Will I love my new baby as much as my first?

[namesneeded]

I'm being induced this week with second DC.
I love my two year old so so so much, I can't imagine having room to love another little baby as much as I have done him for the past two years.
Was it instant for you? Did you feel exactly the same towards new baby as you did first baby? I'm worried about what the new dynamics are going to be like, about not being able to give all of my time to DS1.

I found the love expanded, each new life being as exciting and lovely as the first

Yes! It's also amazing seeing how much they love each other. I felt so guilty too and still do sometimes that I don't have a lot of one to one time with DD but family dynamics change and there's plenty of love to go around. Good luck

Yes you will :)
Might be instant..might not... my second it took nearly 4 months to properly bond with him..but he's been 'my boy' ever since and he's 26 now
No 3 was instant... no 4 took longer., but you will love all your children, whether you have two or ten :)

Yes the love was the same (but don't feel bad if it's not for you - everyone is different) but the guilt! So much. Feeling bad towards my toddler that his life had changed dramatically, and then feeling guilty towards the baby that thinking like that meant I didn't want her, when of course I did. I cried a lot, and remember saying that I missed my toddler even though I was in the room with him. It just didn't feel the same.

However the way he is with his sister has helped all that massively. And as I'm on mat leave, I can spend more time with him, so that makes the guilt lessen.

Like @StillMedusa I found my second a slower to fall in love with than my first and third. I think because the birth made me reprocess a lot of the feelings I’d had first time round.

I promise you it will come. And then when you see them together it’s a whole new lot of wonder.

Maybe not to start with- and that's ok!!

But you will 🥰

You absolutely do but as pp have said the feeling is quite different and don’t panic. Even now I love my two year old and two month old completely differently- the love feels more intense I suppose for my first as I know her and have so many memories whereas I have a fierce mother’s love for the newborn but not that long term relationship yet. But having done it once I know that will come so don’t worry. Good luck! It’s impossibly hard and absolutely wonderful if equal measures

Thanks all- lovely to read these reassuring messages.

I was really worried about this when pg with dc2 but honestly, I was worrying over nothing. When they came along so did the love for them.

Someone once described it to me like you grow a whole new heart. A whole new heart for all the love for this brand new person.

It was just a new love and it was amazing.....i can see why people keep having children!!
The love my boys have for each other is incredible.
Good luck op!!!

I love them both but I love them differently at this stage? My 2 year old is just the most beautiful person and has this AMAZING personality, and I adore her and who she is. I absolutely love my baby but, at least initially, It's that instinctive motherly love.

Yes, more somehow. I was in shock after the arrival of my first. The love for them both has grown over time as I get to know them

Awwww I remember feeling like this. REALLY don't worry they bring their own love OP 😊💛

I saw my firstborn who was 3 at the time and he suddenly seemed very grown up compared the the baby in my arms. I sobbed my heart out as I felt it was my fault and he'd grown up too quick. I looked at the poor boy all funny for a week he was just so big!
Hormones do funny things OP, just bear that in mind.

Yes. I loved my second as much if not more the minute I saw him. I love the dynamics of the two dc playing together too.

I remember crying my eyes out just before I had my second. Scared I wouldn't love her as much as her brother (my first), guilt about that, guilt that he would now have to share me with a new baby and don't forget how bad I felt that the new baby wouldn't get my full attention like my first did.

I was a total mess.

Long story short, they are 6 and 3 now. Yes I love both of them they are my entire world although I have different relationships with both but that is ok as they are very different people.

It will all be fine.

I felt the same as I adored my first born.
I loved son 2 instantly although I had some days where I resented son 2 for preventing me from spending as much time with son1. It sorted itself as time went on and we all got used to each other, especially as son 1 loved his little brother and was really lovely with him.