OT-How soon did you have Baby #2?

[VeroBeachGirl]

Looking for some different perspectives: I had my sweet baby girl in January. Life with her is a pleasure and I am starting to feel pangs of wanting another baby. Hubby feels the same. I've always loved kids and LOVE being a Mom. I'm a SAHM and hubby works. When we have Baby #2, we're going to get part time help and I will continue to stay home.
I just don't know how soon is too soon to have another? Or if their is such a thing as too soon.
How soon after baby #1 did you have #2? Do you wish you waited longer?

 

[AmyBWV99]

How close is whatever you're comfortable with, i have a strict rule of no new pregnancy till all the weight from the previous is gone so we just didn't try but didn't prevent and it worked out. I have 2.5 years between kiddos and wish i'd have had 6 more months between so DS #1 could have been able to do more things for himself like grabing snacks and drinks and he was there at 3. Overall tho it's been fine. It was weirdly sad tho that suddenly my first seemed so old and was not 'the baby' anymore, but i think alot of that was hormones.

 

[sk!mom]

11 years- No, probably wouldn't have been a good idea to wait much longer.

 

[jj1403]

I waited until my daughter was two before we started trying for another. My children are three years apart and that has worked really well for us. My daughter was three yrs old at the time her baby brother came along and she really enjoys being a big sister.

Also it was nice having my daughter all to ourselves for those first few years. Once you have another baby, your baby is a big kid...it's kind of sad.
Life gets really really really busy once you have another baby.

 

[bjscheel]

One month short of 3 years apart. It has worked out well. They are good playmates. Since they fall on either side of the school cutoff, they are only 2 years apart in school (going into 2nd and 4th).

The older one was working on potty training and we got that accomplished 4 months after baby sister came so for 4 months I had two in diapers. She was old enough to ride her Power Wheels around the yard while I fed the baby and to help a little but there were a lot of tears too! "Put that baby down!" I would definitely want the older one to be able to walk beside you through stores, etc. as you will be toting the baby.

 

[surfergirl602]

We have three girls - 7, (8 in october), 5, (6 in september), and 16 months. We're wondering when to have baby number 4.

ETA: It really all comes down to money. With 4 kids, we need a bigger vehicle. With that comes more bills, etc.

 

[disneymomof2boyz]

I have two sons.....who are 11 months apart. No, 10 months and 3 weeks apart...lol

 

[megthewonderful]

My first two children are 16 months apart. And then my second and third children are 2 1/2 years apart. I actually found it easier with them being 16 months apart. I was still in baby mode and didn't know what it was like having one out of diapers and a little more self-sufficient. Now I am thinking about #4. My youngest is 14 months and I don't want to wait any longer. I just have to my DH on board with this idea!

 

[Zeebs]

Cullen was 21 months when Seth was born, it is a great gap for us and we plan on the next at about the same gap.

There are pros and cons both ways these were ours

Pro's:

1. We weren't getting much sleep anyway from our first so we just added another year to it. LOL. Get it all out of the way rather than stretching it out over years.
2. Cullen soon forgot he was an only child and we had no jealously over Seth
3. They play together so nicely and I am hoping this will continue and they will be good buddies because they are so close in age.

Cons:

1. Being pregnant with a little one is quite hard, towards the end of the pregancy I had to get in the bath with Cullen as I couldn't bend over the bath.
2. Cullen is essentially still a baby and he has been pushed out of this role by his brother sometimes I feel sad about this.

I wouldn't want the kids any closer together but am happy with our situation.

Kirsten

 

[dlrhine]

Ok my girls are 7 and 6 and are 16 months apart. Now it was a crazy first year, but it is doable and they are great friends. They don't know life without each other. Yes like having twins. Two on bottles, two in diapers, and nuks everywhere. That was with both my DH and I working full time no part time help. Did I plan it that way no, as both of my babies were birth control babies and the second was nursing and on low dose birth control and she still came along. I guess she was really suppose to be born. If I had it to do again, I'd do it just like it is now and with them both being girls it has been great!

Here is a picture of my close in age babies!

 

[mamaLori05]

My two are 2 yrs and 4 months apart. I think it was the perfect age difference. My dd was old enough to want to help, but young enough that she didn't really get jelouse of my ds. She absolutely adores him and definatly watches out for him already. It actually helped us for potty training because dd saw that diapers were for babies and she wanted to be BIG and be the big helper. She was fully trained at 2.5 yrs. For me, going from one to two was no big deal. I honestly thought it was harder going from 0 to 1 just because you have to get used to giving the kids all your time and attention. Once you have two, you are already used to that. I will say that I have gotten very creative at being able to do 10 things at the same time though. Anyway, ds is 10 months and I am already getting that baby itch for #3. Do what you feel is right for your family. If you feel you are ready for another one, then go ahead.

 

[Camno's Mama]

Two years and three months. I won't lie...it was hard at first. My little guy was born in late Sept. and was sick until the spring with whatever new thing was going around. (Thanks to the fact that his older brother was starting to participate in the outside world more, but was too young to remember to keep his face out of the baby's face!) We slept very little and it made me feel crazy.

But now, it's so great. They will be two years apart in school and they get along great. They call each other "best brothers". I wouldn't have done it any other way.

 

[Janet Hill]

15 years, but you may not want to wait that long

 

[twinspluscade]

Ok my girls are 7 and 6 and are 16 months apart. Now it was a crazy first year, but it is doable and they are great friends. They don't know life without each other. Yes like having twins. Two on bottles, two in diapers, and nuks everywhere. That was with both my DH and I working full time no part time help. Did I plan it that way no, as both of my babies were birth control babies and the second was nursing and on low dose birth control and she still came along. I guess she was really suppose to be born. If I had it to do again, I'd do it just like it is now and with them both being girls it has been great!

]

No, it's nothing like twins. . I have twins, and then another one 17 months younger than the twins. The twins were way, way harder, in my experience.

 

[TwoOwls]

5 years apart. If we have another I would really like a 3-4 year gap as well.

 

[dlrhine]

No, it's nothing like twins. . I have twins, and then another one 17 months younger than the twins. The twins were way, way harder, in my experience.

See now my SIL and I think different and she has twins and another just like you only 18 months later, and she said the twins were easier. She didn't like having one walking around and getting into things while trying to take care of a newborn. The twins were both laying still at the same time not moving at the same time. In my case my oldest was all over the place while I was trying to take care of the baby.

 

[Elmo888]

DDs are almost 5 years apart (they are 3 years old and 8 years old now), and it has been great. The older one had almost 5 years with us before the younger one came along, and I think that she is better off for it. I also liked having one baby at a time. I know that many people like the 2 year gap to get all of the baby stuff done at the same time, but not me!

I read once that closer together is easier for the parents, but 4 - 6 years is easier on the kids. For me, the 5 year gap was easier for me, too.

I really thought that I would have prefered closer to 4 years apart. When our oldest DD was 3, we started thinking about the second. We had a number of reasons why we couldn't start trying, so we ended up waiting until oldest DD was 4. The almost 5 year gap has been great, though.

As other posters have said, three years old is the magic number. Once they get to three, they turn a corner - potty trained, dressing themselves, playing by themselves, playing with playmates, feeding themselves (DD3 will get her own snack!), etc. That part will be easier on you if they are over three years apart.

Another thing to consider - your baby girl is probably pretty easy right now, esp. compared to the newborn. I found 6 months to be a wonderful age - cute, happy, sleeping on a schedule, etc. Things just don't seem to stay that way, and I wouldn't expect them to be the same by the time baby #2 comes along. I found that it goes through stages - newborns are difficult, infants are easier, difficulty comes around again when they start moving and walking, then they get easier when they start to understand limits, and then they start trying to exercise independence and say no to you (difficult again). And then they get easier again. I would just keep that in mind.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[brymolmom]

Boy is older, girl is younger - we LOVE this age difference!

 

[Luckymomoftwo]

My kids are exactly 3 1/2 years apart. Looking back I wish I would have had them a little closer together, but honestly I wasn't even sure I wanted another child. Good thing I changed my mind because when reality set in that I DID want another one I was already pregnant and didn't know it yet! We were at my grandmother's 80th b-day party and she bragged about all of her children and her grandchildren and her great grandchildren. At that point I thought "Oh my gosh, what if my son never gives me any grandchildren?! I HAVE to have another baby to increase my chances of becomming a grandma later in life!" Little did I know my little princess was already on her way! But, I'm done! I have my boy and my girl and I don't want anymore kids. Besides, my daughter is 5 now and I REALLY don't want to start all over again. Not to mention I still haven't lost my baby fat from when I was pregnant FIVE years ago!!!

 

[GothTink]

We waited seven years. It was perfect timing. The older one now babysits the younger one.