Am I mad to be considering a 14 month age gap between DC2 and DC3

[Paint69]

Bit of background. Youngest is 3 months, eldest is 2.5. I'll be 33 potentially when DC3 is here. Although I'm not old, I do worry I wont be as physically fit as I was with DC1. Me and DH would love a third, but I don't want to be messing about with nappies and babies into my forties so it's a kind of now or never sort of thing. I also would love to finish my midwifery degree in the future so that is impacting on my decision. Already I feel back to normal after DC2 and we are thinking of trying in a few months. Am I mad to be considering such a short gap?

I have three very close together (twins born when DS1 23 months so not necessarily 'on purpose').

It's hard. Bonkers hard when they're all little but the beauty is that they all have the same childhood.

They're 11 & 13 now so not as dramatic as when they're all toddlers and a mix of brilliant and awful.

There's always an atmosphere wherever we go which is fun, but the arguments and rivalry is tiring.

I wouldn't change it for the world, but I don't know that I'd choose it again.

Probably not helpful as it's a bundle of contradictions but that's what it is!

NB my sister and I have a 15 month gap and fought through childhood and adolescence but are best mates now.

There will be 4.5 years between my two when Dc2 is born in a few months and I’m worried it’s too big an age gap! Wishing for my sake as well as there’s the age difference was less. I’m not looking forward to going back to the sleepless nights and the nappies! So no I don’t think it’s crazy at all.

I have 14 mths between 1 & 2 and liked it so much I also have 18 mths between 3 & 4.

It was hard but brilliant.

If I could have achieved a small gap between 4&5 is have been delighted but it wasn’t to be.

There is 14 months between my 2 elder sisters, 15 months between the middle sister and me, and 12 months between me and my younger brother.
Once we got to school age it was hell. Not enough money so all us younger ones had everything second hand, not enough time for us as individuals. Even now, as adults, we’re not very close.

Thanks for the experiences! Maybe we aren't so crazy after all. Of course it could take considerably longer than we expect to conceive anyway. So we might end up with a larger gap after all!

@Soontobe60 fortunately money isn't really an issue for us. But I will take on board your comment about having time for each child, that is one of my worries.

There's 14 months between my brother and I; it wasn't great tbh. Our friendship groups overlapped too much and we argued a lot. I guess it's not so bad now we're adults.

19 month gap

I’m due December and will have exactly 14 months (give or take a couple of weeks depending on arrival) between my boys. I’m excited at the prospect, baby was planned and we tried from the month previous to me getting pregnant. I thought I would get the baby years done all at once and have siblings I should stand a good chance of being able to mutually entertain with similar things throughout childhood! X

My 2 have 19 months between them. Was planned like that. They are 10 and 12 now.

All I will say, is no2 was a bit of a nightmare baby!! Had i had them first, i would have 100% not had a small age gap haha

I really like the year and a half/19 month gap. They fight a lot but also like all the same things so it's very easy overall.

It was hard work, double buggies, potty training with a young baby, pregnant with a crawling baby stroke toddler etc etc. But I'm happy now through all that 😄

It did help that no1 was a very laid back child.