An Honest Look at Motherhood the Second Time Around

It’s hard to describe all of the ways in which motherhood is different the second (or third, or fourth) time around. Sure, the semantics may be the same but for most women, the experiences are vastly different. The first child comes in like a tornado, completely altering life forever. I don’t need to list all of the ways in which your first born changes your life. It’s been done before in countless parenting books, blog posts, memes and Sunday morning comics. That’s not really what this article is about anyway. This is about the beautiful blessings that come after, when you experience motherhood the second time around. This is about the way in which no two pregnancies are the same and the way time changes the motherhood experience; the way technology influences the way we experience pregnancy, birth, and child-rearing.

This is a sponsored post. All opinions remain my own.

When my first was born, social media was still in it’s own infancy. The world wide web was highly accessible but the term “just Google it” hadn’t yet been coined either. Books, friends, fellow mothers and those in the circle were still the first sources for guidance when it came to parenting. Yet like generations before, we were convinced that our “modern” methods were far superior to that of our parent’s generation. Why, it’s amazing how we even survived to adulthood!  A statement I can say now with an exaggerated eye roll and the realization that my daughter will likely have the same sentiments regarding my own parenting advice. 

But it wasn’t just the gear, the baggage and the advice that had changed by our second child. Motherhood itself had morphed into something completely different. Gone was the feeling as though every decision I made would yield immediate, potentially damaging consequences. I learned to slow down, to appreciate the moments for what they were – fleeting minutes of time I was unmeasurably lucky to be granted. A lesson painstakingly learned in watching the last five years with our oldest pass with the blink of an eye. For me, it was this lesson that makes motherhood the second time around so beautiful. Mothers of multiples have the advantage of hindsight being 20-20. We realize that everything we thought was important the first time around perhaps wasn’t as important as we thought – or that it was every bit as important as we thought depending on the subject matter. We find ourselves purchasing less of the trappings of motherhood, fretting less about milestones and what everyone thinks we ought to be doing, buying, or steering clear of. What’s left is a more honest version of motherhood that I wouldn’t trade for all the restful nights in the world. 

For all the differences between your first and second child, there will always be universal truths. The sleepless nights will come. Time will pass more quickly than we like. Inevitably we will wish for a moment to freeze, to pause, to slow down. Songs will be sung in hoarse whispers at wee hours of the morning to wee babes. Babies will cry with hunger and the need to be comforted.

It’s that last one that has become a bit of a science hasn’t it? It’s amazing that there are so many ways to make sure a baby’s belly is full as they’re laid to sleep at night. Mothers will choose to breastfeed, to bottle feed, to formula feed, or to supplement breast milk with formula. Each one has her own reasoning, a method that works best for her and her baby. Whatever we choose, the one thing we crave is the knowledge that we’re making the best choice for our child.

One of the secrets that many first time moms may not realize is that brands like Well Beginnings, available exclusively at Walgreens, is just as good and costs much less than brand-name formula. It comes in four formula types to best meet your baby’s individual needs so that you can be confident that you’re giving your baby the nutrition they need to grow strong with easy-to-digest, milk-based formula.

• Well Beginnings Premium Infant Formula with Iron, 23.4oz
• Well Beginnings Advantage Milk Based Infant Formula with Iron, 23.2oz
• Well Beginnings Sensitivity Infant Formula, 22.5oz
• Well Beginnings Gentle Infant Formula with Iron, 22.1oz

Part of the beauty of being a second-time mother is that you let go of the notion that name brand baby products are a “must have.” Instead, we realize them for what they are: simply another option among many. When it comes to infant nutrition, FDA requires that all infant formula contains the appropriate amount of nutrients vital for growing babies so you can rest assured that it’s completely safe to seek out alternative brands. In fact, they may even work better for your particular needs. 

When it comes down to it, this is just another example of the beauty of motherhood the second time around. The confidence to make choices based on our own knowledge, intuition and experience.

The belief that we, and no one else, knows what’s best for our child from the very beginning.