They say every pregnancy is different, but what I didnβt appreciate is just how much things change over the course of those pregnancies.
Itβs been almost 10 years since I first discovered I was expecting baby number one, and now that Iβm expecting baby number four Iβve realised an awful lot has changed in that time.
I donβt just mean in terms of wrinkles and grey hair (although Iβve got a lot more of those now!) I mean in terms of guidance and things they tell you when youβre expecting a baby.
So, from bedside cribs and bonnets to colostrum harvesting and cord clamping, I thought it would be fun to compare 10 things that have changed between my first & fourth baby – some for the better, and some for the worse!
10 things that have changed between my first & fourth baby!
1. Bedside cribs
When I was expecting baby number one in 2011 bedside cribs were either eye-wateringly expensive wooden creations or something you could hire from the NCT β and there was a waiting list. Now theyβre mainstream, portable and come in all sorts of colours and sizes – helping new mamas everywhere stay sane in those first few sleep deprived weeks and months!
2. Baby clothes sizing
At last. As well as the standard βnewbornβ size (too small after two weeks) and β0-3 monthsβ size (too big for the first month) you can now get inbetween sizes to bridge the gap including βup to one monthβ. Yay! The only question is what on earth took them so long?
3. Bonnets
Weβve got the young royals to thank for making bonnets trendy again β and itβs a trend I canβt wait to embrace! Prepare for some serious bonnet spam people!
4. The whooping cough jab
Designed to protect unborn babies from catching whooping cough before their two month jabs, the whooping cough vaccination was rolled out to pregnant mamas in England from October 2012, meaning Iβve had it while pregnant with three of my babies but not my first. Thankfully missing out doesn’t appear to have done number one any harm!
5. Alcohol
When I was first expecting baby number one I vividly remember being told by my midwife that there was nothing wrong with a glass of wine in the evening every now and again. But fast forward nine years and official guidelines are now that no alcohol is safe. Again, thankfully the guidelines that were in place then donβt appear to have done number one any harm!
6. Colostrum harvesting
As I said in a recent blog post, it sounds like the sort of thing best left to scientists in labs than expectant mamas. Yet colostrum harvesting β expressing colostrum before your baby has actually been born – is now a thing and forms part of official NHS guidelines. See Should I harvest my colostrum before my baby is born? for more on that one!
7. Delayed cord clamping
A bit like colostrum harvesting, Iβd never even heard of delayed cord clamping until I was expecting baby number three, and itβs still a thing. The theory is delayed cord clamping allows blood from the placenta to continue being transferred to the baby even after they are born, so they could receive up to 30% more blood than they would have without it. That blood is packed full of stem cells to help their growth and immune system as well as an iron boost, which can help them up until theyβre six months old. You learn something new every day!
8. Running in pregnancy
People looked at me like I was mad when I carried on running well into the third trimester with baby number one. Now even formula milk brands are extolling the virtues of exercise in pregnancy with colourful ads featuring mums-to-be with visible bumps running around parks. And this time around nobody has batted an eyelid at me running with my baby on board.
9. Maternity Allowance
Previously a straight forward application, somewhere between baby number three and baby number four claiming Maternity Allowance has been made as difficult as it possibly could be. If youβre planning on claiming it any time soon see how I fell victim to the Maternity Allowance tax glitch for all you need to know. Forewarned is forearmed and all that.
10. The fourth trimester
Hats off to whoever made the fourth trimester a thing. Like colostrum harvesting and delayed cord clamping, Iβd never even heard of the concept of the fourth trimester until well after baby number three graced us with her presence in 2017. Iβll be embracing it this time around though and the drawbridge will be going up!
Did you notice any changes in guidelines and trends between your pregnancies too? Iβd love to hear what they are!
If you liked this you may also enjoy reading:
10 things I’m going to do differently with baby number four
Does having a fourth baby make me selfish?
When is the right time to start shopping for a new baby?
Seeing as my youngest is almost 10 I can see a lot of changes here too. If I go back to my eldest I remember when baby wipes were incredibly expensive and we had to use cotton wool and baby lotion. Also, for a brief time, when my second was born there was a choice of girl or boy nappies, that didn’t seem to last long. i think the biggest thing though was the scans. With both my older two the scans were at 20 weeks only, they were not clear at all and there was no way they could tell the gender. Imagine my excitement 16 years later when I had baby number 3 and I could actually see something that looked like a baby on the screen and I found out I was having a girl!!
I really enjoyed reading this! I’d be in for a shock if I was to ever have another child. Its been 14 years since my daughter and 10 since my son. It’s great that running is now encouraged but fourth trimester? Drastic changes indeed. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and the birth #DreamTeam
I have only had 1 child so haven’t noticed any changes, however I moved countries when I was 20 weeks pregnant (Australia to UK) and there were lots of differences! From the healthcare you receive to what foods you should eat – I couldn’t quite believe it.
I only heard about colostrum harvesting on a podcast last week! An interesting concept which I probably would try if we were to have another child.
#DreamTeamLinky
It’s funny how thing change isn’t it?! I remember the bedside cribs being really scarce when I had my first born too! x
There is a five and half year age gap between my two sons. With my eldest we needed to take out a mortage in order for him to have an extended rear facing seat and we had to drive for a couple of hours to find a stockist. Now they are much more readily available and thankfully the price has dropped dramatically too! #ThatFridayLinky
I only have 1 son so hard to tell the changes but it is clear from the advice of others how much things have changed. Older generations and friends of ours with older kids all told us things that they had been advised yet the midwives were telling us a different story!
Fourth trimester was a thing when I had my first almost 18 years ago, but it was a bit alternative then. I wasn’t very mainstream. I only knew one other person who used cloth nappies and carried their little one in a sling. That has definitely changed. Not heard of harvesting colostrum or the delayed cord clamping. That’s new. I remember recommended food changed between first and third child. Like you say. It doesn’t seem to have done any of my three harm. #mmbc
Things really do change so quickly don’t they! Not just guidelines and products though. My youngest is now 1 years old, and my 3rd baby and I definitely feel like I’ve cracked it! Not entirely but weaning for example, I did everything completely different with my 3rd to my 1st or 2nd!
Gosh there really have been quite a few changes. I actually remember those bedside cots you could hire from the NCT! Aren’t the new ones that you can buy a lot better. Thank you for joining us for the #DreamTeamLinky xx
My last pregnancy was 4 years ago so a dim and distant memory. I think most of these were around then but I just ignored them and did the stuff I was familiar with! Thanks for linking up with #dreamteamlinky