Going from two to three....

[WannabeNigella]

A few people keep saying to me that going from two to three was loads harder than going from one to two. Just wondered what people on here who had experienced it thought, and what you found hardest and what things you were pleasantly surprised by.

For me, one to two absolutely loads harder than two to three. I may be in a minority!

No - I agree with you completely molehill.

I found 1 to 2 really hard, but 2 to 3 has been a breeze and I have absolutely loved the baby bit!

Same, 1-2 was awful. With 2-3 I was flying in no time.

Much harder logistically when it comes to booking holiday accommodation, though... You know whether you're done with breeding or not, so just do it, or not.

Oh it's too late, it's happening already. I'm just starting to get nervous and apprehensive!

Personally I found the hardest transition was 0-1! I have 2 little gaps - 13 months and 22 months - I couldn't really say which of the two transitions was more difficult, they were just different. The new baby slotted in very well both times though :).

Probably depends on the age gaps. 1-2 was horrendous but the gap was only 21mo. 2-3 was a breeze but the gap was 4y so the older two were already at Kindergarten and school.

We're going from 2 to 3 too.

I actually found 1 to 2 absolutely fine (2.5 yr gap) this time it'll be a 20 mo gap. I'm convincing myself that this will be even easier as DD2 won't be old enough to remember a time when there wasn't a baby and not old enough to insist on 'helping' with everything! I may be utterly misguided - but I find positive thinking is the only way forward for me since, well, there's no going back!!

How did you find 1 to 2 OP? How old are your 2 DCs?

DS is just 5 and DD is 2.5.

1-2 was fine in terms of the additional work etc, only problem really was DS didn't take great to it and it took us months to get him back on track behaviour wise etc which we weren't really expecting.

It's the logistical bits that are starting to worry me - bathing 3, having 3 little people to cross the road with and only 2 hands.........

1-2 was the hardest for me.

There's been loads of threads on this recently! Everyone on the verge of three?

Hardest thing about three is the logistics as simbirsk said.

I have 2.5 between each.

This is really helpful reading this. Although I'm still a bit anxious about what's to come. I've got 2 boys 4yrs and 2yrs both with bdays next month and baby due in November. Is the transition from 2 to 3 harder when your a single mum?

The good thing that I find with 3 is that I have gained a pair of hands a lot of the time. DD is only 4 but most of the time she is pretty helpful. By the time DC3 is old enough to be walking (and crossing the road) DD will either be at school or holding his other hand (ok, there are days when she is/will be a royal pain in the arse, but she pretty much knows the score with roads and other stuff).

Have you got a good support network around you enitan90? I think everything feels tougher sometimes when you are a single mum.

The three hands thing is okay for us. Either the two bigs hold the pushchair or in fact dd1 is sensible enough at six not to need to hold hands much. Dd is 10 months now. We'll see how it goes when dd2 walking . Bit nervous about life post sling. Apart from the weight a baby in a sling can be almost forgotten about on journeys! You will have learnt what you found hardest about one to two and try to minimise that problem. For me, although dd1 was in preschool when ds arrived, she was never there long enough to give me any space. This time, ds does whole days rather than just mornings. That means a couple of times a week I have long enough with just dd2 that I can get a little snooze, or just time with no little voices beefing things!

I found 2-3 pretty ok but can't believe it took me so me so long to work out I could get ds1 to hold buggy to cross roads (ds2 on buggy board) !!
Now planning no.4 (eep!)

Cinnamongirrafe no I don't have a support network here, my friends and family are all in london

1-2 was very difficult for me. Everything we did was geared to DC1's needs, then we had DC2 - who comes first?
By 2-3 came round, I'd totally got my head round that and it was easy. As was 3-4

I found 1-2 hard as well but number 3 and 4 a lot easier I guess you learn that they do not die if they cry for a nano second.

That makes it tough enitan...see if you can get involved with this organisation, they are fantastic. I think you have to have a referral from your HV, definitely worth the effort of asking though and as a LP with 3 DC's you'd definitely meet their criteria.

FridayOLeary - That completely summed me us up when dd2 came along, so used to putting dd1 first.

Also considering a third. But then we would need a bigger car etc. So hard knowing what to do. heart says have a third, but logistically, brain says No!

I found 1-2 hard, and 2-3 easy. Hope I get to find out that 3-4 is easy, too!

Cinnamongirrafe what's the organisation called please?

1 -2 was the hardest. They all get easier after that!! Numbers 3, 4 and 5 become so laid back and passive!!

Home start. They do a lot of things, one of which is having volunteers (CRB checked etc), if you can get one of the volunteers assigned to your family they will come out to your house a few hours a week and give you a hand/support.

I found 0 - 1 very difficult, cruel even.
1 - 2 busy, trying to meet a toddlers needs and a new baby's needs
2 - 3 easier. Older 2 will play quite a lot so I have time to BF/change/jiggle baby.

I'm a much more relaxed mum third time around, he is such a lovely, lovely baby. All fat with with a fab smile. (Sobs that he is my last as dh said we are not to have anymore... He said that after 2 dc - so will really be pushing my luck to ask for a 4th!)