What you don't expect when expecting again

Doctors say every pregnancy is different

ORLANDO (Ivanhoe) – Often times women think they’re a seasoned veteran after their first pregnancy, but that isn’t always the case. Experts will tell you that each pregnancy is different.

Alina Lorenzo, an energetic kindergarten teacher, is no rookie when it comes to pregnancy, having gone through four.  But what shocked her about number two?

“I wasn’t expecting the little sleep that I would get,” Lorenzo told Ivanhoe.

Christie Bartholdson, a new mom now expecting again says don’t be fooled.

“The sciatic nerve and the back pains definitely set in a lot earlier,” said Bartholdson.

Doctors say baby two likes to rest lower in the pelvis, so pressure or leaking urine is more common.  Women may show sooner because their muscles have been stretched. Also vein dilation in the legs gets worse with every pregnancy.

Rachel Humphrey, MD, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at Florida Hospital in Orlando, Florida, explained, “Patients will develop spider vessels in their legs and wonderful things like varicose veins that they didn’t have in their first pregnancy.”

Although it can be tough.

Bartholdson described, “I’m very tired, you know running after a toddler and working full-time, fatigue sets in quite early.”

Having a set schedule for your child at home will help, and as for your partner …Dr. Humphrey said “This is very important. In the second pregnancy nightly foot rubs, absolutely no dishes and no laundry. It makes it so much better.”

Dr. Humphrey said it’s okay to use a heating pad for your aches and pains, but don’t let your body temperature get above 100. Overheating during the first month of pregnancy can cause spina bifida in the baby.

Contributors to this news report include: Brogan Morris, Field Producer; Roque Correa, Editor; Tony D’Astoli, Videographer.