Anyone Else?

You go girl....I knew you'd be on the bandwagon before too long!!! :0)

Happy "not preventing"!!!

My heart desperately aches for another baby (mostly a little girl). I have almost 2 year old twin boys and I daydream about another. I'm having a hard time convincing hubby of that! Congrats on being a SAHM! My sibling and I are all 2 years apart (there are 4 of us). Now that we're adults, we are all great friends.

I come from a rather large family, there are six siblings all together: 30, 28, 26, 24, 21, and 20. I think my childhood was a blast, there was always someone to play with and something to do! So naturally I wanted lots of kiddos of my own, even though they were not all planned I couldn't imagine life without anyone of them! I have 4 children (7,5,4,2) and almost four months along with my fifth! Good luck, more babies are always more fun!!

I come from a family of 5 and we are all friends and priceless to each other now that we are adults. I used to try to "plan" but I did find out God actually gives and takes away - He can let us think we're in charge until - oops! our well-laid plans didn't work out how we thought. Anyway, our spacing is 6,2,2 & half,and 3 years apart. Really, they are interchangeable, as far as, who's playing with who on a certain day. Those spacings are just from one to the next, but now you have to consider just spacing between others- for example the two that are 10 years apart are best buds and the two that are two years apart (usually!). As far as, your body goes - it's usually a bit healthier to have an 18 mo. gap - but God knows that part. I know a woman with 10 children (oldest 12) and one with only 2 - 10 & 4, neither "planned" them but we only carry and deliver what He says we can - enjoy every minute!

WOW!! I am also in baby mode! Although it doesn't help that there are so many of my friends that are due between January and ApriL! I'm like the other ladies and trying to get my hubby on board. My daughter just turned 3 and I don't want to wait any longer! Best of luck on getting pregnant!!

We currently have a 15-month old and I am pregnant with #2 due in May (they will be 21-months apart). With our first we tried for 7-months, and did ovulation tests, basal body temp, supplements, etc, and got very frustrated. So with this one, we didn't know how long it would take. After my son's first birthday we decided to stop keeping a pregnancy from happening, but not to start really "trying" yet. I was pregnant almost immediately, probably because we weren't really thinking about it. So I would say focus on the little one you already have and try not to focus on the "baby bug", and things might happen faster.

A.,

I had always thought that having mine 3 years apart was ideal because the baby got to be a baby and yet they were still close enough to be friends. I also wanted to have as many as possible (oh, and even numbers--that way one child wouldn't be left out as it was in my family when I was growing up).

God had other plans for my babies though. The oldest two were just 13 1/2 months apart, but I didn't have anything to do with that--they were my step-daughters. The first one I gave birth to was 1 month shy of being 5 years younger than her next older sister. I thought at that point I was done...especially when my husband didn't want any more children. Again, God had different plans and four years and four months after number three was born, number four daughter made her grand entrance into this world. In an odd, sad twist of irony, I miscarried my last pregnancy.

My oldest two fought like cats and dogs and now that they are adults (23 and 22); they still are not close. My youngest two have always been close; although, I did wonder if that would happen. I think because I homeschooled them (oldest until middle school and youngest until 2nd grade), they were each other's best friend. They shared common interests as well and that helped. They went through a time where they were not so close, but they would be the first one to defend the other one. Now it isn't so bad...most of the time.

I know that there is no real advice all of that. I'd just say pray about it and do whatever you feel God is leading you to do.

C.

We are in the midst of trying for our second. We have a four year old little boy. My husband and I both work full time. We have been trying since January so we are going on a year???? I thought it was supposed to be easier the second time around. It took a 1 1/2 years to conceive the first time so guessing its going to take as long the second time? I was 27 the first time and now I am a month away from 32 so I had my hormone levels checked and everything is good. My husband has his "levels" checked a while back and he was low but he WAS on some medication that would effect the count. I am at the point now that I have put it in God's hands and going to stop worrying about it. I have heard lots of advice about spacing and each person has said that their spacing is the best. HA! Good luck!!

My kids are 17 months apart and my daughter was an oopsie..one time w/o birth control and voila! I was devastated...yes, I wanted 2 but I also wanted my first born to have a little more time as an only child...not to mention I was absolutely NOT READY to go back through the birthing process anytime soon. I fought a lot of depression and anxiety with my 2nd child and it took a good while to get over it. Although it's been difficult at times at having 2 so close together in age, they are eachother's best friends. Both now are BEGGING for a baby brother or sister but I am hesitant in my age (now 37) and having gained some 40 lbs since the first child. The kids are now 4 & 5 and I think they would both be good with a baby but I have to wonder how long that will last when that child is going though the toddler stage and he/she starts getting into their more breakable stuff? I also worry about what will happen to me phsyically with a 3rd child as I have had such difficulties losing the weight post partum as well as battling the post partum depression. Not to mention, there is also the increased risks that go along with being older. I worry that if I do get pregnant again the problems I would have with my back, potentially becoming diabetic due to the increased weight, post partum depression, etc.

I also have to say that the older you get the harder it is to keep up with them. I was diagnosed at 29 with congential disc defects so running, hopping and jumping are extremely difficult for me to do...something I used to relish as a kid and very much looked forward to doing with my children via ways of teaching them how to fly kites, ride bikes, jump rope, bounce on a trampoline/bounce house, heck even amusement parks are difficult for me to do.

Another thing I would like to mention as sage advice that again, having kids slightly younger (and having multiples) is better because I was an only child with parents that didn't have me until their 30s... this meant that NONE of my peers understood what I was going through because my parents were not baby boomers so their experiences were vastly different as were my parents expectations and what they did with me. My mother died when I was 26 and I was totally devastated. My father passed on a year ago and it has been difficult being an orphan even at 37 when most of my peers parents are only JUST starting to retire. Although I was raised that family would always be there for me, after the sudden death of my mother no one seemed able to handle it or even being around me so it made my mother's loss even more difficult because I also lost the support of my extended family. We never think about dying or how our children will adjust to it but I think that had my parents truly given more thought to it they probably would have given me a brother or sister to at least be able to go through the trials and tribulations with.

I certainly wouldn't tell anyone that you have babies on the brain. I have found with family members as well as friends that once you vocalize it, that suddenly becomes a major topic of interest and is brought up neigh constantly, thus adding to the pressure of becoming pregnant. They don't mean anything malicious by it, but it certainly adds more pressure and stress to a situation that was previously just an idea. Frankly, I would go about your business and act like the 2 kids in love that you are. Forget about making babies and the pressures of it...drop the birth control and if it happens it happens and I wouldn't bother to tell anyone until after the first trimester when you would be more in the clear medically.

My husband and I were almost in ths exaact same boat last year. After our 1st turned 3 I started getting the "itch" and we couldn't decide if we realy wanted to expand our family or not. We loved the way things were but didn't want to not expand for selfish reasons (sleep:) Anyway, I came of the pill and we got pregnant the first month! It was startling for me especially and I think it has impacted my emotional state through and beyond the pregnancy. However, I have a beautiful second child and wouldn't change anything. The boys are four years and 6 weeks a part and the oldest LOVES his new brother.

We also kept our decision to ourself and SHOCKED our families:)
Best of luck!

Yep our daughter is 5 are we crazy to be thinking about another but we have gone completly off birth control and are just winging it

the age difference is really all about what is best for your family. i know i would have had a hard time with anything closer than 2 yrs, but have friends who had kids less then 2 yrs apart and love that. what i will tell you is second time around can be harder to conceive. i wanted to have ours 2 yrs apart or so, and it took me a year to get pregnant after it only taking 1 month the first time around. i was surprised it took us so long and was getting stressed about it after 7 months of no luck. i eventually started acupuncture once a week and after3 months of treatment was successful. so just keep in mind you may not have control over timing of age difference. so i would say start as soon as you think you would be comfortable with getting pregnant and be patient and prepared if it doesn't happen right away.

my first 2 are 3 years apart and seemed to be the perfect space apart. I had a miscarriage on the 3rd which would have also been 3 years distance and after the miscarriage, I wanted that baby so bad and we kept trying and took a while to get pregnant again so the last one is 5 years apart from the 2nd which still worked out well as they all still get along well but think he feels left out a lot because his siblings are teenagers now and he is only 8 and feels left out a lot because they are very involved in the church youth group, work, and babysit so he is at home a lot and gets lonely without them home and is 8 so has a while to go before he goes to youth. He is involved in sports and things as well but is very close to his sister which she always has been a little mom to him since she was 5 when he was born and took care of him a lot as she adored him and would rather hold him or find any way to take care of him, and sometimes just stood at his crib watching him sleep instead of playing with her toys. So they are very bonded and she still enjoys spending time with him. I think the 3-5 age difference is great.

I very much have the baby bug. Our son is 27 months old and we just recently switched him from the crib to the "big boy bed" and it hit me! My baby isn't a baby anymore. So we discussed it and we both decided that yes we very much want another. We are going to start trying early next year. I am so excited. Good luck to you!! It is a very exciting time. Keep us posted!

I have always wanted my kids to be between 2 and 3 years apart. My son is 13 months old and when I told my husband that we should probably start trying again in a few months he looked at me like I was insane! I know my son is still a baby, but by the time we got pregnant and the new baby got here he would be a full fledged toddler! My husband just isn't on the same page yet...
Good luck to you! Be happy your hubby agrees with your family plans!

My sister and I are 4.5 years apart. Im older. We got along famously..... until she was about 4. Well, shes 19 now and we are just now starting to get along again. It took a very long time and we arent as close as Id like to be. My mom and her sister are 8 years apart and they are absolutely the best of friends and have been for years! Of course mom is 52 and her sister is 44 now, but after mom didnt have to babysit every waking hour, they became best friends. Their mom was a single working mother so my mom had to babysit ALL the time when she was a teen and it didnt leave much time for fun. On the other hand, my daughter's father and his sister are also 8 years apart. He is 24 she is almost 16. They have gotten along wonderfully since day one. With these as the only personal experiences I have with siblings and age differences, I lean more towards the 8 year age gap. Everyone is different and you will always have some sort of sibling rivalry, but that is my view on the matter. Hope it helps some! Good luck!

My son was planned then 3 yrs later the baby bug hit me and the thought of haveing another well was scary I was for sure set on 1 child only and now on my 3rd she'll be here in March so for me whenever the baby bug hit I got preggo right away usually within the first month or 2.My daughters will only be 2 yrs apart and she is still a baby to me my son almost 6 yrs old so hes ready to be man of the household.

Deciding to have a child is always a big decision. It may have seemed easier the first time because you hadn't experienced the responsibility of having a child before.

There are always pros and cons to spacing. I liked the about 4 year spacing. That was the spacing between my brother and I and it turned out to be the spacing of my two kids. But, I had my first at 31, so my age and ability to conceive were a bigger factor than any set spacing. Some people like the 2 year or so spacing, there's an advantage of getting the baby/toddler stuff done in a more concentrated period of time, their interests will be more similar. My 5 year old daughter could and wanted to do different things than her 6 month old baby brother. But, it is nice that one is about done with college before the other starts next fall!

You may be on the best path of just not preventing anymore and seeing what happens. You don't owe anyone the news that you're trying again.

I have three children; the first two are 27 mos. apart and the second two are 35 mos. apart. I thought the third was much easier in spacing, this is because the almost 3 yr. old understood a little more. He was also potty-trained when I had the third & it helped with cost. Just remember to prepare your first - the idea of having to share people & things with others is a tough concept! But whatever you & your family decide, it will work out - God will provide! Good luck to you & your family!

I have 3 boys--my older two are 26 months apart-that seemed like great spacing to me-not too hard, close enough to play together. My youngest was born 19 months months later-really tough the first 6 months!! (I had 3 in 3 1/2 years, so...) Our first 2 were totally planned, our 3rd was a complete surprise! I found out I was pregnant with him the day after my middle one's 1st birthday, which was also the day before my hubby left for 17 months in Iraq.
Now, they're older, my oldest is 8 1/2, my youngest is almost 5. Things are much easier, and I'm glad I had them as close together as I had them. My youngest two are best buddies now. While it was really tough for a few years, I think it's paying off now.
I don't really think there's a right or wrong space between siblings-not to mention, sometimes babies are just a wonderful surprise:)) Go with your gut, and make sure that you and your hubby are on the same page about having another one. It really takes both of you to parent 2 or 3 children.

Our girls are 2yr. 4 mo. apart. I'm sure there are benefits no matter how far apart in age your kids are, but having them a bit closer together seems to mean that you'll have two little ones who play together. Mine have a great time playing. My sister's kids are 20 mo. apart and she experienced the same thing. Good Luck!

I just wanted to wish you good luck and to send lots of baby dust your way!

We also started trying when our daughter was about your daughter's age. We're expecting #2 in June! I think the age spacing is perfect... not too close, not too far apart... and hopefully my daughter (and yours) will be potty trained by the time #2 arrives!

Good luck and don't forget to have fun!