DC3- whoohoo!!! any hints/tips/advice, please?

[GlitterySkulls]

i found out last week that i'm pregnant with my 3rd child, i'm estimating i'm around 5/6 weeks.

DS is 2 1/2, will be 3 once baby born.

DD is 7 months, will be around 15 months ish when baby's here.

so, anyone got any experience of 3 so close in age?

any handy survival tips/ strategies?

any magical must-haves/ must do's to save my sanity?

i'm soooooo happy i could burst, but no-one irl knows yet (barring DH, of course) due to a previous mc between DS & DD - so if you recognise me, keep schtum please!!

Congratulations! I've got slightly different age gaps than you- there's 22 months between DS1 and DD, and 23 months between DD and DS2. My main piece of advice is accept any help you're offered! My mum practically moved in for the first few weeks. It was irritating at times, and it made me feel a bit lazy, but I don't feel anywhere near as tired as I have done previously.

My only must have is a decent sling. DS2 has been living in it at times. It means that he feels secure and the other two get my attention as I'm not always trying to comfort a grumpy baby.

I'm only 5 weeks into having 3, but going from 2 to 3 has been so much easier than going from 1 to 2 or even 0 to 1. Either I'm having having more chilled out babies each time or my standards are slipping. I suspect it's the latter.

i was considering a sling, having read a lot on here about them being a godsend- i've never used one before, due to my mum terrifying me about them the minute she found out i was pg the 1st time around - which one would you recommend?

congratulations on your wee 5-week-old bundle of joy [smile}

, even!

Congrats !!!!

No advice to give (expecting DC1) but excited for you!

Hope pregnancy treats you kindly

i hope so too, pregnancy usually consists of crippling spd & severe hyperemisis that continues right up until baby's actually been delivered - but obviously i'm mad enough to do it again!!

congratulations on your first pregnancy .

Congratulations! DD3 is 4 months today, DD2 is 2 in just over a week and DD1 is 4 on just under a month so not a huge age gap.

Not sure what advice to give, my mum helped out a lot for the first few weeks and then DP was off over Christmas. I am a lot more chilled out this time, just going with it. I was always trying to get DD1 into a routine etc but haven't worried with DD3. She is just starting to settle into a routine now although still up a bit in the night.

Only thing I am struggling with is just keeping on top of the housework... That has seriously taken a back seat which I sometimes find frustrating but I just remind myself the girls are more important.

One thing I will say is that I found the pregnancy a lot harder third time round... Constantly exhausted so rest as much as you can.

No advice really other than to wish you love and luck-ignore the folk in real life who want to tell you how hard it is.

My third child is an absolute joy, my elder two adore her and she's completed our happy home. It's wonderful, and in my opinion 3 isn't an odd number!

(On a practical note, spend the next weeks and months getting your other children as 'independent' as possible. Climbing into car seats themselves, helping get themselves dressed Eric will help once baby's here but especially if you struggle physically in pregnancy).

Excited for you (and a bit envious-I'd live to carry on but not allowed!) x

Eric! Etc..

I've got a Connecta carrier. I didn't fancy getting one that I had to tie up, I didn't trust myself to tie it properly while sleep deprived! I love ot, I was using it with DD until I was too heavily pregnant for it to go around my waist.

Another thing I'd recommend buying is new books for your older DCs. We're spending an awful lot of time reading while DS2 feeds. I think I could recite most of the Winnie the Witch books from memory.

i too was thinking a sling with straps etc would be better than one you wrap & knot- i'd be afraid i did it wrong!

DS is starting nursery this week, so at least he'll be in the routine by the time baby is born.

DD is likely to just be pottering around, & hopefully still young enough to nap!

DM is the type to come round for a cuddle, maybe take one of the other kids out for a walk, whereas MIL's more likely to lend a hand house-wise, & practically with childcare in labour, etc, so shouldn't be too bad.

it'll all work out in the end, i'm sure, just a bit anxious as i have very fast labours, ended up only getting to the hospital 30 mins before giving birth with DS, with DD i ended up giving birth alone in the back of an ambulance as she came so quickly BIL didn't get to us in time to take us to hospital & collect DS.

maybe home birth is the way to go, this time around?

I'd definitely recommend a home birth, DS2 was born at home and it waa lovely. It didn

Agh, posted too soon! As I was saying, it didn't make much difference to the actual birth, but sleeping in my own bed afterwards instead of a noisy hospital ward was wonderful. Plus it meant that the older two got to meet him within a couple of hours of him being born.

This birth might not be quicker though. My first two labours were 6 1/2 hours each, but DS2 was 9 1/2 hours, as he was in a slightly awkward position.

i'll definitely enquire about home-birth, don't know if i'll be allowed one due to my children getting extra-thorough paeds checks before discharge (DH has a lot of medical conditions) but it sounds like a good option.

arrrrgghhh!!!!

for the last few days, i've been getting sore, sort-of-period-pains-but-more-painful-and-sort-of-"scrapey" on & off.

the last time i got pains like this, i miscarried a few hours later.

anyone else had this with a POSITIVE outcome?

(don't want to contact epu or anything as they were absolutely useless last time- obviously if i start bleeding i will phone them)

anyone at all?

i'm still getting the pains on & off, i'm hoping it's nothing...

Hello Glittery. Hope you are okay. I'm preg with DC2 but have experienced 2 MC since having DD. Can you see if you can get an early scan? You may just be getting a bit of pain from things stretching a bit. Good luck.

i could try soupmaker , but not holding out much hope, my local epu are pretty crap tbh.

i'll phone the gp tomorrow & see if i get anywhere with them.

it's probably nothing, just my paranoia, but better to know for sure.

thank you & congratulations on your pregnancy!

It's not easy once you've had a MC to relax is it? I'm over 21 weeks and still worried. There is so little you can do at your stage but cross your fingers and hope for the best.

Stay positive if you can. The good thing is you obviously are able to fall pregnant without to much difficulty. My DSIL has 3 DC and had 2 MC one in between each of the second two.

I'm keeping everything crossed for you.

I know what you mean, i had my mc in between my two dc's, and i panicked until i actually had DD in my arms, safe & sound.

i do seem to fall pregnant quite easily now, ironic really as it took ages to happen the 1st time around, we were actually on the waiting list for fertility treatment due to DH supposedly being totally, definitely infertile. 3 separate tests, too!!

try not to worry yourself too much, i'm sure in a few short months you'll breathe a huge sigh of relief once you've got your lovely newborn to snuggle. xxx