From one to two

[summerinthecity22]

Thinking of having another baby. My DD is 2 now.

Can those with two kids tell me how hard is it with a toddler and newborn?

Presumably your DD will be a preschooler by the time a baby arrives which is much easier. I had a preschooler, toddler and baby at one stage. The preschooler and baby stages were definitely the easiest ones!

You're "in the zone" and won't feel as clueless as the first time round. You've not got back into a full night's sleep so it won't be as shattering. I promise you, you find the energy to cope.
That's not to say your experience of the next pregnancy or second baby will be exactly the same.

You'll still have all the practical stuff and you know what is essential.

They won't be playmates for a long time to come but we found our toddler was very sweet towards the baby.

My DD was 3 and one month when my son was born. I wanted a smaller gap but due to some losses it didn't work out that way. He is now 9 months and whilst I wouldn't say i've found it "easy", it's definitely been easier this time round! I got DD involved from the start and she loves being the Big Sister and helping me get wipes etc. She adores him and it's worked so much better than I hoped! I haven't stressed over sleep or routines because DS has really just had to a lot into our existing routine! I'm starting to struggle a bit more now DS is moving and he wants to get into everything DD is doing but they do interact and seem to love each other's company and laugh together all the time 😍 Overall I think it's been a brilliant gap.

I found going from 1 to 2 absolutely horrific sorry.
My first was so easy, a little angel that ate and slept and was generally really easy. DC was 3 when DC2 arrived.

DC2 did not sleep. It was a total whirlwind of relentless parenting 24/7 that left me utterly exhausted, resentful and in all honesty quite depressed.

However - I survived it. Now they are both wonderful little kids who play together and bring me so much joy. I'm actually pregnant with my 3rd now. So I'm hoping that my life is so busy and the whirlwind is pretty normal that DC3 will just fit in to my organised chaos!

21 months between my now teenagers.

First three months were a blur of complete nightmarish hell, on pictures I look like a broken woman

Wouldn't change it for the world - I told myself everything was 'a phase' and wouldn't last forever - it didn't and I'm still here, now I have two teenagers full of testosterone and puberty madness.

Love them to pieces, big teenage cuddles are the best 💞

I came on to ask the same and more specific to lockdown! Be interested to hear how people with new babies born in lockdown have found it? We have a toddler and always wanted another. The whole pandemic has put this on hold but I'm not getting any younger (35) and now wondering whether to keep waiting

Lockdown baby plus 2.5yo (now 3yo) here. I’m finding it tough! Worth it but far, far harder.

Really really really hard. Starting to get easier now at around 10 months x