Pregnancy second time around

Once the excitement calms down you might start to wonder about life with more than one. From coping with a newborn, to dealing with disrupted nights when you have an older child to care for, too it’s understandable to think about how life will be.

You might even be wondering if you could ever love another child as much as you do your first – or be panicked that they will not take to their new brother or sister.

Keep calm and get back on the bike

OK, first off, relax! Mummy skills, much like riding a bike, really do come back to you the moment you hold your new baby or are changing your first nappy (oh yes, remember what they're like?).

But we know there might be things you want to do differently this time around. Maybe you want to consider a home birth or water birth, or just a different management of your labour from your first experience. Perhaps you want to try a different approach to breastfeeding, maybe going 'on demand' rather than to a schedule, or vice-versa.

Making it easier

As you already know, babies fit very quickly into family life, and once your new arrival is on the scene, you will wonder why you were ever worrying, but there are a few things you can do to prepare you and your family for the new addition:

• Read your notes from your first pregnancy and birth if you have them – is there anything you would like to do differently this time or raise with your midwife?
• Do a baby equipment audit – what can you use again, and what will you definitely have to buy/replace?
• What does the new baby mean in practical terms for your family? Will you need to replace your car? Swap bedrooms around or think about moving?
• Will you need to pre-register your baby with a nursery or child-minder if you plan to go back to work?