8 weeks to go until number 4 arrives & I'm having a little panic!

[girlsyearapart]

Hi all
I'm 32 weeks with dc 4 and have 3 girls who turned 4 & 3 last month and a 14 month old.
They generally sleep well and are in a good routine but at the moment all three have coughs & colds and are waking at night relay style..

The eldest has woken at 530 past two days and merrily woken her sisters up too.

I'm finding myself wondering if the new baby will even have time to be fed!

The older two play well together but also squabble a fair bit and the little one has just started walking but her favourite passtime is climbing up perilous heights then letting go.

The older two are now at nursery 5 pms a week & the baby sleeps then so sanity levels have risen.

I have pulled my groin muscle - too much lifting apparently - which has been painful now since July and I'm just having a fed up & panicky moment.

Help & advice please!!

I have 4 - all fairly close together. Mine are 5, 4, 15 months and 2 months.

Oldest 2 are at school and have the little 2 at home. The hardest thing I find is getting everyone organised to get to school in the morning, and also around tea time, as everyone is tired, wanting tea, and baby is getting ready for her bottle.

I think the best advice is don't try and achieve too much. Since DC4 arrived the housework doesn't get done to anything like the standard I would like, but I have given up caring! I also have the whole night time waking thing. DC4 has just started sleeping through the night, but there is never a night when nobody wakes up at some point! I have found if one wakes up though it rarely wakes any of the others up. (although my 2 boys are going to have to share a room once baby is too big for her moses basket, so things may be different then!)

I just keep telling myself they will not all be little forever. My oldest 2 are brilliant now, so just keep thinking once the youngest 2 are a little bit older as well things will be much easier. I have to say I found being pregnant with 3 others to look after harder than having the 3 plus a new baby!

That last sentence has made me very happy!
I am not one of Lifes Happy Pregnant People..

I was merrily cruising along wishing the pregnancy over then suddenly felt a mega wave of panic at the thought of an actual baby to look after..

This is most definitely the last time.
Thanks for replying. Are you going for any more?

No - this is definately our last one too. DH is getting the snip asap!

I don't really enjoy being pregnant either, and had an even worse time being pregnant with no.4, so can't handle another 9 months of that! Oh and we have run out of room.

There are times when I think I must have been crazy having 4 kids, but there are times now when the oldest 3 are playing together, and then I realise how nice it is, and hopefully when no. 4 is another year older she can join in too....at least they will never be short of people to play with! My friend with only 1 DC says her DD is always moaning about being on her own!

Have you found out what you are having, or is it a surprise?

We have 4, they are older now 10,8,7&4 and it definitely gets easier the older they get. Mine love playing together and they all look after each other. Yes sometimes they fight, sometimes my house looks like a bomb hit it (especially in the school holidays) and we are always in a state of chaos when working out how to taxi then all around. The first few months are hard but once the youngest interacts with the older ones and starts moving around it is much easier and I used to love watching youngest DD chase after older DS and DD . You will be fine just remember you have small children and your house is not supposed to be a showroom a little extra time in the evening makes all the difference to the morning routine I found, even went as far as laying out the breakfast table the night before so I could get a precious few extra mins in bed in the morning for a while

Good luck I am sure you will be fine

Thanks for your replies

No we don't know what we re having statistics apparently say another girl which is fine by me!

I do already lay their clothes out the night before & try to cook at least part of the dinner while the older two are at nursery & the youngest is asleep.

Under 4 weeks to go now & I have hardly slept tonight having lots of backache & niggly pains. Reflexology Saturday, hospital bag packed- bring on number 4!

I have 4 - 3 girls and the youngest a boy, all grown up now. I agree with 4kidsnobump that the hardest thing is getting organised in the mornings for school.

As far as housework goes my advice is not to look at it as "housework" thereby lumping it all together as one big job, as it's just too much to contemplate like that. Instead, if you have 5 minutes clean the loo and the sink in the bathroom and give yourself a pat on the back. Just do little jobs when you get chance and don't stress if you don't get chance cos it really doesn't matter.

I think it's important to get everyone helping and doing as much as possible for themselves. It always amazed me how lazy some children are when they are one of two, as the parents tend to do much more for them. When you have 4 they have to fetch and carry for themselves which I think is a good thing (just my opinion though!)

Good luck and relax - it will all be fine.

I had four under five just - they are older now 8,6,5 and 3. Would definitely agree with what other posters have said. Sounds like you won't have to rush out in the morning to school for a while yet so that should make it easier for you.
I also encourage mine to be as independent as possible too.

Also try and get out somewhere a couple of times a week to a mums n tots or friend's house. It will help you not feel so stressed at home and is better for your sanity.
Be gentle on yourself and good luck.

oh and if anyone offers to help be taking one of the older children off your hands for an hour or two always say yes. It is amazing how the dynamics change with even just one child away and it does help. My in laws are very good but struggled to manage all four dcs when they were younger but the very often had just one or two at a time and it made a huge difference to how I coped.

Thanks- yes no morning school run till September so the earliest we have to be anywhere is swimming lessons at 11.

I definitely agree about getting out sonewhere each day, the effort sometimes feels too much but it's so worth it. I don't find it very easy playing with them at home as the eldest likes to really concentrate on something like art or making, the second will play for a while and the baby just wants to climb everything..

Glassconpletely- was it odd having a boy after girls ? I'm a bit worried about how I'd manage a boy!

No it wasn't odd. I was worried about that too - I thought I knew about girls and was better off sticking with them! I did feel all the way through my pregnancy that I was having a boy so was prepared for him.

he was quite spoilt by his sisters but in a nice way and was always very affectionate and kind and has grown up to be a lovely person.

Boys are different - and louder! but just as lovely as girls.

Well I think I'll find out soon - fairly sure my waters broke this evening!

oooh how very exciting - Good luck