Oh gawd - what have I done?

[sausagedoesnotroll]

DS has just turned 1 and I have just gone back to work. He is lovely but his sleeping is a nightmare and I am finding it really difficult to concentrate on getting back into work in my sleep deprived state, let alone keeping on top of all the house work etc.

Yesterday, after a week of feeling distinctly under the weather and very tired I took a pg test just "to put my mind at rest" and low and behold I am 5 weeks pregnant! I am still breastfeeding and my periods have been very irregular (they only came back at all at 8 months) so I hadn't really been paying attention to how late it was.

I know this is entirely my own fault - we took a calculated risk. Last time it took us nearly 2 years to have a successful pregnancy, so DH and I decided this time we wouldn't use contraception at all, as we didn't want to be kicking ourselves for not starting earlier if we found we had trouble again, esp. as I'll be 37 this year. We had planned to start trying in the autumn and had just been trying to avoid "fertile times" for the time being (the opportunity and the motivation coincide that rarely these days that it didn't really seem to be an issue), but last month I threw caution to the wind, and thought "oh what the hell, what are the chances".

Now I'm wondering how the hell I'm going to manage. I know it's early days and there's nothing to say things won't go wrong like they did before, but I'm already feeling sick a lot of the time and I'm dreading how I'm going to feel working, looking after DS, keeping house all at the same time if it's anything like last time (I was sick for 5 months).

This doesn't really require a reply, I just had to tell someone and vent my angst on someone other than DH, who is being very supportive, but is probably feeling exactly the same.

Argh!

You are so lucky ..

I would have loved 2 really close together.

Just take a deep breath and take it a day at a time.

Congrats. You will cope. Yes, you will lower your standards and it will be jolly hard... but you will clome through it relatively unscathed.

What will the age gap be, mine are 22 months apart. We are still here to tell the tale. 2 of my friends have 18 month gaps and they have muddled through just fine.

Congratulations.
It's natural to worry, but you will do more than cope, you'll enjoy it.

I want to reply - congratulations, was meant to be ! This one will sleep through from 6 weeks, they are all different. You will rise to the challenge and be a strong woman of substance. i survived on coffee, red bull and glucose tablets and ear plugs. Try sipping cold milk for the nausea. Go to bed at 8.30 pm. Get a slow cooker erm, cant think of anything else

Congratulations!

As my DH says ther will always be some reason for it being a bad time. Be positive, you have 8 months for your DSs sleep issues to iron themselves out, too!

I am a few months behind you and, although I want another, and it took 2 years to get pg we are doing the same thing (without actually having much sex).

I hope (and dread) that it happens the same way for us.

Chuffed for you!

I found out I was pregnant with my second a few days before my DD 1st birthday. I spent quite a lot of my pregnancy trying not to think about how I was going to cope, figuring I would because I had too. They are now 5 and 3.5 yrs and I have got through it with a smile on my face (well, sometimes ). Take small steps in your thought process. Your DS isn't a great sleeper, don't worry, you have 8 months to try and crack it and if you don't then you'll still cope! You will be fine, deep breaths and don;t think too far in advance

Sausage - this was me a year ago. 3 weeks into my return to work with a 10 month old baby, I suddenly realised I was pregnant. It had taken 2 years to get pregnant with ds and I was finding it exhausting combining work and toddler.

Being pregnant, working and looking after a toddler was hard. Breaking the news to work was tricky (although better than expected). But having two under two had been wonderful. Being at home with both of them (on mat leave) whilst they are both young is amazing. Watching dd's face light up when ds comes into the room is incredible. She loves him and at five months old she has already decided he is her favourite person. He makes her laugh hysterically just by talking to her and in return he loves her to pieces. I can honestly say that although we didn't necessarily plan this it has worked out brilliantly. Seeing them lying on the floor together giggling their heads off or catching him reassuring her when she cries and I am in the other room ('mummy's coming') is worth every second of the stress of pregnancy + work + toddler (which after all only lasts 9 months).

Congratulations and good luck!

One day you will look back at this and think what was I worrying about. There are 10 months between my sibling and I! (no we are not adopted) We have been 'best friends' all our lives. My poor mother must have been worn out but when I asked her about it said it was the best thing that ever happened. It will be bloody hard work but in a couple of years they will entertain and look after each other. You are very lucky in the long run but I know it will be tough at first. Good luck and take care.

Thank you, you have all cheered me up no end, though I'm still terrified.

The age gap will be 21 months.We conceived a week before DS's first birthday on the one night in weeks that he slept through, which, coincidentally, was DH's birthday. Seems like he got more of a present than he bargained for .

Congratulations.

I found out I was (almost 4 mths pregnant) the week I went back to work when DD was 9mths.

I wont lie the first few months were hard, but not unmanageable. DD and DS are now 4&5 and I feel so lucky: they really are best friends (don't get me wrong they fight but they adore each other).

I would love D#4 (DC#3 was stillborn last year) but will definitely go for DC#4 & #5 with a similar gap cos it is great!

Congratulations! I'm first-time-pg so haven't done any of it yet, but my sister is in exactly your shoes - her DD2 has just started walking and she found out she was pg with a 'bit of a surprise!' - you will manage, you will! And how lovely!
And congratulations! :D

congratulations! i am currently 5 weeks away from no 2 after finding out i was pregnant the day before DS1 was 1. like you we thought we would start trying just in case it never happened for ages. i was stressing for ages about it but the change in ds1 since october is amazing. he is not a baby anymore and is walkiing and sort of talking and likes to help me do some stuff. what i am trying to say is your little one will go through a huge change in the next few months from baby to toddler and by the time that your DC2 arrives it won't seem so bad and as everyone else says it's going to be great having two so close together.
Be positive and it will be fine!
good luck!

Am expecting dc3 in less than 2 weeks. My little ds is 15 months, I panic occasionally but millions have done it before me

Congratulations!

One thing I wondered - why are you looking after the house when you're working too and looking after your DS as well? I'd say either your OH needs to pull his weight more or you should look into getting a cleaner for while you're pregnant.

I'm looking after the house because I work part time and DH works full time. He does as much as he can and is very hands-on - I can't fault him - but I am just around more so it makes better sense for me to do it. There's no way we could afford a cleaner, especially now!

My parents have promised to move closer to us later in the year. I'm hoping that this news will spur them on so I'll at least have another pair of hands to call on occasionally.

I think we'll just have to get used to living in a dirty house .

Hello

Firstly, congratulations!

I am in the same boat as you and wanted to add my thanks for this thread! Hearing others say it can be done has cheered me up no end and, in fact, reading BlameItOnTheBogey say that her son tells his little sister not to worry as "Mummy's coming" has actually made me cry! I blame the pregnancy hormone weirdness!

I am 15 weeks pregnant and my son is almost 11 months so my two will (PG) be 16 months apart. I am actually sh*tting myself as I live abroad and had placenta praevia last time and it looks like I have it again! I know I need to rest (bed-rest preferably!) but that is impossible with a crawling baby and no family around me. However, this thread has really cheered me up as I know I can do it just as many others have before me! (my Mum is one of 9 for God's sake - my Nana must have been crazy!)

Anyway - just wanted to say thanks for posting and good luck to you!

x

Hello

I am in a similar situation - got pregnant when my DD was only 10 months old and I hadn't gone back to work. We too thought that at our age it would take longer than the first time we had unprotected sex! However, despite my panic at first I am really glad - much rather it was this way than being 2 years down the line still trying to get pregnant and heading for 40.....

My work were surprisingly generous about the news that I would be chipping off 5 months after going back(well to my face anyway!) and I am not sure that having a bigger gap than 18-20 months is any easier to be honest. The general consensus seems to be it is hard work initially but pays off in the future.

So, congratulations and once you get over the sickness and tiredness I hope you start to enjoy the pregnancy - I certainly am now despite my early worries and sheer panic...

Hi just wanted to say I could have written your post but ds1 was 6 months when I found out I was expecting ds2... ( was breast feeding and on pop!) It was hard work but honestly was one of the best things that happened to us, they are so close as brothers. Think it helps that ds1 can't remember life before ds2! You will manage. Now they are 5 & 6 and every single day I feel so so grateful for having them both!

Oh and CONGRATULATIONS!

2 under 2 rocks, congratulations!!

Just wanted to add my congratulations. Im currently 33 wks with DC4.
My 4 will be close DD1 will be 5.5 when no 4 arrives. DC1 was 2.9 when DC3 arrived and it was no where near as bad as I thought and they really are the best of friends and I love having them so close together. If the truth be told I would have started trying sooner for DC4 but we had a much anticipated family wedding that I didnt want to be pregnant for.
Also I had hideous pregnancies with hypremesis, SPD and even a brain bleed but we got through it.

Also the good news is your not really out of the baby stage. with this prg we might find it harder as DC3 is fully toilet trained walks everywhere and we've never had a problem with her sleeping so doing the whole buggy nappy thing might be a shock for us again.

fantastic news!

in a few weeks you'll have come to terms with it and you'll soon realise that this is a complete blessing.

these things can never really be planned and i know quite a few people who struggled to conceive DC2 in their late thirties which can be very stressful, much better this way.

it was obviously meant to be!

Congratulations! I have 19 months between ds2 and ds3 and although it can be tough, its also great fun and they are now 2.4 and 9 months and interact well together.

Good luck