- This topic has 33 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 19 years, 6 months ago by
.
-
I was laying in bed last night and couldn’t fall asleep…I started thinking about baby #2. I had always thought that two years would be a good age apart but then realized that would mean I would have to get pregnant THIS August-ish! WHOA!
I don’t think I’m ready for that! With DH and I both being school teachers, we’d like to plan an April/May/June delivery. Sarah was born in April. Anyway, maybe since my gut reaction to getting pregnant in 07 was freaking out, we should wait?? Maybe 3 years? 4 years?How far apart are your kiddos? I know everyone’s preference is different, but I’d like to hear the pros/cons for how far apart your children are.
We would like to have another child soon. I felt “ready” for another one when Isaac turned 1 b/c I really got the hang of it. I stay at home anyway so I really don’t have any life conflicts here
Good Luck with whatever you decide!I had mine so close….20 months between the first two, and two years between the second two. I certainly wouldn’t recommend it to everyone because it was and still is a tremendous challenge. But there are distinct advantages to having them close in age. I think they learn that they can’t always be first, and they can’t always have mommy to themselves. They learn to compromise, to wait, to share, and to care for others. My girls are so good to each other and so good to Myles. It makes me very proud and happy.
I grew up with sisters very close in age and they were always the biggest blessings in my life. My sisters and I have always been close and we were always at the same stages in life so we had much in common and we could relate very well to each other.
Personally, (and I’m sure this comes from my own experience of having sisters only 15 months and 3 years younger than me), I think that if they are closer in age they will have more in common as they are growing up to keep them close. Not that there’s always a guarantee in life that siblings will always love each other. But, I have high hope for my three.
Whatever you decide it will work fine for you and your family.
I always wanted to have all my kids about 2 years apart so they would be close. Isaac & Parker are a little less than two years, and that worked out really well for us. Although I think if I were to do it over, I’d plan it so they were a little more than 2 years apart rather than a little less.
Bryce is a different story.
We weren’t exactly planning on him, so Parker & Bryce are only 15 mo. apart (Bry was a month early). It’s been a little challenging having 3 so close together (I had 3 in diapers for 6 months) especially with all of Bryce’s issues. When I first found out about Bryce I freaked out. Parker was only about 9 months old when I found out, and I felt so bad that he wouldn’t get to be “the baby” for as long. But by the time I was due to have Bryce, I was more used to the idea and ready for another baby.If I have another baby, I’d like to wait until Bryce is 3 – especially with everything Bry has been through…and I think my body needs a break too! I’ve come to find out that 3 years apart each would have been a little easier (for me).
Although I think whatever happens, you make work!I agree with Kim though that you might not want to rule it out yet if you still want to have them 2 years apart. It might seem crazy now while Sarah’s only 8 months old, but by the time August comes, she’ll be much older, and you just might be ready by then.
Good luck with whatever you decide.This is our experience:
Claire just turned 3 after Ben was born, and I am so glad we didn’t have him sooner. I grew up with three brothers and we were all close in ages (2 years), and I wanted to have kids that close too, but I remember feeling as you do when Claire was Sarah’s age. I also taught school then too! Anyway, I am so glad that Claire was the age she was because, for one, she was potty trained! That has been a huge plus. She is also old enough to help, keep Ben entertained and old enough to entertain herself when I can’t be with her because of his reflux, etc. Once she was about 2, life got so much easier with her. She wasn’t as much work
, and it was then that I thought, ok, now I’m ready again.Thank you so much for your replies ladies! My husband has thought I was crazy the past few days for even TALKING about baby #2…but I think you’re right that August is still another 8 months away and I might feel TOTALLY different by then. Right now I’m leaning towards a 3 year age difference. I can definitely see the pros/cons that you have all listed and it truly is a personal choice! I think my main reason for freaking out about another baby so soon is that we need a larger house. We are casually looking around, but planning a pregnancy this fall would mean we’d have to start looking more seriously!
I hate the thought of packing! Again, I appreciate you sharing your stories. It really helped.
Amy
PS – Right now DH wants to wait about 20 years before we have another one! I think he’ll come around when Sarah’s a little older.My kids are 21 months apart, and I am enjoying it. We wanted to have them close together. Actually, Paige was conceived on Ben’s 1st birthday!
It’s hard work, because Ben still needs me to do so much for him, but it is so nice to see him learn to be gentle, to learn to share, etc. at such a young age. I never imagined how much my little boy could grow to love his baby sister at such a young age! He is just so pleased to show me that he can be gentle, to show me that he can sit beside her (and not on top of her like he used to try!), and he’ll rush over and try to put a soother in her mouth when she starts to cry (once he was actually trying to shove it in her nose, but he’s getting better!).
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
