Pregnancies 8 months apart

[Cl9]

Hello,

My baby girl is almost 9 months old and I’ve just fallen pregnant again (on the pill, thought I was great at taking it and could be user error or just one of those things). I’m happy and excited but a bit worried about having a pregnancy so close to my previous one, especially when I had a c-section.

I also know 2 under 2 will be a challenge (my girl will be 18 months when this baby is due) and wondered if anyone had a similar age gap/pregnancies close together that could settle my nerves a bit?

Thanks 😃

Here for answers!

Can’t offer any advice or reassurance but I’m in the same situation so your are not alone little boy who is 11 months old and currently 12 weeks pregnant. I had an emergency c section due to pre eclampsia.

How you feeling about it all? I keep reading to leave it 18 months between pregnancies especially with a c section and it gives me the fear. I’m sure people do this all the time though!

I had 2 under 1 they are now 11 and 12 was fine for me

No CSection but my 2nd and 3rd were 17m apart.

Pregnancy with number 3 was totally uneventful and she was induced at 42wks.

Of my 5 this was actually the best gap because for 6months they both still napped and until DC2 was late primary they got on very well. They were both babies so whilst dd2 was an early walker and climber they were quite quickly evenly matched. They also were in consecutive school years so did clubs together, shared friends.

Dc4 and 5 are 22m apart and he stopped napping the week after she was born, was more resistant to going in the buggy. Not an awful gap but 17m was easier!

Happens more often than you think! I know several who intentionally went for 18 month age gaps (this is the age gap between many of my friends and their siblings and between my DH and his) to get the baby stage out the way together and hope they would be close due to close in age. Think the average gap has extended with time as less SAHP and childcare expenses with not getting free hours until 3yo.

There was also a pair of siblings in my school year with birthdays of September and July! You'll manage. They'll probably keep an extra eye on you due to C section but many have multiple with no issues. The scar had 9 months to heal between, if you'd gotten pregnant 3 months post partum would have been more of an issue. Congratulations 🎊

I had this with a smaller gap. I had to explain why I needed another caesarean but I was insistent that I wouldn't do VBAC (especially as they warned me of the risks of that!) 2 under 2 was terribly hard but they're best friends now and do almost everything together.

That’s all great I feel a bit calmer now 😂. I’m definitely happy but feeling a bit overwhelmed and how I’ll manage it all. Also have a really heavy sense of guilt for my little baby at the moment but as said above, people plan for 18 month gaps. A lot of people back when I was at school had siblings either in the year above or below so probably a similar gap!

My friend is due her second one any day and has an 18 month old and has said there's a fb group called 2 under 2 so that might be helpful! Congratulations!

There's 19 months between my two, and I wouldn't change it for the world. I had no issues with my pregnancy; I had an emergency CS first time and an elective the second time round.

I won't lie, two under two was hard! But now, at 3 and 4.5 we are reaping the benefits - they play together well and have similar interests etc, family days out are easy to arrange as they are both happy with swimming, soft play, farm etc.

I felt the same guilt! Now 31 weeks pregnant and son has just turned 17 months so will be around 19 months when baby arrives.

It took us 4 years to conceive our son (unsuccessful IVF and then a surprise natural conception!) so we really weren’t expecting to fall so quickly, if at all! I’m taking it as the blessing it is and now I’m further into the pregnancy, I just can’t wait to see their relationship blossom when baby is here.

Good luck - we’re going to be busy! x

I got pregnant with DC2 when DC1 was nine months, there's 16 months between them. I didn't have c-sections with either of them, so I can't comment on that, but it was honestly fine. The first year was a bit of a blur, but it got much easier. They are adults now and still best friends.

Should also say, my first was EMCS and I’m going with elective this time. Consultant was happy with that from the start.

lots of my kids are close on age
1 and 2: 1 year 1 month gap
2-3: 9 year
3-4: 19month

4-5: 22 months
5-6: 1 year 20days
having 2 under 2 wasn’t particularly hard I find it harder now with two toddlers two primary kids and two in secondary but only from a trying to do anything as a family point can be hard to make sure im doing something everyone can enjoy so holidays are hard but I did find less jealousy with closeness I mean a little jealousy at first but it quickly fades compared to that of a 3-4 year ago old and in a few weeks they don’t remember the baby not been there and they generally want the same sort of things so it’s easy to do stuff with them both when you just have two close in age lots of things you can do with them together and sometimes my toddlers tell me to go away they are playing together and I can’t join in

There is 12 months between my younger DD and DS, so she was approx 3 months old when I fell pregnant again 😳
We had to just get on with it and they are now nearly 20 and 21, so we survived! I found it easier than the 3 years between DS1 and DD2, they were more like twins and are still the closest two.

It will be fine 💐

Dd1 was 8 months when I fell pregnant with DD2 and I was devastated/terrified.
I honestly had no idea how I'd cope with two but honestly it's just been the best thing.
DDs are 4 and 5 now and such good friends. I'm so happy they have each other!

Good luck xx

My daughter had two children (separately) in the same year. They're 10 months apart - January 2020 and November 2020.

She gets asked if they're twins all the time.

You'll manage fine. ☺️

15 month gap between mine. It was hell when one was a newborn and the other a toddler. Not helped by the fact that our marriage didn't survive the pressure of having two so young but I love it now. They keep each other entertained and I have some semblance of my life back but I'd never do it again.

Two csections here too. They were straightforward and I healed quickly.

I'm going to have a 16 month age gap between my two, due in July - and I am absolutely shitting it to be honest!

Here for stories of survival.

I have a 12 month age gap

First was em c section, second was vbac

It was tough at first - zero family support but it got so much easier and I wouldn't have it any other way

They are just fabulous and 17 and 18 now

Very nervous but also excited that they will be close in age. I know it’s going to be extremely tough.
My midwife didn’t seem to concerned and doesn’t see a reason why I couldn’t try for a V Bac. Not sure what I want to do yet in regards to that. Just trying to get past the first trimester.

There was 18 months between me and my sister. Everything was fine, my mum survived.

No c-section but didn't have the most straight forward of births. Due in a few weeks time (18 months gap between my first) just letting you know your not alone. Congratulations x

18 months between mine. Both emergency c sections.

I would consider an elective over an induction depending on why you had a c section first time.

2 under 2 is HARD. My second was born in September so couldn't even get out the house for the first few months unless I wanted to get drenched.

It started getting easier around 5/6 months to the point where I actually enjoyed my MAT leave. I'm at my peak right now (DD2 is 8 months) because the weather is beautiful most days. Some days we spend the whole day in the garden.

Some tips:

• put your toddler in nursery a couple of days a week if you can afford to.
• get a cleaner if you can afford one. I cut back in other areas so I can have a cleaner once a week.
• double buggy is sooo useful. We bought ours second hand.
• a sling/baby carrier was essential especially in the early days. I stopped relying on it around 4 months.
• utilise children's centres. You can go whenever you like and your toddler can just play whilst you see to your baby. There's sometimes other families there too and your kid isn't messing up your own house haha.
• let go of screen time guilt. Your toddler will get way more than you like, but sometimes you need it for your sanity.
• it's ok to let your baby cry whilst you sort yourself out.
• seek help if things get really tough. It took me 6 months to finally get on antidepressants and I wish I started sooner. Therapy didn't work for me, but it could for you if you needed it.
• make a referral to homestart if they are in your area, especially if you don't have friends/family to help out.

Congratulations OP!