What's the best age gap between babies?

[Amarilis]

Not sure if this is the right place to post but I want your ideas on what you think is the best age gap between children? I really struggled to get my DS, now 11 months and want to try sooner rather than later for no.2 but keeping hearing I should wait???

22mo between mine.

Lovely gap for me.

First year was hard, as soon as DD2 turned 12 mo it's been lovely, really lovely. They play together, they are both little enough to be interested in the same things.

I would like a third but I know I don't want two full time at home again (we don't have family nearby and DD1 wasn't in any childcare) so will prob aim to have another when the girls are 5 and 3.

But, I love having them close together. If I had more support or money I would do another 2yr gap in a heartbeat.

I think there are pros and cons to each age gap. Its a very personal thing. If you feel you want to try for no. 2 then go for it! At the end of the day how you feel about a particular age gap could be very different to people you have spoken to.

I will have a 3 year age gap (22 wks pregnant and have a 2.7 yr old), I've no idea what it will be like! I wasn't ready to try for no. 2 until DD was 18 months, it then took us a few months to decide to TTC and then seven months of TTC to conceive.

The pros maybe that DD can spend some (funded) time at preschool while I am with the new baby. She is now sleeping well (didn't sleep through until about 16 months) and hopefully will be potty trained. Cons may be that she will be a little more 'aware' and I may have jealousy etc to deal with. But of course I won't know til I get there!

Depends on you mental health!

I think there are pros and cons to all age gaps. There's 16 months between my two, and will be 2 years and 9 months between number 2 and number 3.

A 16 month gap was hard in some of the early days....not the newborn ones where you can just pop them in the sling them all day and they're totally content, but the stage of having a crawling baby and a marauding toddler wasn't easy. But it did mean that they could play together well and be best of friends from very early on.

This time I think the bigger gap will be easier as my next youngest will be at a drop-off playgroup without me for 2 hours some days, and will start preschool before the baby is crawling....whereas last time I didn't have any childcare until my youngest was 1 and my elder one started a few hours a week of playgroup.

Friends who have bigger gaps of say 5 years have different challenges - doing the school run with a new baby, and lots of toys with tiny bits that get dropped in the way of baby, as well as it being hard to find things they're both into as they get older. But obviously have more ability to devote more attention to the small one alone as elder one is at school and more independent.

In your shoes I think I'd go ahead and try and see what happens. If you get pregnant straight away you'll cope - a 20 month gap is totally doable.

15 months between mine (almost to the day!) they are now 18m and nearly 3 and are great together and entertain each other when we are at home. Its hard work sometimes but I think every age gap has its pros and cons

22 months between me n sis it seems to be the magic number

I like the idea of kids growing up with small ages gaps together is nice.

I have 10 year gaps between my 3. Its wonderful. No jealousy. no fighting. no running myself ragged and plenty of time to spend with new baby and plenty of help!

I have 17month gap between ds1 & ds2 and there will be close to 3 years between ds2 and dc3. It was definately hard with a small gap especially as ds1 had some attachment issues and would not play on his own much. It's lovely now though because they play together so nicely and are great friends.

I think any gap would have pros and cons I dont necessarily think there is a perfect age gap but I love the age gaps between mine. Xx