|
Parenthood
changes everything. But parenthood also changes with each baby. Here,
some of the ways having a second and third child differs from having your
first: |
Parenthood After 3 Babies... |
|
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. |
|
Activities |
1st baby: You take your infant to
Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner. |
|
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. |
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