to worry about what it's like to go from one dc to two?

[bluebeanie]

Dd is 10 months. Love her to bits. Starting to contemplate ttc a second dc in the new year or so. I don't feel I'm 'done' yet with babies.

I work a compressed week so get Fridays off to be with Dd. Not for everyone, but a good balance for us. Dh works usual full time week. Dd is in an excellent nursery that she clearly loves for 4 days a week.

Pre dd I thought I was very career driven. Now I'm not so sure. I like where I currently am. It isn't amazing money, but it isn't too bad. I'm just not that motivated to push myself at the moment. When I mention to friends and family about the possibility of a second in the not too distant future I am met with comments about it being the end of my career/free time.

I guess I'd like to know what the truth is about going from one to two children please? We could cover all outgoings and child care with little else for the early years on our current salaries with two dc. Is it harder to juggle things when dc are at school rather than nursery? I can still get to the odd gym session and weekend away visiting friends with one. Does that stop with two dc? I truly hope I don't come across as self centred. Dh and I are the same in that we are both introverts and need some space for ourselves and currently achieve that balance. I guess I'm a bit scared of losing the happy balance we have at the moment, but don't want to miss out on having another dc.

I have 18 months between mine. DD was fantastically hard work as a baby, until her brother was born really. By comparison he's a doddle. Six months old now and is STTN. DD is still all go as a toddler but she sleeps now so that makes life a whole lot easier!

0-1 was epic. 1-2 added about 10% extra to my workload.

Found being a first time mother traumatic for lots of reasons! It was such a shock. Dd2 is five months old. Tbh barely noticed the difference. Dd1 now four helps out a lot. Its really lovely.

My dd1 was the amazing non-sleeping baby due to reflux. I was barely surviving on 3 hours sleep a night and even this was in several short bursts. She also hated to be put down and was a velcro baby for the first four months. How I found the time or energy to conceive ds when she was 3 months old I don't know.

I found it much easier to go from 1-2 than 0-1. When ds was born just after dd turned 1, I was already used to not much sleep and nappies etc.

Although it was very hard having two in just over a year, I'd have found it much harder to get through broken nights and potty training to then go back to the beginning.

0-1 was a culture shock even though I worked with babies at the time 1-2 was a double buggy mare 18 months between them.

2-3 was 15 months and more of a practicality thing 3-4 made no difference

4-5 was easy and I didn't even notice 5-6!!

It really all depends on your kids temperaments your parenting and expectations and a whole other pile of stuff you can't control!!