Shock - 2 babies close together

[neverenoughwipes]

I've got a 8m DS and have just found out I'm unexpectedly pregnant despite taking many precautions not to be, I'm horrified actually

I'm in shock and really don't know whether I can do this. Any stories of this? How does it work out money-wise?
We live in a small flat and DC would need to share as we can't afford to move. I was made redundant before maternity leave and so am currently unemployed, we are just about managing and I was looking to work again soon.

Some family are nearby but all work full time so unable to help regularly during the day and it would be a stretch to send DS to nursery

What is day to day life like with 2 very young children? I honestly can't believe I'm even writing this

Only you and your OH know what is right for you to do. My friend had something similar. Years of infertility, ectopic, failed IVF then fell naturally. With a 3mth old, then then was pregnant with twins!!! She had help from family that lived nearby, but not sure how they'd get on without extra help. They coped, but there were times it was stressful and she was knackered!
1 benefit was the hand-me down clothes/shoes. I'm sure others with 1st hand experience will reply, but you will cope. you at least have the experience of 1 child already. x

I got pregnant when mine was 6mo and to be honest it's preferable to me because the way see it, I can get the bad sleep baby years out of the way quicker! She's due in July and I can't wait. There's always a silver lining try not to worry

I had a 14 month gap between my first 2 dc's. In a lot of ways it's easier. They both nap, they both have very similar needs etc. Good luck!

I have a 6 week old and an 18 month old, it's tough but no tougher than being a first time parent was! My new one was a surprise too, and I remember googling for advice when I found out, it can be quite a shock.

Obviously everyone's situation is different, but this is my experience so far - basically I just do toddler things with the toddler and the baby just fits in alongside him. I'm in a flat too, and it's a real pain getting them both up and down the stairs, and it's pretty tough sometimes when the toddler wants me to play and I'm feeding the baby because he's too young to really understand why I can't so he gets cross. We watch a lot of tv or read books while feeding, and we go for long walks and to the park, and I buy him lots of cars from the charity shop to distract him the rest of the time. In general he's pretty good with her, ignores her mainly (and sometimes tries to bite her for attention ). But we haven't had to buy anything new for this one except a second hand double buggy. All her clothes are hand me downs from him and car seat and crib etc we just has to bring back out of the cupboard. Going back onto maternity leave after I'd only been back for 9 months was a bit of a pain as we could really use the money, but new baby hasn't made anything more expensive. We can't afford to move either, but they'll share a room eventually, and at the moment hardly spend any time in it at all. Being heavily pregnant with a toddler was pretty hard though, and then I had a c section so really had to rely on my husband for support. I hope it works out for you!

12 month gap between my two

Incredibly hard at first but actually so much easier when they got to 1 and 2

I would do it again in a heartbeat

They are really close (15 and 14 now) and I wouldn't have it any other way

Good luck

Mine are only 17 months apart. I won't lie: the first 2 years were very hard but I did have depression on top of everything else. I went back to work when my youngest was 7 months and that saved my sanity.

I think that the close gap in age meant that dc1 was fine when dc2 came along: there was no jealousy or anything and he took to being a big brother really easily.

The worst bit was the nappies: they just seemed to poo all the time and dc2 had reflux and was always sicking up as well as crying so I felt like I was constantly wading in bodily excretions and that if I wasn't sorting one child out I was sorting the other. However, because dc 1 was still a young toddler when dc2 was born he still napped during the day and after a couple of months I managed to get them both to nap at the same time every day. This in turn gave me a couple of hours' rest and time to have a hot cup of tea in peace.

They're 7 & 9 now and, despite bickering all the time and dc1 having adhd/autusm, they're lovely children and really close. I'm glad now that the baby and toddler stage was over and done with in one fell swoop and it's a lot less fraught now that they're older and more self sufficient.