What was the hardest transition? Kids...

[harleyquinn]

I was thinking about this last night...what do you think? Having your first kid or adding another or another or another?

 

[bigbabyblues]

I think having the first one was harder. The second made for a little more laundry, etc., but by the time he came around, I knew how to change a diaper, bathe a baby, etc.

 

[Colleen27]

We have 3, and the first was without a doubt the toughest transition because of the shift to "parent" lifestyle rather than "young couple" lifestyle. Adding more after that has been a piece of cake, even when it meant we're now outnumbered. In different physical & financial circumstances I think we'd have been tempted to have another, but having #3 was a tough road and not one I want to walk again.

 

[mjkacmom]

I think my hardest was from 1 to 2. My first was a super-easy baby (didn't know it at the time - lol), but my second was not. He was born 20 months after my first, had reflux, cried all of the time, and wouldn't sleep. I really missed the one on one I had with dd - her first year was one of my most favorite years of my life.

Going from 2 - 3 was easy for me. Going from 3 - 5 was hard, because my kids were 6, 4, and 1, but I had help (people really felt sorry for me ). I had also already learned that it's okay if someone is crying, and you can't get to him or her.

 

[harleyquinn]

I think I'm hoping to hear that 0-1 is the hardest, since we're having such a hard time.

Thanks for posting!

 

[MIGrandma]

For me, it was having my first. DH and I were 18 when our DS came along, and I had never even babysat for an infant before, had never changed a diaper, etc. So there was a lot to learn!!

Our DD came along a couple years later and that was a piece of cake. I was vacuuming and doing laundry the day we came home from the hospital. I knew what to expect, and how to handle things. Much, much easier with the second child.

 

[castleview]

Second for me. Yes, the first one was huge because I went from never being at home to always being at home, but it was a very welcome transition. Two years later when second child came that just DOUBLED everything. Major kick in the face for me. Third child was no big deal probably because I was down.

I'll give you a dog analogy. First child came home and dog was curious, jealous, yet still enjoyed it. Second one came home and dog looked at me like "AGAIN???? How could you do this to me?" Third one came home dog looked up, turned around and walked away with a sigh.

 

[harleyquinn]

I'll give you a dog analogy. First child came home and dog was curious, jealous, yet still enjoyed it. Second one came home and dog looked at me like "AGAIN???? How could you do this to me?" Third one came home dog looked up, turned around and walked away with a sigh.

 

[Katy Belle]

Definitely going from 1 to 2. I was ready for #1! Baby #2 was difficult for me and my first child. Very difficult. Baby #3 slipped right into the family.

 

[Minnesota!]

I wouldn't say either was "hard". It was just different. Adding the first to our family was easier at first because I COULD sleep when he slept, and clean while he was occupied, etc.

Adding #2, I could only sleep when they both were...and they didn't seem to be on the same schedule much.

The beginning few weeks of each were confusing for me - I like routine - and switching up the routine/getting a new one going was probably the worst of both additions.

But, I never thought it was hard or had issues with the transition. Just needed to learn some flexibility and I was good to go.

 

[Buckeye Princess]

I'm scared going from 1 to 2 will be harder for me than having the first. DD was a super easy baby. Sleeping through the night from the start, never cried, etc. If I was tired I napped when she did. I'm scared #2 won't be as easy and since DD only takes 1 short nap a day, there probably won't be any nap time for me if I need it. Plus we are going to be moving 4 months after this one is born.

 

[vettechick99]

I'm scared going from 1 to 2 will be harder for me than having the first. DD was a super easy baby. Sleeping through the night from the start, never cried, etc. If I was tired I napped when she did. I'm scared #2 won't be as easy

I could have written this. 1st DD has been so easy. I just can't imagine getting that lucky again!

 

[DMickey28]

Hope I don't scare anyone ...

My DS, 3 years old, was either a very easy baby or I was more prepared. Probably both ... the first few weeks were very rough, I remember that. We moved when he was 6 weeks old but he started sleeping for at least 6 hours around that time ... only waking once. He was sleeping through the night at 2.5 months old.

Going from 1-2 is TOUGH. #2 is only 10 weeks old, has reflux and cries 90% of the time. I am having a very tough go at it ... Hoping we turn a corner in the next few weeks but I have been saying that for a month now!

 

[java]

I have 4 kids- and going from 0 to 1 was the hardest. I remember thinking I have never been this tired in my life! We were the walking dead.

 

[castleview]

I'm scared going from 1 to 2 will be harder for me than having the first. DD was a super easy baby. Sleeping through the night from the start, never cried, etc. If I was tired I napped when she did. I'm scared #2 won't be as easy and since DD only takes 1 short nap a day, there probably won't be any nap time for me if I need it. Plus we are going to be moving 4 months after this one is born.

Don't you realize they give you an easy one first or else you'd never have another?

 

[MzDiz]

For me it was the first. By the time the next two came along I was into the swing of things. I was used to everything smelling like spit-up and diapers and waking up every morning looking like I hadn't slept in months.

 

[krcit]

For me, it was going from 1 to 2. I was just overwhelmed I think for the first couple of months. 3rd one was a breeze

 

[golfgal]

I wouldn't say either was "hard". It was just different. Adding the first to our family was easier at first because I COULD sleep when he slept, and clean while he was occupied, etc.

Adding #2, I could only sleep when they both were...and they didn't seem to be on the same schedule much.

The beginning few weeks of each were confusing for me - I like routine - and switching up the routine/getting a new one going was probably the worst of both additions.

But, I never thought it was hard or had issues with the transition. Just needed to learn some flexibility and I was good to go.

I would say the same. Having our first wasn't all that much of a lifestyle change as most of our friends were also having babies at the same time. I also planned on staying home so I think had I been going back to work it would have been harder.

I could have written this. 1st DD has been so easy. I just can't imagine getting that lucky again!

Didn't they they tell you in Mom school you were supposed to have your hard one first . Keep in mind that adorable babydoll of yours is not 3 yet .

 

[minkydog]

For me it was the first child. I have three. Number 2 was a piece of cake and Number 3 was severely disabled, and they STILL weren't as hard as Number 1.

My first one was a piece of work from the get-go. Always sensitive, high maintenance, needed careful managing. The crying, the screaming, not sleeping through the night. I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare! And the thing that made it worse was that we had tried for 3 years to have this baby. Even though I loved my son, I felt very guilty for feeling resentful of his near-constant demands. It didn't help that I had almost no outside help, no family nearby, and DH seemed as clueless as I was. It took me a long time to really feel that my life was back on an even keel and I longed for that feeling of contentment with my family. Thankfully, it did eventually happen. DS23 is still a rather high strung guy and DD17 is still my laid back girl and Christian is still our pleasant, delightful Wonder Boy.

 

[justhat]

For me, the hardest transition was from 2 to 3. My oldest was a challenging baby, but she was my first so I didn't know any better. I just assumed all babies had to be held all day, didn't sleep through the night, etc. But I dealt with it fine and it was honestly like we always had her.

Then #2 came and even though he was a full month early, I was totally prepared and the transition was seamless. He blended right in, was such an easy baby, and I had no trouble at all managing 2.

Now we have 3, and #3 also has reflux (like DMickey mentioned), cried a TON over her first 3 months (and honestly, even now at 4 months, she's pretty tempermental), throws up all the time (so my laundry load is nuts!), plus she was my first c-section, so I had a different (though I can't honestly say worse) recovery period. And she was born in late January, right before a few huge snowstorms in our area, so simple tasks like taking my older kids to school were a nightmare when I couldn't even open the car door to get her carseat in.

And even though #2 and #3 have a larger age difference than my first 2 (2.5 years to 3.5 years), my son, who was the easiest baby, is not at all an easy 3yo. He is a LOT of work. He's so active so I am constantly running after him, but then he wears himself out and will fall asleep in the car, but I have to carry the baby in, so I have to wake him up and hear the whines, cries, etc. He LOVES the baby, but he's so hands on and not aware of his strength so I feel like I am constantly trying to keep him away from her so she doesn't get hurt.

And the sheer time management aspect of 3 kids is nuts: after-school activities for the older kids, getting dinner ready, putting the small one to bed while the older ones are wreaking havoc, reading separate books to the older 2, well, the time from 3-8pm is just nonstop! All day there is always someone who wants something, never any downtime.

But with that said, I do love the chaos and would still happily add a 4th (but my husband does not want another!), so it really isn't bad or anything (as I know I probably made it sound that way!), but it has definitely been a huge change for me.