Did you find it easier with your 3rd+?

[thecakeisalie]

As I get further along with dc3 the reality of having a newborn again is starting to hit me. I am a little worried about coping with 3 as I struggled a lot after ds2 was born though I suspect I had mild PND, ds2 was hard work and there was only 18 months between ds1 & 2. The age gap this time will be 3 years between ds2 and baby. I've been telling myself I'm a more experienced now and so I'll take it'll all in my stride but can't help doubting myself! I can't say the baby year is the bit I enjoyed the most, I found it all a bit relentless but I'm prepared to go through the sleepless nights etc as I know we want another child just starting to worry slightly.

So any positive stories about 3rd fitting right in and not losing your marbles would be much appreciated. :)

My 3rd fitted right it and I didn't lose my marbles.

It was fine. Busy, but fine. I didn't suffer from pnd though, so didn't have that to contend with.

I found going from 2 to 3 a hundred times easer than going from 0 to 1.

i found going from 2 to 3 easier i also didnt suffer from pnd you def take it more in ur stride feels like my ds has allways been here i did find going from 1 to 2 quite hard but their was only a 2 year gap between them my ds was born 4 weeks ago and again 2 year gap

Mine was the other way around - big gap (4y 8m) between DS1 and DS2, but 21m between DS2 and DS3. I found the smaller gap a fucking nightmare much harder, so personally I think you'll find it easier this time. DS3 was still is at almost 3 also a Velcro baby, so hard work. But I think having and surviving a high needs child teaches you that it is possible and that (to quote a mumsnet classic) 'this too shall pass'... Plus I think you do become more adept at dealing with and selectively ignoring babies the more you have. It obviously can't have been too awful either as I'm currently 33 weeks with DS4. Either that or I have completely lost the plot

I think it gets easier. Of course there are the arghhhhhhhh moments and stressful situations but you get through them!! I don't think the age gap thing is the real crux of how difficult things are I think it's more to do with the personality of the child. I'm going to be having dc 7 on Friday. My gaps vary from 14months to 3yrs 3months.

I found going from 2 to 3 really easy, I didn't find the sleepless nights that bad, probably because I did have a huge 9 year gap from dc2-3 and that meant it did feel like starting all over again.

DC4 came 23 months later and I admit I did find that more difficult as there was some clinginess from dc3. 3 years on and the family are getting along really well. For all it might be hard in the beginning things do get better and then you are presented with different problems but on the whole easier

Thank you everyone for your replies. Sleeptheif - velcro baby sounds just like ds2!

I wasn't even able to contemplate the thought of a newborn until earlier this year as ds2 only really turned a corner after he turned 2. At 2.5 he's still highly strung at times! I guess part of the difficulty was that he is a breath holder to the point of causing himself to have reflex seizures which started when he was 10 months old. It meant we bent to his will a lot more as if I left the room, put him in his own cot,did anything resulting in a tantrum or he hurt himself then we'd have the worry of him having a seizure. Thank goodness reflex seizures are something they grow out of and we have very few breath holding incidents these days but it definitely made life harder!

I guess at nearly 23 weeks its all started to sink in. I'm sure I'll cope I'd just like to do slightly better and maybe enjoy it all a bit more. I guess we'll have to wait and see what personality baby has. I think it'll help that our home life is more settled this time too. I'm definitely getting excited at the prospect of meeting this little one just hope I don't lose the plot too much in the early days :)