15 month age gap.. any advice/tips?

[Aurora24]

I am due my second baby at the end of June, and currently have a 10 month old so there will only be a 15 month age gap between them and my first. I know it is a bit late now it's happening 🤣 but I am starting to get anxious about how I will manage. I feel like I struggle now with just my first, mostly because they are still getting up every two hours at night time and will only contact nap. Does anyone have any advice or tips on looking after two children with a small age gap?

15 months between my 2 dd's... Not my only dc though... Very handy if they are the same sex!! Clothes just passed along! I had a double pram. Well worth it. Make it a priority to have dc 1 into a decent bedtime routine.. Take turns with your dh doing it. Then when you are inevitably tied up with a newborn sometimes dc1 won't be screaming for you adding to the guilt you will inevitably feel at times having 2 babies..
Mine are now 18 and 19!

My youngest 2 are 12 months apart. Now aged 10 and 11. When I was pregnant I asked a mum of twins for tips. She said to find a smallish soft play where you can see the whole place without moving with a gated entrance. But an annual membership and go there most days for the first 3 years. Best advice ever.

@Dolambslikemintsauce they are actually the same sex so very helpful in terms of hand me downs. That's a good tip about getting dh starting to do the bedtime routine so DC is used to it. Well you obviously survived the younger years seeing as they are 18 and 19 now so that provides me with reassurance 🤣

@elliejjtiny oh great idea, I hadn't thought of anything like this at all!

If you choose a name use it during pregnancy.. Dd1 refused to call dd2 anything but Baby for years!

I had a 13 month gap between two of mine. I got a playpen with mesh sides and put the moses basket in the playpen. The toddler was at the stage where he couldn't be contained so he had freedom and he couldn't see the moses basket so he wasn't tempted to climb on the new baby.
Also, it's hard. Sometimes sit down and give the toddler a bit of screen time and yourself a break.

Good routine! 15 months between mine also and there were some blissful months where they would both nap 1-3 👌🏻

Good double buggy (we had Mountain Buggy Duet) and walk over driving. As long as it wasn't raining it was easier the faffing with both car seats.

Local stay and plays where everything is in one room became my go to place.

I have never been a clean freak but need to be relaxed about house work.

If you can keep oldest in nursery a day or two - guaranteed stimulation for them each week and the chance go to baby classes with the youngest.

Mine are nearly 5 and 3 and it does get easier!

Mine are 18 months apart, so not the same at all. But I recommend you start sorting the sleep out now/ soon. DC1 was a contact napper/going to sleep-er, and I did gradual withdrawal. In fact I was down to just my feet in the room the final time, and when I got up my waters broke!

As PP said get DH doing bedtime regularly. DH had to do the nighttime wakings for DC1 once DC2 came along

And you will manage. Your DC2 will fit around your existing routine more than you might expect. I never let DC1 cry as a small baby, why would I. But DC2 sometimes just had to be left to cry while I sorted out DC1. And so DC2 learnt to self settle (which DC1 didn’t do as a baby!).

Longer term a small gap is easier. I was particularly thankful for them being just one school year apart during the one-at-nursery-one-at-school year. Oh and the best bit was the Saturday-morning-lie-in returned more quickly (don’t have a third).