three pregnancies in a row...

[tostaky]

how bad is /was it?
there will be a 16 months gap between my two DSs and we are already planning a third one with a similar gap.
I am worried about my body? Will I cope? Should we wait until DS2 is 1 before trying again?
I would like to be done with pregnancy/breastfeding before i turn 35 + also i prefer to take all my mat leave in a few years rather than spread it oevr ten years.

How was it for you?

we have three with 20 and 21 month gaps. It was really hard, by the end of the third pregnancy I did feel like I was falling apart and very very tired. I breast fed the first two for about nine months, but stopped at about seven for DS2 as I felt so drained. DS2 is over a year now and I feel I am starting to get back to normal now.

all that said, it is going to be hard whatever way you do it. my logic is that you get the sleepless nights etc over and done and you can get on with the fun bits as they get older!

i also think with three kids, you will constantly feel you are letting at least one of them down while trying to do something for another. this is probably the same if the age gap is bigger but can be really emotionally draining at times and possible makes it all seem even harder.

With regards to the physical health thing, I'm sure I read somewhere that having a child with less than one years gap between pregnancies reduces a woman's life expectancy by something like 8 years

Don't quote me on that thuogh, I'm going to google it to try to remember where I read it.

My DSs will be 7, 6 and 2 when No4 arrives in spring, so I do not really meet your criteria .
I found the 1 year gap by far the hardest, physically and emotionally, also the continuing lack of sleep got to me.
Looking after DS3 was easy in comparison and now that he is almost 2 I can see the wisdom of the traditional 2 years gap.

I understand where you are coming from and I think your reasons are sound. You will just have to accept that it is likely to be tiring for the first few years and hope to reap the benefits of having children close together who have more in common than siblings with larger age gaps.

I was 37 when I had DS1 and often wonder whether I would have been less exhausted had I been 10 years younger when I had children... who knows? I certainly wouldn't undo anything .

here

I've had 3 DC in the last 3 years, from DD2 to DS1 i had 15month gap and from DS1 to DS2 I had 13 month gap.3 of my 4 children are under 3 and yes i'm knackered most of the time but they i wouldnt change a thing. The only disappointment for me this time was how hard i found it to sit still and bf may latest baby. The 2 toddlers just didnt give me any peace and it was frankly dangerous at times to leave them to their own devices for 20-30 mins while i tried to sit still. I was constantly having to jump up to rescue one or other of them from some situation, e.g. locked themselves in the bathroom, climbed on sofa and started posting toys through the open window,a hand stuck in letterbox, to name but a few. I had to switch to formula by week 7 as my nerves were in tatters. I did feel guilty at that point that latest DS didnt have the attention and protection the others had been given from breast feeding.

My body has definately had enough pregnancies now. Each one became progressively more difficult but that could be down to my age, 42. The final pregnancy took the greatest toll and the tiredness from about 34 weeks was terrible but now my energy levels have returned thank goodness.

Good Luck

Thanks - there is so many reasons to consider! maybe i deserve to take a year off before DC3 but im worried i will find it so hard i will keep putting it off and not having a third DC...

DP says to wait until DS2 is 6 months old. so let's wait!

I have a five year old, and when this baby is born, dd will be 20 months, so not exactly fitting your criteria, but i can honestly say i and my body have had enough. I am knackered all of the time, and my immune system seems to be shot, i just keep getting one cold after another this pregnancy.

I am on pregnancy number 4 in 5 years and it's hard - DS1 will have just turned 6, DD will be coming up to 5 and DS2 will have turned 2 a week before number 4 arrives - if it arrives on time....and it's bloody hard work. This pregnancy has been extremely hard this time round - I feel physically wrecked and utterly exhausted all the time!!

But, I'm sure that running around after them all the time must negate some of the lessening your life expectancy thing (I'm sure it can't be 8 years?!) because I am always rushing around, rarely get to sit down, and have lost all my pg weight and been back in normal clothes within 3 weeks of the birth each time.

If you think you've got the energy (and patience!) to have three so close together, then go for it - just be prepared to never sit down for even 5 minutes, or ever have a hot cup of tea again - until they're all at school at least!