When is a good time to have another baby?

[MammyShirl]

Hello

I have a 14 month old daughter and she is a beautiful angel. I never knew this kind of love before and I live for her!

I feel and look like Im back to my pre pregnancy figure. I have a routine going with dd and find I have a bit more time on my hands. I am starting to get broody and keep looking at baby things. I think I want another baby. But this may sound vain but I am worried about my body as I said I am back to my original figure but should I wait longer as I know subsequent pregnancies you get bigger as your muscles etc have already been stretched. If your second pregnancy is quite close to your first does this had a big effect on your pelvic floor muscles (frightend of prolapsed womb) etc and make recovery longer?

I know this sounds vain!

Would like to hear other points of view/experiences and what peoples opinions are of having the next baby?

Good age gap? / Sibling jealousy? etc...

Thank you!!!!!!!!

Ah well!

I was looking forward to a chat while dh was out - cant go on it when he's here as he always moans "you're not on mumsnet again - your addicted to it"

I'll check it again another time

Dear MammyShirl

Sorry I wasn't around on mumsnet earlier -

If it feels like the right moment then it is!!

I have 3 dds and I am bigger just from having being pregnant but this is ok. Each preg experience has been different - with dd3 I gained 25kgs but had lost most of it by 6 wks after the birth - don't know how it dropped off though - dd was nearly 4kgs. I have age gaps of 3.5yrs and 2.5 yrs and all work well. I think that alot depends on the personalities of the children. Breastfeeding on demand at night and carrying my baby through out the day helped as little one was fed and cuddled without having to cry to get attention. I was then able to look after other dds without baby crying so they weren't interrupted. Potty training was harder with a baby in tow - but dd2 quickly got the idea.

Good luck

Hi Mammyshirl

Mine are 2 years apart - a bit close, imo. My friends told me that if you reached your original weight, you could have another without having to worry about your weight again. I can't speak from personal experience, since I never went back to my original weight between my 2 DDs. I was also told that the best interval is between 2-3 years. Good luck!

My first will be 19 months when the second is born and I'm beginning to wonder if I'm mad but thats more to do with the fact he doesnt sleep. My body changed dramaically when I had him as my hips were pushed wider and my ribs stick out more. I have managed to lose 99% of the weight and feel good. I know my figures a lot better than many people who havnt had a baby)I feel that though I will put on weight again with this second one that this will all be excess fat that can be lost and will not effect the structure of my body. I will live in hope

Bron

my 2nd was born when dd1 was 2 yr 10 months, just right imo!

when you win the lottery...

bundle
Yeah! That is precisely how old my ds2 will be when number 4 arrives! I was busy thinking that he will be too old as there is 23 months between ds1 and dd and they are the best of friends. There is 2 years and 11 months between dd and ds2 and they are more like mother and son than sibs but perhaps this is because she is such a mature little being. I was very happy to read your answer.

MammyShirl - I had mine exactly 15 months apart to the day! Funny that this thread should appear as I was just thinking tonight how well it worked out for us all! Realise my timings don't suit you, but thought I'd share it with you. I became very slim after my second pregnancy as I was breast feeding and had two very little ones. There was no sibling rivalry. Ds took to dd immediately and has been as good as gold ever since, too! Good luck!

Found out i was preggers with DS2 on DS1's second birthday. IMO really good age gap - had a good few quality time years with DS1, no jealousy when he was born because he was old enough to understand. Close enough age gap for them to play really well (now 6 & 3) Bl**dy hard work though!!!! Re figure: I lost my weight really easily second time around. The old stomach will never be the same though!!!!!!!!!!!!

dd1 will be 6yrs old in August
dd2 will be 1yr old in July
ds1 due 1st Sept!

I'll let you know the best gap next year!!!

There's 2 years (to within 3 days) between my dd1 and my ds and it has been perfect like that. Far enough apart to be seperate but close enough to stop any jealousy. There's 22 months between ds and dd2 and I think it is a bit close, (but then she wasn't planned) its amazing what a difference those 2 months made - partly though I realise I got away with it the first time round because dd1 had very advanced language for her age and so took in everything that was happening, whereas ds didn't, so he was much less into what was happening when dd2 was born.

I never had a figure anyway so that didn't bother me, but 3 hard pregnancies within 4 years have certainly lost me weight!!

2yrs 8mths between son1 and son2, 3yrs 4mths between son2 and daughter. Want number 4, but unusually my other half is saying no, at the moment! I am workniing on him, but if we do there will be 5 yrs between daughter and number 4...too big a gap, I don't thing so with older siblings. If there were no children between son1 and desired number 4 there would be 11 years difference, inbetween siblings make the difference, don't they?!

My dd has juts turned 4 and baby is due in 2 months.
The best time to have another child is when you can conceive one I found. Whatever you decide is the ideal gap, your body may have other ideas.
IME you get bigger quicker second time round, but not bigger overall. I was already huge this time around at 5 months but at 7 am no bigger than I was with dd. Pelvic floor is struggling a little but I think that has more to do with being 40 than with it being a second pregnancy