16 months between babies - Help!!!

[FleeBee]

Baby number 2 is due very soon, 16 months after the birth of our DD. I had IVF treatment for my first and didn't ever imagine I'd conceive naturally with number 2 but here we are shocked and unready!!

I'm now in a huge panic about how to prepare my daughter for the new arrival, we have read some books about new babies, but all seem to be geared towards older children. Has anyone any advice or will she just get on with it, or hate me forever for ruining her life with an unexpected sibling!!

Hello
16 mths between my 2 who are now 3.5 and just 2. To be honest, DS1 didn't have a clue. I don't think there is really much you can do to prepare them. My 2 love it now as they have a permanent playmate. Only time it was a bit awkward was when breastfeeding and when both exhausted at bedtime. But otherwise, it's great. You should still be able to make sure they are both asleep at the same point at some point during the day, so enjoy.

IME there isn't a lot you can do to prepare such a young child for having a sibling. There is an 18 month gap between my two DDs. The only consolation is that they also remember very little of what life was like as an only so they get used to the new arrival quite quickly.
Hope it works out okay for you.

14 months between mine in similar circumstances. We conceived DS1 through IUI and were stunned when I got pg so quickly after his birth. I was very daunted at the thought of having two so close together but I absolutely love it. Yes, the first few months were hard work but focus on the positives. There was absolutely no jealousy. DS1 simply accepted DS2 and we had no problems at all. They have always been good playmates and enjoy the same things. They play together and entertain each other and I'm sure I have a much easier life than a mum of an only child who has to be playmate. Or someone with a big age gap who has to find things to occupy children at different stages with different interests. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing.

I have a 15 month gap and we didn't really do any preparing - as people have said they're a bit too little. Don't worry, it's not as bad as I thought it would be (though now DD2 is 10 months and am having a dreadful day with them both crying a lot but that's another story!).

My sister bought us some books which we read towards the end with DD1 (knowing that we were having another girl). This is DD1's favourite and it's lovely (she calls the two girls inthe book by her name and DD2's name).

Congratulations on your pregnancy! When my gp referred us for IVF, she said she knew quite a few couples (with unexplained infertility) who had conceived naturally right after having a first baby by fertility treatment. She was warning me to get some contraception in.... we didn't really believe her and so chose to ttc straight away and actually got pregnant before I even got my periods back after DD1. It is a shock but it's lovely too.

Bella, same thing happened to me! I didn't have a period between my two pregnancies, plus I was breastfeeding. Statistically it should have been nigh on impossible!

14 months between mine, both conceived naturally though, I didn't do any "preparation" but I can still remember my DC's shocked face when I bought DD home.

That was hard.

Since then, they've always been best of friends and worst of enemies, if that makes sense.

Sorry, DS's shocked face.

Congratulations!! Brilliant that you've fallen for the 2nd without the hassle.

I have 17 months between DD and DS (am I allowed to post ;o)

I prepared DD with dolly's and just talking about 'baby'. 1st few months are exhausting, no doubt about that. But, shortly followed by a realisation that having them close together was the best thing you could do (albeit by accident)

The not being able to get pg while breastfeeding is a myth - I was still BF DD when I fell for DS.

I was also bf'ing DD1 when I got pg with DD2, it's definitely a myth.