What You Need to Know About Preparing for Birth and Postpartum the Second Time Around
Thursday, July 24, 2025
It’s not your first rodeo—but that doesn’t mean you’re riding into labor overly prepared either.
Whether you’re gearing up for baby #2 (or 3 or 4), it’s natural to assume that experience alone will carry you through. And hey, maybe in some ways it will. You’ve probably mastered the swaddle (or you figured out that the velcro ones are easier). You’ve definitely figured out what gear you don't need. But the second time around? It’s a whole different game—and we’re here to help you play it smarter.
What changes the second time around?
1. You're already a parent.
The first time you gave birth, you were preparing to meet a baby. Now, you’re preparing to meet another baby… while taking care of the one (or ones) already here. That means your energy, time, and attention are already stretched thin—and "resting while you can" just doesn’t hit the same.
2. The stakes feel different.
You might feel more confident advocating for yourself in birth, but you might also feel more emotional about your growing family dynamic. Maybe you’re mourning the end of your one-on-one time with your first child. Maybe you’re worried you won’t love another child as deeply. (Spoiler alert: you will.) These feelings are real—and deserve space.
3. You’re wiser—and more tired.
The second time around, you’re not new to parenting, but you _are_ older, potentially more sleep- or energy-deprived, and possibly navigating healing from your first birth or parenting experience. If your first birth was traumatic or your postpartum period was isolating, this time may stir up those memories—and opportunities to rewrite the story.
So what should you do to prepare?
Make a postpartum plan.
We cannot stress this enough. If your first postpartum felt intense, you're not alone. But now that you know how challenging those early weeks and months can be, you can prepare for them _on purpose_. Consider everything from meals and chores to who’s on baby duty and when. Include time for rest, emotional support, and realistic expectations. If you’re hoping to nurse your baby, you might want to line up lactation support. Because you may have done it before, but your new baby hasn’t!
Set up your support network.
Family and friends may assume you’ve “got this” because you’ve done it before. But honestly? You still need help. Ask for it. Better yet, plan for it. That might mean scheduling someone to come play with your older kid while you feed the baby—or carving out one hour a week where you talk to other people who get it.
Don’t assume your body will do the same thing again.
Every birth is different. Your second labor might be faster. It might be longer. It might surprise you in all the ways your first didn’t. Take time to prepare again, with classes or refreshers that meet you where you are. Especially if your first birth didn’t go as planned, you deserve a birth experience that leaves you feeling respected and heard. We recommend our Comfort + Coping and Push Prep classes for second-time parents. Comfort + Coping is a great way to recall and rebuild muscle memory around movement, positions, and breathing as well as hands-on support. Push Prep is especially great for folks interested in VBAC, as it covers helpful pregnancy techniques for encouraging optimal fetal positioning, as well as reminders on how to connect your brain, breath, abdominals, and pelvic floor.
Hold space for your emotional and mental health.
Expanding your family is beautiful and complicated. It can be joyful and overwhelming all at once. Don’t be surprised if new (or old) feelings arise. Talk to a therapist. Find your people. Let yourself grieve, celebrate, rage, or laugh—sometimes all within the same hour.
And if the road to a second baby hasn’t been easy…
👉 Check out our blog here for some insights
Know that we see you. We honor that not every path to growing a family is straightforward. You are not alone.
Second time around doesn’t mean you have to go it alone—or go through it on autopilot. This is a new baby, a new version of you, and a new chapter in your family’s story.
You deserve to feel held, seen, and supported. Let’s make that happen—together.
Find live, virtual & on-demand classes and support groups near you: