Pregnancies close together

[planetcrazy]

I want to start trying for baby no. 2 when no.1 is 6 or 7 months (i'll be 35 so I feel we shouldn't wait too long, especially if we decide we want a 3rd).

Keen to hear from others who have had pregnancies close together. Is it a crazy idea? Have our bodies recovered enough? (I feel great at 5 months pp)

I got pregnant when DD was 11 months. I felt fine before we started ttc. The only problem I had with the pregnancy was that my SPD was worse the second time, and that could have been due to the small gap.

I'm finding the small age gap lovely, and to be honest I'm delighted to be getting all the baby stuff over with at once - I'd hate to have to go back to nappies, bottles and buggies after outgrowing them all!

I fell pregnant for no2 when no1 was 9 months old - I had c-secs for both and recovered well - they are so so close I'm so glad there is only a small gap between them :)

Am currently pregnant (poas this morning!) DS is 11 months. Hoping all will be ok!
Sil is on the same schedule but 5 months ahead iyswim, and she has awful spd, one of the contributing factors for which is apparently close pregnancies

We got pregnant when dd was 5 months old. I'm 34 and it took ages to get pregnant first time round so thought we might as well start trying, as soon as I felt physically back to normal. And lo and behold fell first month.

Pelvic floor muscles weren't quite as recovered as the rest of me!

Work has been great. I came back from mat leave 4 weeks ago, and am going off again in 4 weeks for second baby.

Finished breast feeding dd quite recently, my supply did not seem to be affected, but that is different for everyone so if it's important to you to carry on do think about that.

I can't wait to meet my second baby. Go for it!

I got preg with DS when DD was 4mths old. DD is now 6 and DS is 5 :)

I had 3 (all single births) in 2yrs 10 mths and I love it that they are so close. Saying that I had severe hypremesis with DC1 and SPD which led me to being induced early. with DC2 I was on crutches from 12 weeks and a wheelchair later for the SPD and had a brain bleed (due to hormone surge) at 8 weeks, howwever with DC3 I actuall glowed. No sickness, pain, nothing and a super quick labour. I hav 2.6 year gap between DC3 and DC4 but wish is was closer.
Mine wasnt age rlated as I had my youngest when I was 29 - 30 was my cut off for more kids.

I think 6 or 7 months is very close.

You're not really in that much of a rush at 35.

Why not give yourself a year to enjoy your baby before being pregnant again?

Dd and ds1 are 18 months apart and it was great. Would have loved the same gap again but took a whole to convince dp about a third and ended up with a 2.5 year gap which I found much harder tbh

Same as someone and summer dd will be 18-19 mo when this one arrives in three weeks! My fear was dd mightn't be walking properly and I couldn't carry two babies at once but she is so all ok.

I think if you want your children close together go for it. All of mine are close and pregnancy has been fine even after cesareans.

I have had a few 'close together' babies!

Got pregnant with DC2 when DC1 was 3 months - so 11 months totally between them. Then 3 years between DC2 & 3. Then decided on a small gap between DC3 and 4 - DC3 was 13 months when DC4 was born....and now 21 weeks with DC5 - DC4 is 10 months DC5 was not planned - and DH has since had the snip to prevent any more 'accidents!'

In terms of having pregnancies close together my body does feel pretty knackered from it - but that may also be to do with being on my 5th as well as them being close together! From a practical point of view I think it's easier if the kids are close in age - DC1 and 2 are brilliant now (age 6 and 5), and most of the time play together really well - so it makes up for the harder work of having more than one very young child to deal with!

Good luck with whatever you decide!

I fell pregnant 6 weeks after DD1 was born. She was actually born at 34 weeks so I fell pregnant around her actual due date I'm not going to lie to you it was very hard. And DD2 was born at 36 weeks, was told i just can't carry full term. So 10 month between them. It's very lovely now but still very hard, I don't have a life it evolves around them but I love it. DD1 loves her little sister and is always kissing her I know they are going to grow up very close. I'll also mention that I had EMCS with both so had trouble with my scar through out my pregnancy too which made it difficult to relax!!

We're also thinking about having babies close together (DC1 due in Sept then thinking of trying for DC2 in March/ April/ When I feel up to it). This is partly because I want a career change/ diversion which will mean working a lot and a big step up from my current part-time flexible job. I want to enjoy long mat leaves while babies are small and current job allows for that without me feeling under pressure to return too soon.

How does it work for mat pay? Do you not have to be back at work during your 'qualifying week'? ie week 25 of preg to be eligible for mat pay?

I will be taking a year off so assuming I fell preg straight away (say March) baby would be due Dec so would only be back for three months. Would I be eligible for mat pay? I know life rarely goes to plan but this means nice year long mat leaves and back to a (hopefully) fulfilling career at end of second mat leave (current job is not as mentally stimulating as I would like and have done MSc in order to move up into a more challenging role- pregnancy, whilst welcome, came as a surprise as I was making the transition!)

Of course, I may love being at home with babies and decide part-time flexible job/ SAHM/ freelance is the best way for me but at the moment I feel that I want to return to a 'career' in the field I have been studying without taking too much time out. Good to know your options!

Sorry to hijack!

I was due to go back to work the day my second daughter was due!!! But my mat pay started in the feb so I had one mat pay after the other! X

Ellie, I'm planning same as you (right down to dates)!

My company does back to back mat pay. So in theory I could have three if I wanted to!

I'm not sure how I'll feel once the baby is actually here, but so sick of my job and will be 35 so it seems like sensible both financially and practically!

Hi there, I tried to have mine all close together but each time nature seemed to conspire against me (miscarriages, tfmr etc.) . I have 3 now under 5 so the gaps aren't huge but definitely not as close in age as I had wanted. I think my body just wasn't up to it. Interestingly, my Granny always said the same about her kids. Maybe it's genetic? Hope out works out for your OP!

Ellie thanks for reminding me about the maternity leave detail. Mine says the qualifying week is Week 15. That's unfortunate - it means that, if I fall pregnant as quickly as I'm hoping, I would have to tell work in the first few weeks back that I'm pregnant again. That will go down well!!

Still, the above responses are encouraging and I'm still keen.

Now I just need my cycle to return! (stopped breastfeeding 5 weeks ago, had been cutting down for a few weeks before that, but no sign yet )

I only had one period between babies. Pregnant when ds1 was 9 months. All ok, except pelvic floor, but then my babies were huge.
Bloody hard work at first, but getting easier now. little one is 1.
Wouldn't change a thing!

riamay how did that work? did you not need to go back for three months in between? did you have the 'qualifying week' thing?

thatllD did your pelvic floor recover? I have a few issues - not bad but one of my concerns is that, if it's not 100% at the start of pregnancy 2 where will it be at the finish?
I'm working hard though - kegels galore

Re the maternity pay - I have always gone back to work for a few months in between. The rules for statutory pay are something like you have to still be employed at 24 weeks, and be earning enough on average between about weeks 17 - 24 I think. I will be claiming my 3rd lot of maternity in 3 years...have to inform my work in another couple of weeks, which I am really not looking forward to! I don't know if things work differently if you have enhanced maternity pay from your employer though?

Enhanced as in more than statutory? Yup I have that. 6 months from employer in some form or other, followed by statutory for a few months i think.

Just looked again and Qualifying week is 15th week before EWC, so that 25th week pregnancy. My fuzzy baby brain has turned me into a dunce.

You should be able to about mat leave confidentially with HR. At my company it was in the Q&A doc they sent across when I first told them I was pregnant...

planetcrazy Sort of recovered, in that it is better than after the birth (non existant).
I can't go running without a pad in, and sometimes wee when I laugh, sneeze etc, but in the grand scheme of things it is ok and not that unusual.

that's me too thatll It's got me a bit and I've just started some physio. Think my expectations are probably just too high. (the physiotherapist also said it's v normal and most people just deal with it or don't regard it as a problem)