But being a parent also changes with each baby. Here are some of the ways having a second and third child is different from having your first.
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.
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 pre-wash 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.
Pacifier
> 1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.
> 2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.
> 3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.
Diapering
> 1st baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour, whether they need it or not.
> 2nd baby: You change their diaper every 2 to 3 hours, if needed.
> 3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.
Activities
> 1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.
> 2nd baby: You take your baby to 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
from the children.
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