Can’t wait to give your baby a little brother or sister to play with? You’re not alone: One-third of pregnancies in the U.S. happen within 18 months of a previous birth, according to a new study from the Guttmacher Institute in New York. And planning a pregnancy quickly after your first one is even more common in women over the age of 30, according to the findings.

But just because you’ve been pregnant before doesn’t mean you know exactly what you’re in for. In fact, your second pregnancy will likely be a little different from your first, says Shari Brasner, MD, assistant clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive science at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Brasner shares a few things you should expect during a round-two pregnancy:

You could deal with nutrition issues
The biggest concern during a second pregnancy, nutritionally speaking, is that you might be more iron deficient, says Brasner. Pregnancy in general puts a big strain on the iron stores in your blood, and many women go into their first pregnancy iron deficient, she says. This, combined with the fact that your body’s already been weakened by your first pregnancy and maybe hasn’t had time to fully recover, could be why you lack the nutrient even more while carrying your second child, says Brasner. Luckily, that’s pretty easy to remedy since iron supplements (which you might want to take a couple of times a week, depending on your needs) are widely available.

You might be prone to more complications
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Mayo Clinic both suggest that the optimal time to wait between births is at least 18 months. Why? Research shows pre-term birth, low birth weight, and even growth restriction are three of the things you might have to worry about if you’re having your second child very soon after your first, says Brasner, because your body hasn’t had enough time to recover from the physical and nutritional burden of your first pregnancy.

You can experience certain symptoms sooner
Pregnancy-related woes like back pain, varicose veins, and hemorrhoids that typically occur during the third trimester can strike earlier—not to mention more dramatically, says Brasner. Why? Basically, your first pregnancy weakens your muscoskeletar structure and your vessel walls, which makes it easier for these symptoms to resurface. The good news: Any potential morning sickness and cravings shouldn’t be worse than they were the first time around.

You may feel bigger
Many women feel like they’re getting bigger, faster during their second pregnancy, but that’s really a subjective thing since your measurements will most likely follow the same pattern as the first time, says Brasner. However, keep in mind that if you’ve held onto some of the extra pounds you gained from the first pregnancy, then you’ll of course be bigger the second time around.

You’ll likely be exhausted
While waiting for baby number two to arrive, you might find yourself low on energy—but it’s usually not a health concern, says Brasner. Usually, feeling like you’re dragging is just because you’re already a mom and dealing with things that you didn’t have to deal with the first time around—like taking care of a young, high-energy child.

…But you should also feel more relaxed
If you headed to your doctor’s appointments with a long list of questions and concerns during your first pregnancy, chances are you’ll be way more blasé the second time around. The simple reason for the change: Already having had a child builds up your confidence, so there isn’t that fear of the unknown.

More from WH:
How to Work Out Safely During the First Trimester
5 Ways Pregnancy Changes Your Body
3 Steps to Have a Healthy Pregnancy

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