Your Second Pregnancy

Conceiving and carrying a second baby is not always easier than a first pregnancy. During each stage of the process- conception, pregnancy, labor, and birth- there will be experiences that differ. Your ability to conceive a healthy child and have a vaginal delivery, your risk of suffering certain pregnancy-related conditions, the ease with which you are able to maintain your physical wellbeing and that of your unborn baby while caring for an older child, and your ability to manage a two-child family are only some of the challenges you will meet in a second pregnancy. Many second-time mothers are in their late thirties and forties , which has particular relevance when it comes to conceiving and prenatal care. They also have to weigh the additional risks of vaginal birth after a previous cesarean delivery against those of a repeat cesarean. Most pregnancy manuals are directed at first-time mothers, and coverage of further pregnancies can be cursory. This book, therefore, fills a gap in the marketplace. No two pregnancies and births are ever exactly the same-even for the same woman-and this book will explain why.

• Coverage of secondary infertility and the assisted conception techniques that have proved successful for later pregnancies.