to being ttc when I already have a baby?

[caen]

She's 10 months old and only just started sleeping through. I'm knackered. Is it better just to rip the plaster off and do it all now? Am I mad?

I have 3 DC's who are 2, 4 and 6. I love it and wouldn't have it any other way. There is 17 months between the eldest and a bit moer between the youngest 2. It is hard work at first, but once the youngest starts toddling life gets easier, and you can always send the eldest on errands eg "Oh, get Mummy a nappy please!"

I waited a bit longer than you, until my DD didn't seem like a baby to me anymore (she was 13 mos) although I didn't really decide to TTC, just let it happen.

I now have two DDs 22 months apart. The younger is a week old. So far I am loving it.

I don't think you're mad. I have left a long gap, now having a few probs which may mean no more babies, so I say if you feel up for the challenge - go for it!

As a realted story, my friend stopped using contraception at around the same time as you (with 9/10month firstborn) not expecting fast results and is now the proud mother of 3 under 18months after getting instant twins! Crazy hectic at the moment, but lovely too You might want to double check the family tree!

YANBU.

I am pregnant with number 2 and Ds is only 10 months. I'm scared, I'm also very excited.

YANBU
There is just 23 months between my two girls and I think its a great age. DD2 harder at nights and things than DD1 but seeing the two of them together just makes it worth while.
Hard work though with a toddler when pg as I was really anemic but wouldnt change it for the world now

Astrid your post was followed by slight hysteria in the caen living room. Twins on OH's side but it is determined by the woman isn't it???!!!

YANBU.

I TTC as soon as my periods came back after DS dropped some daytime BFs. I was pg the first month of trying, DS was 10 months.

For me, I wanted to get all the sleepless nights, nappies, buggies etc out of the way as soon as possible. I'm really looking forward to doing more 'grown-up' days out with the DCs, a couple of nights out for us etc, and figured the sooner we got on with it, the sooner we'd have two older children. Also, I am currently doing a little bit of freelancing but only a few hours per week - it turned out that I felt really strongly about being at home for DS while he was a baby, and I'd like to do the same for DC2. But I do want to get back to employment at some point, and again the sooner we got on with ttc again, the sooner that can be. I am relatively young too - by the time I turn 30, DC2 will be a few months off starting school and I can be looking full time work again, whereas if we'd waited I'd be less flexible for longer.

Ask me again in April whether I'm so sure I've made the right decision! But I figure that even if the next year or two are the hardest work of my life, it'll be worth it to know we're moving quickly towards where we want to be (not that I'm wishing the time away or unhappy now).

Also, I have been having some weepy moments this week about DS having to grow up, and not being my little baby any more, but I think this is probably normal whether I was pg or not.

Rip that plaster off!

So says mother of 3 under 4 (was pregnant with ds2 when ds1 was 9 months)

Hopefully you will time the first child being properly settled overnight in time for No 2's arrival.

Big plus is the eldest still needs a nap when the second has no clue between day and night. So really you should be more rested than someone that has a 3 year gap.

Almost talked myself into No 4 then.

DS1 has just turned one and I am 14 weeks pregnant. We started trying before he was sleeping through, which he did from 7 months.

YANBU!!

Yeah go for it. I have 2 DDs 16 and a bit months apart. They are 2 and 9 months now. I didn't know it would happen as DD1 was an IVF baby and DD2 came without any help!

It's been hard but they are so lovely together, plus DD1 can't recall being PFB so she's adapted really well to becoming a big sister.

I'd love baby number 3 but think 3 under 3 would be mad! Plus don't know if I could conceive given my history.

Go for it, go for it, go for it, go for it!

If I wait for DS to start sleeping through before TTC, I think he'll be about 15 before he gets any siblings!

YANBU. We tried to conceive when DS was 12mths for 3 months but failed. We stopped for a little while so I could get the timings right for completing a uni course I am now doing and we are due to start again next month. We really want the kids to have a close age gap.

Go for it!

My ds was an angel and slept through at 4weeks so dd arrived when he was 15mnths... and we never slept again, the end.

No seriously theyre lovely i love the age gap we have now weve managed to get her to sleep a all night in our bed theyre so so much fun! And i completely agree about the nap thing, ds still has a nap and i savour my hour of peace mid day when the naps co-incide, whether im at home relaxing or shopping in peace while they sleep in the buggy!
Theyre now 15mnths and 31mnths and i love them to pieces and the best moment of my life was walking into a family party with a child holding each of my hands, i could have burst with pride.

We had 3 under 3.4. They are now 4.2, 2.6 & 10 mo. I am surviving.

yanbu go for it

YANBU, my gap between dd1 and 2 is 25 months, its really good. Am dying for a 3rd dc too, dd2 is only 9 mo. But she's not sleeping at all, so its out of the question atm...too tired to ttc! Beginning of next year though, I'm there!

Yes you're mad. Not unreasonable, but definitely mad!

I had 4 years and a month gap between DD and DS1. I think that was too much of a gap, as they've always been at different stages, I had to go back to sleepless nights after 2 years of getting a full night's sleep, they don't play together and tbh they don't even like each other as DD was too used to having me all to herself.

There is only 18 months between DS1 and DS2. Much much better age gap tbh. It was a piece of piss really easy when DS2 was a tiny baby. I WILL be honest and admit that there was one year that was bloody impossible quite hard to deal with, when DS1 was 4 years old and going in one direction, and DS2 was 2.5yo and busy crawling (he's sn met milestones late) towards the plug socket to stick drooly fingers in it. (think the 'hard' year would have been having one at 18mo and one at 3yo, if it wasnt for DS2's sn).

It was only a year though, and then DS1 went to full time school and DS2 started pre-school at the same time. Now the boys are 6.2yo and 7.10yo, they amuse each other, and often sneak into the same bed at night for cuddles (veeeeerrrry sweet!). DD...still not amused about having ANY siblings.

Am now TTC DC5 (DC4 was sb). But feel I would have to have 2 as there would be almost 7yrs between DS2 and DC5, and more for the others, would like DC5 to have the 'closeness' that DS1&2 have.

I had my youngest two 50 weeks apart. It's frantic but fantastic.

YANBU!

I had 3 under 3 for a period, 18m age gap between DD1 & DS and then 17m between DS & DD2 (who is now 10wks). Is hard work, but great.

We wanted them close together, in a way to get the sleepless nights, nappies etc out of the way in one huge lump rather than going back to them after one finishes.

Go for it!

It rather depends on your circumstances. Whether you'd rather 'get the baby stuff over & done with' or whether you'd rather have more time with a baby in the house Also whether you have to go back to work or not, childcare yadda yadda yadda....

Will it be hard - yes: Will it be lovely - yes.

I second close age gap - I'd love a close age gap between mine but need to conceive no 1 first!

My sister is 4 years younger than me, we hated each other, I resented her from the moment she was born and it's only now that we're sort of getting along. My brother is 2 years younger than her and they've always been close because they were close in age and he's sufficiently younger than me to be my very definitely little brother so it didn't matter as much. 2 years or 6 years is my view!

I found out I was pregnant with dc2 when dc1 was 7 months old. Despite what everyone thought, we were ttc (but I hadn't had a period yet so we hadn't realised it was likely to happen).

A small gap is a bit terrifying in prospect but no worse than any other gap in reality, honest Every gap has it's pros and cons as people have pointed out.

Just go for it and good luck

We started ttc when dd1 was 12 months but theres 3 year and 3 weeks between her and ds however he was only 5 months when I got pregnant with my surprise dd2 so if it happens it happens. For what it's worth it was easier with the 2 youngest as your still used to the baby routine, but its hard work.

I'm 4 months pg, started ttc when DD was 10 months, got pg when she was 11mths. I'm finding it hard work with an energetic toddler and the exhaustion that comes with being pregnant but I had the same idea as you - get it all over with while you still remember what it's like! DD didn't sleep through reliably til 12mths-ish. YANBU, I've heard the first year of the 2nd one's life is the hardest