Motherhood changes with
each baby. Here, some of the ways
having a second and third child
differs from having your first baby:
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 maternity clothes are
your regular 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
religiously.
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
your 8th 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.

Going Out -
1st baby: The first time you leave
your baby with a sitter, you call home
5 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