How old was your first when you started trying for a second?

WestMuncher · 2025-07-13T21:57:28+00:00

Just trying to get an idea of what the typical range is.

AutumnFoxe · 19/07/2025 14:16

Im currently 36 weeks pregnant so my older child will be 2.5 years old when the next one arrives

twobabiesandapup · 19/07/2025 14:09

My first was born in December 2023 and then my second was born 2 weeks ago! So 19 month age gap for us and boy life feels very hectic now 😂

Blingismything · 19/07/2025 13:01

I wanted a three year gap and ended up with three years and 10 days.

Maxorias · 19/07/2025 01:20

3 months for my second, 2 years for my third (the bigger gap is due to me taking time to decide whether I wanted a 3rd or not).

Actual gaps ended up being 19 months and 3yr9mo, due to a loss between my first two, and due to struggling a lot more to get pregnant the third time.

I'm 100% partisan to small age gaps. It's harder at first but you reap the benefits after a few years as they are more likely to play together, it's easier to find activities that are suitable for them all, etc. I wish the gap was smaller with my third !

Outside9 · 19/07/2025 00:37

About 17 months. Happened quickly so there's 26 months between them.

Oldest now 3, and youngest will be 1 next week.

Now considering if we should try for 3rd in autumn when youngest is 16 months.

JustAnInchident · 18/07/2025 19:30

Before our first was 6 months. We knew we wanted another and our first took 18 months to conceive so wanted to crack on. It took 2.5 years 😅 but it’s worked out well in the end, however hard it was along the way, as the 3.5y (ish) age gap is just lovely.

Echobelly · 18/07/2025 19:24

I think about 2, I wanted first to be out of pushchair and nappies by the time 2nd came along, which was just about the case with nappies, as 2nd arrive in the end when oldest was 3 years 2 months.

Ruggerlass · 18/07/2025 19:19

We wanted them close together so fell pregnant when first son was 3 months old. Have I year and 8 days between them. Had second arrived on time I’d have had 2 under one.

mondaytosunday · 15/07/2025 12:02

When first was seven months. Took four months to conceive and they are 20 months apart.
I must mention I was 42 at the time so felt I didn’t have much time to waste. My first was a late July baby (was due in August but came early) and I wanted my second to be spring born.

SJM1988 · 15/07/2025 11:52

There are 4.5 years between my two.....we wanted a smaller gap but it didn't work out (multiple losses). We started trying when DS was just over 2 years old.

curliegirlie · 15/07/2025 11:48

I stopped the pill when she was 4 months old as basically wanted to avoid 2 under 1! But my cycles then didn’t return until she was one, and it took us another year to conceive.

Years later, when my first pair were 6 and nearly 4, I had a surprise pregnancy/early miscarriage, started trying again properly after that, and finally fell pregnant again 3 years, 3 months later (currently on tenterhooks for my dating scan on Friday!). All being well, my two will be 10 and 7 when they gain a new sibling!

Allswellthatendswelll · 15/07/2025 10:42

WestMuncher · 14/07/2025 23:15

Mainly I’m wondering when the irritating questions are likely to start.

Show quote history

Don't be pressured into anything by social expectation. No one should ever ask when/ if you are going to have more children. Do what's best for you and your family and it looks different for everyone. And you can't always plan these things!

BrutalOutHere · 15/07/2025 08:51

2 yrs 6 months. Got pregnant quickly but miscarried. Then got pregnant again when he was 3yrs and had my DD.

scaredfriend · 15/07/2025 08:48

Exactly one year old. It worked. There’s 21 months between them.

havanesehope · 14/07/2025 23:46

17 months.

SabrinaThwaite · 14/07/2025 23:43

DC1 was 2 when we started trying for DC2. It turned out to be a 7 yr age gap (which has actually worked out really well).

Original poster

WestMuncher · 14/07/2025 23:15

putthekettleonn · 14/07/2025 22:33

There is no typical; every family and every woman will have different financial, emotional, and physical circumstances, and it's a very personal choice depending on the needs of the first child.

I was an older mum so did IVF with the plan to bank enough embryos to allow for at least a 3 year gap between pregnancies without having to force it too soon due to age, with the idea to transfer sooner if everything was going really well.

Edited

Mainly I’m wondering when the irritating questions are likely to start.

OP posts:

putthekettleonn · 14/07/2025 22:33

There is no typical; every family and every woman will have different financial, emotional, and physical circumstances, and it's a very personal choice depending on the needs of the first child.

I was an older mum so did IVF with the plan to bank enough embryos to allow for at least a 3 year gap between pregnancies without having to force it too soon due to age, with the idea to transfer sooner if everything was going really well.

DemonsandMosquitoes · 14/07/2025 20:06

20 months. Fell pregnant first time. 2.5 year age gap, 22 years on has been absolutely perfect.

SummerSun24 · 14/07/2025 18:35

14 months , happened quite quickly for us so there's just over 2 years between them and I love it!

I do think any age gap has its pros and cons though and you'll learn to love what you have 😊

StrawberryCranberry · 14/07/2025 13:58

12 months, and it happened quickly so the age gap is 22 months.

overwork · 14/07/2025 13:56

Mine is just about to turn 2 and we’re ready to try for a second. My periods didn’t come back until he was 16 months and we loosely tried that month but I was relieved I didn’t get pregnant, so we’ve waited a while longer. I’m over 40 though, so we’ve had to be comfortable with the idea we might only have the one.

Lampzade · 14/07/2025 13:49

7 months
They are nineteen months apart

xWildFlowerx · 14/07/2025 13:45

I got pregnant when first was 5 months old. Wasn't tracking etc, just not preventing, but didn't think it would happen so quickly as I was EBF and hadn't had a period yet after birth.

BumpyaDaisyevna · 14/07/2025 13:38

18 mths. She was 2.4 when he was born.