. ‘no time to be tired’ haa this makes me want to cry. I’m due my third in 2 months and the exhaustion is completely overwhelming 🫠

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