Anyone with children whos ages are less than 18 months apart????

[malpal]

Hi Ladies,
I really wanted some honest opinions about having children so close together in age.
DH and I have always been keen on having our children close together. Lexie is now 10 weeks old and it maybe that we start trying again in another month or so. I had a really wonderful pregnancy and birth so haven't been put off in the slightest!!!
Really wanted to know how you have found having 2 under 2, if they were planned like that, how easy it was to conceive the 2nd time, how the 2nd pregnancy was compared to the 1st.
Please be honest and sorry there are so many questions!!!!!
Thank you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Vickie]

There are a few on here with kids that close in age, guess they haven't seen this yet Personally I think I'd pull my hair out

 

[Chel]

I'm very interested in the response also, as every time my OH and I talk about our next baby, its getting closer and closer! We may be TTC by the end of the year - idealy wanting a spring 2010 baby, meaning Jasper will be 20months old when he gets his little brother/sister!

Can I add some questions for parents of 2 under 2?

Was your first baby a good sleeper/feeder and did this influence your decision to have a second so soon? Was/is your OH very helpful and involved in helping with the babies and did this influence your decision also?

Whats it like being heavily pregnant with a young toddler?

How did you manage sharing attention? How did your older baby handle the devision of affection? Also... were/are you worried about the toddler being rough with the baby, because they're too little to understand?

Sorry... now there are LOTS of questions... I dont want to hijack the thread! Answer malpal's questions first... but... if you've got time... I'd love to know how the family dynamics works with 2 under 2?

 

[leeanne]

Hi Ladies,
I really wanted some honest opinions about having children so close together in age.
DH and I have always been keen on having our children close together. Lexie is now 10 weeks old and it maybe that we start trying again in another month or so. I had a really wonderful pregnancy and birth so haven't been put off in the slightest!!!
Really wanted to know how you have found having 2 under 2, if they were planned like that, how easy it was to conceive the 2nd time, how the 2nd pregnancy was compared to the 1st.
Please be honest and sorry there are so many questions!!!!!
Thank you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

My older children are 18 months apart.

I'll be very honest, it was a lot of hard work, especially at the beginning. When my second started crawling, it was a bit less work and when he started walking, even less. Once my second was mobile, he was more preoccupied with what Amanda was doing and eventually they played together for hours.

When Amanda was 3 months old, we talked of giving her a sibling. We didn't try but we didn't not try either. So it was a shock when I got pregnant when my first was 9 months old.

The second pregnancy dragged for me as I'd already been through it and knew what to expect. But, tbh, pregnancy wasn't my thing anyhow as I didn't enjoy it as some others do, even though I had text book pregnancies. But, with that said, at least with your second pregnancy you pretty much know what to expect and at what stage.

In a nutshell, I wouldn't change the age gap for a million dollars. They are still very, very close and love each other to pieces. And now that they are both in school and are a little older, they are more dependent of each other than they are of me.

 

[leeanne]

I'm very interested in the response also, as every time my OH and I talk about our next baby, its getting closer and closer! We may be TTC by the end of the year - idealy wanting a spring 2010 baby, meaning Jasper will be 20months old when he gets his little brother/sister!

Can I add some questions for parents of 2 under 2?

Was your first baby a good sleeper/feeder and did this influence your decision to have a second so soon? Was/is your OH very helpful and involved in helping with the babies and did this influence your decision also?

Whats it like being heavily pregnant with a young toddler?

How did you manage sharing attention? How did your older baby handle the devision of affection? Also... were/are you worried about the toddler being rough with the baby, because they're too little to understand?

Sorry... now there are LOTS of questions... I dont want to hijack the thread! Answer malpal's questions first... but... if you've got time... I'd love to know how the family dynamics works with 2 under 2?

Was your first baby a good sleeper/feeder and did this influence your decision to have a second so soon? Was/is your OH very helpful and involved in helping with the babies and did this influence your decision also?

My first was a normal baby...awake every few hours in the night and, as most say about breastfeeding, fed it seemed all day. TBH, OH wasn't to involved with my first two as babies and I put that down to a cause and effect of breastfeeding. The babies only wanted me until they were 6 months of age. Hard for a dad to bond when he can't feed them and when they only want mommy.

Whats it like being heavily pregnant with a young toddler?

Tiring but you manage. Honestly, it's like being sick and have kids. You do what you have to do.

How did you manage sharing attention? How did your older baby handle the devision of affection? Also... were/are you worried about the toddler being rough with the baby, because they're too little to understand?

I was more concerned about Amanda feeling very jealous with the second baby. And she was but not to an extreme. She actually shocked me. I was never worried about her being rough. But, in terms of attention, I brought this up in another thread today. Because I breastfed my second and because he wanted feeding all day, Amanda was left out a lot and I feel bad when I look back and think that I missed some of her toddler stages too, and the quality time with her. If I could do it all over again, I would have bottlefed Jayden so that I had more time to spend with Amanda.

Sorry... now there are LOTS of questions... I dont want to hijack the thread! Answer malpal's questions first... but... if you've got time... I'd love to know how the family dynamics works with 2 under 2?

Once again, it is hard work with 2 under 2, but I did it and many others have. When I look back, I wouldn't change it for the world. I may have done some things differently, but not the age gap

 

[malpal]

I'm very interested in the response also, as every time my OH and I talk about our next baby, its getting closer and closer! We may be TTC by the end of the year - idealy wanting a spring 2010 baby, meaning Jasper will be 20months old when he gets his little brother/sister!

Can I add some questions for parents of 2 under 2?

Was your first baby a good sleeper/feeder and did this influence your decision to have a second so soon? Was/is your OH very helpful and involved in helping with the babies and did this influence your decision also?

Whats it like being heavily pregnant with a young toddler?

How did you manage sharing attention? How did your older baby handle the devision of affection? Also... were/are you worried about the toddler being rough with the baby, because they're too little to understand?

Sorry... now there are LOTS of questions... I dont want to hijack the thread! Answer malpal's questions first... but... if you've got time... I'd love to know how the family dynamics works with 2 under 2?

Hi-jack away the more info the better!
My friend also has 2 children with only 18 months apart and she seems to say the same, that it is hard work in the beginning but worth it in the long run.
My only real concern is that my pregnancy was really good with Lexie and although i had pre-eclampsia i was extremely fortunate to make it 40 weeks until i was induced, however this could be different with a 2nd and i could be on bed rest from alot sooner than 37 weeks (this is what it was with Lexie). Looking in to it though it seems if your next pregnancy is with the same father pre-eclampsia may not occur!!
Thanks for the opinions so far ladies xx

 

[emmajane]

I am really interested in the answers too! Leanne - your reply was really interesting. You sound like you take it all in your stride! Hope I can do that too.

Theo will only be 13 months when the next baby is born. We are fully aware that it will be very hard but then I think there a lot of benefits of having them close together too.