Dr. Marjorie Greenfield
Specializing in pregnancy and birth.
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 Ask Dr. Greenfield
Little Interest in Third Pregnancy Worries Mom | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Greenfield,
I'm at the end of the second trimester of my third pregnancy. This time around, I feel very emotionally detached from the child I'm carrying. In my previous pregnancies, I was somehow much more attached--following the fetus's movements, watching the changes to my body, looking forward to the birth.... Now, days go by before I'm aware of anything. Is this normal, or should I do something about it?— efgj2000 | | | ANSWER |
November 27, 2001 | | | Dear efgj2000,
Many moms tell me that they feel less involved with pregnancies that aren't their first. I hear it so often, I know it's a natural and common experience. And these other mothers, like you, sometimes feel uneasy or even guilty about this detachment.
Keep in mind that your life is different now--you may be more distracted, more often multitasking--and you probably don't have the luxury of time to "get into" this pregnancy. What you are describing sounds both common and benign.
On the other hand, if you think that you are depressed (which often includes not enjoying aspects of your life that used to give you pleasure), your emotional state can have negative repercussions for both you and your family.
If you truly are worried that you don't want to be pregnant or won't care about the baby, some counseling now could help prevent problems later. But as long as other aspects of your life feel normal, I wouldn't take these feelings of detachment as a sign of anything worrisome.
Many couples discover that bringing home the third baby is a delight. They don't have the first-baby anxiety of being new parents, and they don't have the second-baby worries of how their firstborn will handle the new arrival. I hope that after the birth, you feel this pleasure in bringing the new baby into your family. Take care!— by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. |
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