To all my friends pregnant with number 2 and 3 babies, I'm so sorry.

First baby = excitement plus. Second and third baby not so much.

I have an apology to make.

It’s an apology to my gorgeous friend of mine who is pregnant with her second child.

I have to apologise to her because, well, I keep forgetting she’s pregnant.

I was heading out to meet her and flicked her a message “want me to grab a coffee for you on the way?”

Her reply “no caffeine remember, can you get me a hot chocolate?”

No coffee, what?! Oh right, she’s pregnant. I forgot. And it’s not like she’s still keeping-it-on–the-down-low pregnant, she’s about 20-something weeks pregnant.

I also keep forgetting when she is due. June? July? I dunno maybe it’s August. How many weeks is she again?

Why is it that, unless you’re Kate Middleton, no one even cares that you’re having a second baby?

Actually, even when you are Kate Middleton people care less about the second baby. There’s definitely been less hype about the Royal baby this time around. It’s there, sure, but not like it was with George. Even royalty can’t escape the fact that people care less about subsequent babies. Especially if this baby is another boy, I have no doubt the hype will die down quite quickly.

Second pregnancy AND the baby is the same sex as your first. Pff. Why even bother, right? (I’m being sarcastic; I’m a mum of two boys born 18 months apart).

But, sarcasm aside, there’s an essence of truth in this line of thinking.

I know when I was pregnant with my second there was less excitement, particularly by our friends and family. Less people messaged to see how you are going and even less people come and meet the baby when he/she is born.

In my case, when he was born and everyone found out it was a another boy, we got less of everything because ‘we already had one’.

I understand it, to a point. Sure, a second baby isn’t generally as life altering as a first but why do we find ourselves less excited when our friends and family members have their second or third, or fourth (or fifth or sixth if you’re that way inclined) babies.

Shouldn’t all babies exude equal excitement from us all? Of course they should. Do they in reality though? Not even close.

I know for a fact I’ve spent the last months messaging, checking on and caring a whole lot more about my friends having their first kids than I have my kids having their second babies, and one in particular, who is pregnant with her third child. Really should apologise to her too.

I’m making a pact to myself to start caring more about subsequent babies. All babies are miracles and each should be celebrated on his or her own merits not whether he or she was born first, second, or in the Duggar’s case, 19^th.

To my friends pregnant with subsequent babies, I’m sorry, and I promise to call you soon and I'll definitely visit when the baby arrives. I’ll bring you a coffee then.

Did you think people care less about subsequent babies?

Want more? Try:

“Lies I told myself about the second baby.”

“Your first baby shower is lovely. But a second is greedy.”