Two Babies Under Two... Is this a good idea?! (Lighthearted, sort of).

[DippyDiplodocus]

Hello All,

Earlier this year DH and I became parents to a beautiful baby girl who is now 5 months old.
She is simply fantastic and we are so in love with her. She is our second child, our first child, DS1 was sadly stillborn at 38+2 weeks and our baby girl has helped to heal our hearts a little.

Now, we had the discussion about having more children, we both wanted another sibling for our DD and decided that we wouldn't prevent it from happening but we wouldn't put lots of effort into trying either, we'd just let nature do it's thing.

Fast forward to yesterday. I took a pregnancy test, just out of curiosity and what do you know, it's a BFP!

So this means that DH and I will have TWO babies under TWO, providing all goes well, of course.

I've worked out the dates and based on the care I had with DD, this baby would be born (if induced at 37 weeks as per last time) six days after DDs 1st birthday.

Are we mental?

Just for some background, DD is the most chilled out baby I have ever come across. She sleeps eight hours solid per night, she's happy amusing herself with her toys etc while I get a few chores done, she's very happy and always smiling. She's the total opposite of a nightmare and I feel we have been extremely lucky with her.

I suppose what I'm asking here is will adding another small person to this mix be a bad thing?

Also, I am still on maternity leave and was hoping to take the full year. Does anyone know/have any experience of what will happen regards maternity pay etc for the next baby if I return to work 7 months pregnant?

Thanks for reading and any advice is greatly appreciated

Oh and also just to add, I am already starting to feel constantly knackered. I think the tiredness plus a small person is going to be a challenge...

Bump

So, what's the alternative? Do tell.

It’s pretty ordinary. Most people who have more than one have reasonably small gaps (hence why lots of schools have siblings in yr1,3,5 etc.)
Two under one is a bigger challenge, but in all honesty, two under two, three under four is just routine.

Not suggested there is an alternative have I Mrs ?

Just asking for other people's experiences which is basically what I've put in the op. Didn't realise it was so cryptic

I went back to work after 6 months off, and I was pg again. We have 15 months between our first two. I found it very easy, you aren't out of nappies, they both napped around the same time and went to bed around the same time. My employer wasn't so thrilled, but I only got statutory pay anyway so it wasn't a huge financial burden for them.

I have 17months between my dc2 and 3, which i appreciate is not as close as yours but still 2 under 2 for 7months! I loved it, they had a good day timw routine (nights were shocking but thats due to their personalities as they are still shocking now!)
They're 7 and 9 now, very close and adore each other, possibly that will change when they are teens but me and my sister fought from as soon as we could! So I'm grateful that their childhood years they've been so close.

Thank you both, that sounds actually quite nice and somewhat reassuring
Not sure what will happen in the way of work, kind of dreading telling them but haven't really got a lot of choice!

Mine have a bigger gap but still close. It was very hard the first year (not helped by second baby being a bad sleeper).
But then it gets much easier when they can have baths together and play with the same toys together.

We also kept up daytime naps for the oldest as long as possible so they would sleep at the same time and we could have a break.
When they're older they'll be able to do do activities together in the same age groups, which will be easier for you to organise.

The downside is paying for two lots of childcare for a few years when you go back to work. I know a few couples who had their children three years apart for this reason.

Yes, the childcare costs are large - I was paying more on nursery fees than on our mortgage for a couple of years. We have 4 children, so once I'd had the third, a nanny was cheaper, and was logistically easier (no more sprinting for the train and praying it was on time to avoid late fines at nursery!).

My older two were very close as little ones - they are now 15 and 14 and fight like cat and dog a lot of the time, but I think that's a) the ages they are and b) the fact they are opposite sexes. They adore each other underneath but compete ALL the time over everything, which can be somewhat trying!

Congratulations by the way - the first year was a bit of a blur if I'm honest, but a happy one! (The end of the second pregnancy was very tiring and I panicked about having a baby and a toddler - but without a cumbersome bump, it's so much easier once you actually have the second baby - you will wonder why it took you all day to have a shower the first time round (well I did anyway ))

I had two just 13 months apart...and then another 12 months later!! (so three in just over two years)

It was..tiring... but fun, lovely, and I went on to have a 4th 3 years later!

I found it easier because the same activities suited them all, and they followed each other to nursery. When I toilet trained no 2, the others just copied... it was great!

And they are all grown up now, and very close still. I recommend it! You will be fine (broke, but fine!)

Thank you all so much for the replies, I'm now starting to feel a bit more like it will all be fine.
A bit of chaos is good for the soul I suppose

There's 17 months between my first two and it was great (apart from a lot of nappies to wash!). And my third was born another 22 months later, so I had three under four. They all liked roughly the same things, played with the same toys, went to the same schools, weren't jealous of one another and are close now they are grown ups.

11 months of a difference between DD and DS2, the first year was heavy going (looking back, it didn’t seem so bad at the time) but totally worth it!

There will be 15 months between my two, so I’m glad to read all these positive stories!

I had 4 under 6. It was fine

It'll be fine. Ds1 was born 2 weeks before dd1s 1st Birthday. It was tricky at first but overall easy enough that we had dd2 the day before ds1s 1st birthday