Need a hand hold... I'm pregnant

[Thataintnoetchasketch]

I'm shaking writing this. We just had a baby 7 months ago, I've been exhausted this week and struggling to cope, teary etc. Thought it was just that DS is teething again and quite clingy & feeding loads taking its toll on me. Anyway I took a pregnancy test tonight just because I had one lying around & i had a niggling feeling I should and its positive. I'm smitten and terrified all at once.

We knew this was a possibility but it took us 18 months to conceive DS after a miscarriage and I wanted to just let nature take its course this time without obsessively TTC. Holy shit that seems naive now!!

I'm still on maternity leave, I'm still breastfeeding DS, he's still so little and DH is nightshift tonight. I need to tell someone. Anyone had two under 18 months & can reassure me it'll be okay?

[LurkingQuietly]

Yep!! We are 10 months in and still standing. It's tough, but it's do-able. You will be fine. And watching my two's relationship develop is nothing short of amazing. Congratulations.

[LariyahSpen]

I don't have any experience but congratulations!! What lovely news! My daughter is 17 months old and difficult but amazing at the same time. You will be brilliant but I'm sure it's normal to feel petrified! I think anything has its good and bad points so I hope you just enjoy it as much as you can!!

[Thataintnoetchasketch]

Still standing will do me! Part of me thinks while I'm still in the midst of nightfeeds, leaky nipples and nappies what's one more? The other part thinks what the hell have we done?

[LurkingQuietly]

Nope, definitely stick with the "what's one more" thought! I do double nappy changes, lunch/dinner is the same, bedtime is the same, activities v v similar. It's actually not that hard at all

[toffeeboffin]

Had to respond due to your awesome username!

You'll be fine. You really will. My mate had two girls as close and the bond between them is incredible. Yes, it will be hard but it will get easier sooner, and they'll keep each other entertained, two little buddies
Bonus!

[Gobbolinothewitchscat]

I have a 2 and a 3 year old with 13 months between them you will be fine. we also have an 8 month old too who was born when the other two were 1 and 2 so you could take that as an indicator of how copable it is

Generally the doom-mongers have no idea of these kinds of gaps - ignore them!

[Thataintnoetchasketch]

Thank you LurkingQuietly that's really made me feel a lot better.

toffeeboffin now I just have to wait for the morning to tell DH I am for shizz up the spout.

[DramaAlpaca]

Congratulations & a handhold here from a survivor of two DC born 16 months apart.

It took ages to get pregnant with DC1 so we thought it would take ages the second time. It didn't. I got pregnant again when DC1 was 7 months and I was still breastfeeding. It took a while to get over the shock, tbh. Like you I was still on maternity leave.

DC1 weaned himself off the breast when I was about 12 weeks pregnant - I think the taste changed, but he certainly went off it. I was quite relieved about that as it did make things a bit easier on me.

I won't deny it, the first year was really hard. But it was lovely too. They are both boys & have grown up so close. They are young adults now & still really good friends.

Oh, and it can't have been too bad because I went on to have DC3 - two and a half year gap this time, though!

[Thataintnoetchasketch]

I would love three eventually gobbolin - it was a long first 6 months but DS is such a cheery wee honey and I feel like we've really found our rhythm in the last few weeks. I think now I know what to expect it might be easier to cope when it's so full on in the beginning.

[Thataintnoetchasketch]

I think we'll have about the same gap although I have no idea how far along I am. I was just day dreaming today about wearing an underwire, non nursing bra again at some point but guess that idea will have to be put on hold now.

[UnicornPee]

No advice. But I have two friends who each have a sibling who was born within the same year as them and are incredibly close (I envy them!)
Just a zap to the future there for you.
Good luck with your pregnancy xx

[EreniTheFrog]

I have a similar age gap between DD and DS. It has been tiring, but absolutely fantastic. By the time DS was 7 months old, DD had already worked out how to play with him, and loved to feed him yoghurt and pass me the wipes - and now at 6 and 5 they are so close.

You will manage, and it will be fine - honestly.