Unlike my first pregnancy, where I documented my growing belly almost every week, I have yet to take a single belly picture of myself… until now.  The very last belly picture I took when I was pregnant with Toddler Heels was at 37 Weeks 6 Days, so I wanted to emulate that again and see how my belly looked on that exact day the second time around.

Here I am, 3 days before I gave birth to Toddler Heels:

Here I am now – with soon-to-be Baby Heels:

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With Toddler Heels, I had constant heartburn, and the pressure down there was unbearable.  I felt like I was about to give birth at any moment, and she proved me right by coming 3 days after I took that picture.  With Baby Heels, I get far less heartburn, and it feels like he’s sitting comfortably in my womb without so much a hint of wanting to get out.  He seems quite cozy in there, and I think I may actually make the 40-week mark…

Speaking of heartburn, seconds after Toddler Heels made her grand entrance into the world, the nurses asked if I suffered from heartburn during my pregnancy.  Of course I responded with an adamant, “YES!”  They said they had a theory that babies born with a ton of hair (Toddler Heels looked like a troll) gave their moms a lot of heartburn.  Probably not scientific at all, but I thought that was interesting!

Toddler Heels was born a a hefty 7 pounds 15 ounces.  Currently, Baby Heels is measuring only 6 pounds 4 ounces.  Yet when I compare the two pictures, my belly shape and size look pretty similar.  I measured my belly, and even the girth is the same as last time, coming in at exactly 40 inches.  I also gained the same amount of weight.  I guess the body will do what it wants to do because my (unintentional) approach to pregnancy the second time around has been completely different from the first.

With Toddler Heels, I was doing prenatal yoga and walking nightly up until the day she was born.  I made sure I was getting plenty of protein and guzzling water like a camel.  Nowadays, the word “exercise” doesn’t even exist in my vocabulary.  I stopped doing anything remotely active the moment I hit my third trimester.  Because of my full-time job, and having to keep up with an increasingly active toddler, I’m left with no desire to even go for a walk around the block at night.  I grab food when I can after I make sure my firstborn is fed, and I’m definitely not drinking as much water as I should.  Despite my lack of care for myself, my two pregnancies have been more similar than not.

Besides the heartburn, I can’t really think of too many differences.  Sure I’m more tired and achy this time around, but that comes with having a toddler.  My ugly linea negra is back, but no stretch marks, no swollen limbs, and my feet haven’t increased in size (knock on wood!).  I’m having trouble sleeping, I’m thirsty all the time, and peeing a bajillion times a day (I’ve been seriously tempted to buy some Depends), but all that’s old territory for me.  We’re down to the wire now and I really can’t complain.  Despite my relatively smooth pregnancy, I have NO desire to go through all this again.  I don’t know how those with more difficult pregnancies do it… you are my heroes.

Were your pregnancies pretty similar or completely different? Were the babies the same or different genders?