Very broody for second child, first only 4 months old!

[SKLM]

I'm wondering if anyone can relate to where I am or offer some thoughts/suggestions.

I had my first baby 4 months ago via c section. In the last month, I assume due to hormones, all I can think about is having another baby. I am so in love with my son, the feelings are very intense and my head is filled with thoughts of having a second as soon as possible. They come quite out of nowhere and I have never experienced it before, real broodiness! It's overwhelming.

I've gone back on the pill and am taking it reliably as both me and my husband know that a pregnancy too soon would be risky, we've read a lot online about leaving a 12-18 month gap.

However, I'm worried because I am about to turn 38 and I know the risks in pregnancy due to my age are starting to creep up anyway. As well as the risks of genetic problems, and so forth.

I don't know what would be best, to try to get pregnant sooner, or wait until I'm around 40 to give my body time to recover?

If I got pregnant 12 months post the birth of my son, I would then have two children under the age of 2. I would also be pregnant with a 1 year old to look after. Does anyone have experience of this who can give me pros and cons?

Thank you

I felt exactly the same, so my husband and I deliberately conceived our second child less than 5 months after my eldest was born. There's just under 14 months between my two. Some of the medical risks relate to VBAC so soon after Caesarean, so I made a very conscious decision to have an elective Caesarean second time around.

Clearly the ideal is to have a longer interval between pregnancies, but at 38 I don't think anyone would judge you for cracking on.

Overall I'm glad I had a small age gap. I found the toddler stage very hard - it's stressful having a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old, and a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old. But my two are now both in primary school and the small age gap is wonderful. My two are best friends, and they enjoy a lot of the same activities, go to a lot of the same clubs, and have some shared friends.

this was me! I got pregnant when my first was 7/8 months old. Elective section as my first was an emergency cs. They are now 4 & nearly 3 and best friends! You won’t regret getting the baby stage out of the way whilst you’re still in it. Good luck

When I had my 4th my twins were 23 months and I also had a 5 year old. It was great having them close together.

Thanks guys, these have been some lovely encouraging responses.

I really would give it a few more months at least. I appreciate your age adds a complication but honestly it's SO soon after the C section, it would be wise to let the wound heal further before stretching your uterus out again, it really would.

I totally agree. I'm nowhere near ready to try again yet. My husband and I were thinking for October, it also gives us a chance to see what it's like with just one baby for a while longer!

Thanks for your response. Do you have any tips for getting through the difficult toddler years with a baby too? I'm most worried about this!