Pregnant W/2nd Child

I found out I was pregnant with #2 when my son was 3 months old. Talk about freaking out. I cried for months. Jordan was born when Aidan was 10 months and 2 weeks old. The pregnancy and delivery was the easiest I've had (we now have 3). The first couple of months were the hardest mostly due to lack of sleep. Once I got them napping together and sleeping through the night things got easier. My boys are now 4 and 5 and they are the best of friends and very close. Even though it wasn't always easy having two little ones it was a wonderful time.

time heals all things. when this baby comes into the world, it will be "your everything" as well. this baby may be one of those that is easy going a sleeps all the time. but, if not, you are giving you little girl the best gift of all - a sibling. and it will all be worth it down the road.
congrats!

Hi Cari,
I know exactly how you are feeling. I just found out I was unexpectedly expecting my 3rd and I too did not want anymore children. At least not for another 3-4 years. I'm only 24 and have a 6 yr old and 1 yr old and now expecting my third baby in March.
I also get pregnant very easily. I had messed up on some pills and ended up pregnant. Some women can take years to get pregnant.
I'm now in my fourth month now and still scared to death but I know it's all going to work out.

You're very lucky to have a Husband that is helpful and excited for the new baby. Unfortunately mine is not very helpful at all with the kids. I hear myself saying alot to him that I feel like a single Mom and I really do at times.
So you are very lucky to have a helpful husband.

Don't worry to much about your pregnancy and feeling sick this time around. Every one is different and my last pregnancy was tough but this one had been wonderful. I've suffered from headaches but I never got morning sickness 1 time and really don't feel pregnant at all so you may have a very easy pregnancy as well.
Same goes with babies. My second was the absolute easiest baby in the world! Perfect sleeper, had colic for about 3 weeks and we switched his formula and he was fine, just a very easy baby......my 1st was the total opposite! : )

I think every woman who gets an unplanned pregnancy initially freaks out in the beginning but everything will work out and you will be fine.
I am also 1 of 4 girls ALL 18 months apart! Whew...you can say my Mom had it hard and she survived! We are her world and I know she wouldn't have had it any other way.
She says it really wasn't hard at all until we all started having PMS. : )

Good Luck to you and try to relax. Let me know if you have any questions or if I can help out in any way.
I will keep you in my prayers....try to get some rest and have faith in God that everything happens for a reason.

~N.~

It's so hard when your newborn/baby experience was a rough one with colic/reflux, etc. But, every baby really is different. Everyone I know who had a "difficult" first baby was granted a nice, quiet, easy one the second time around :-)

My two are 22 months apart and while it is always hard the first few weeks/months after a baby (whether it's your first or 5th, sleep-deprivation is always hard to live with!), it really gets better. My son and daughter play, play, play together and really enjoy each other a lot.

I have two friends who just had babies 18 months apart and from their experiences it seems like once you figure out how to handle sleep-deprivation and coordinate napping, they seem to have had an easier time than I did with mine nearly two years apart. I'm not sure what the difference is other than the fact that the older child is still a few months away from the "terrible two's" and in that adorable "honeymoon" stage of toddlerhood (really, 18-month-olds are darn cute most of the time, and even their fits are laughable!). By the time the older kiddo hits two, you'll have had a full night's sleep and be ready for battle :-) At that point, you'll be grateful for your unassuming, immobile little infant and trying to find ways to auction the older one off on ebay....

Hang in there!
It seems like you really adore your daughter, and are an attentive mom. Believe it or not, it is possible for those feelings to be multiplied to include another child. And the fact that your husband is excited about it is truly a bonus.

Well first off Congratulations!!! Second I know how you are feeling. My girls are 13 months apart and boy did I freak out when I found out. What was bad for me was that I was nursing when I figure it out on my own that I was pregnant. I had to wean my baby off fast b/c my body was not healthy. Plus I don't show until I was about 6 months. Then when I had the baby early it was like..... WHAT. Everyone I knew freak out.
It all worked out though. My girls are healthy and happy. I couldn't ask for anything more. I know it seems impossible now and overwhelming but give it time.
Like others have said get the rest you need now and sleep whenever you can. Also leaning on others for support whenever you can is good. Like now. Remember God won't give you anything you can't handle.
I have this thing I tell people God gave me my 1st born to teach me patience, my second for endurance and my last for understanding. Each are unique. And every pregnancy is different. My first was srtessful, my second was sad and my third was too fast to remember lol.
Good Luck.
Message me if you want more support....

Well...I only have one child but I understand your not wanting to be pregnant again due to the sickness. I had Hepermesis myself...I was in the hospital for days on in on several occasions. I was on tons of medications even had a Zophrin pump. I did not to get pregnant again because of that reason.

We reciently had a pregnancy scare ourselves...we do not want another child right now but we would still be happy if we were pregnant. Maybe this pregnancy will be different and this new child will be different.

In the end the child will be well worth it. I know even now if I feel the slightest form of nausia I remember why I dont want to be pregnant again. But when I look into my little girls loving eyes...she was worth being sick the whole time. I would do it again.

But if we do get pregnant again...I will get fixed after that.

Good luck!

I can't tell you how it will be having them so close together as I still have 7 weeks before I find out, but I can tell you that for me my surprise pregnancy has been the easiest and most enjoyable. I have 4 year old twin girls, a 16 month old boy and as I said am 7 weeks away from having another girl. My first 2 pregnancies were as planned as they can get and it was still up in the air about whether or not we would have another but we certainly didn't plan on having her this soon. I am so busy with my others that I don't have time to focus on how uncomfortable I am and this pregnancy has flown by faster than I could have imagined. Give yourself a few weeks to get used to the idea and I'm sure you'll start to get just as excited about this baby and your 1st. I was seriously depressed the first few weeks after I found out about this baby and while I'm nervous (but aren't you nervous about all of them) about how we will do it I can't wait to meet this special surprise God gave us. Think about how wonderful it will be for your daughter to have a sibling. My favorite thing about being a mom has been watching the relationships develop between my kids. Good luck.

Congratulations, I understand fully my third child was only 10 months old when I found out I was pregnant again. I was so devastated and was not wanting another child at all. I was the only one working, my husband had just lost his job of 7 years. So I was really freaking out and I had no idea what we would do or how we were going to do it. My husband was so excited and he said we don't know what God has in store for us. He was soooo right, he did get another good job. I had another boy so I had tons of baby stuff and maternity clothes. The beauty of it all is seeing the two boys growing up together and play together.Everytime I look at our new baby it brings tears to my eyes and I thank God for him he has been such a Blessing to our family. We also have two older children 17 and 12 so now my two year old has someone to grow up with. I have a wonderful husband who is very hands on and he loves being a husband and a father so that alone made it all better. You mentioned that your husband is very helpful as well so you will be just fine. The initial shock will fade away soon.
Be Blessed and Be encouraged.Remember God will not give us more that we can handle.

Hi Cari,
My two girls are 14 months apart and I too was in shock for the first four-five months of my second pregnancy. Yes, life is tough in the beginning. Tough in the sense that you are busy most of the day. Here are my tips:
*Reach out for support and extra hands from family and friends. Let someone vacuum for you or help out in other ways that is beneficial to your situation.
*Keep things simple. Simplify everything you can. Organization, schedules
*Forget about being perfect. IF you get one thing done a day...you have conquered a lot. Your sole focus is to tend to those babies. My daily moto: PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION.

With that said, I WOULD NOT TRADE MY LIFE AND GIRLS FOR ANYTHING. They are now 34 months and 20 months old and they are such blessings to us. Yes, we are still busy bodies and mom and dad are tired at the end of the day, but one day we will wake up and they won't need us. This stage is temporary...even if it lasts for a few years.

Take care of you. Ask God for strength and rest. You will do just fine and God will give you what you need moment by moment to make it. If you need any support feel free to contact me:
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I had three kids in 23 1/2 months. Since then I have had another and am expecting my fifth. I will have 5 kids and the oldest will be 6 1/2! Sure, it is rough at times. Being a parent is hard, whether it is to one or more. I have been blessed with easy pregnancies, so it is easier for me to handle the situation. My main advice would be to not worry about what could go wrong or be hard about this pregnancy and life with two small children. Instead, try to enjoy your daughter and your husband during this time with one child and focus on the good things of having another one. Also, try to be around positive people. I spent way too much time answering asinine questions about spacing and planning and it was not good for any of us. Only you and your husband will know what works best for your family and how to handle what will be at times a stressful situation. Take care of yourself and your family. Don't be afraid to ask for help and accept it when it is offered. I was too stubborn to accept help the first couple of babies, but have since gotten over that. Your feelings of fear and disappointment are normal, but try not to let them take root and linger.

You will have hard days and you will have good days (probably like you do now!). There are things about having kids close together that are great and there are things that are hard. Isn't that true of every family situation? Over time you will realize that you can handle this and you will find room for happiness and excitement. Good luck!

Hi Cari,
Congratulations, let me tell you about my company Mommy's Freedom by the hour. We are an hourly drop-in center. If you ever need time to yourself during your pregnancy or after we can help. We accept newborn to 12 years old. check us out www.mommysfreedom.com

My two oldest are 18 months apart. It has been wonderful. It will be busy at first, sleep whenever you can! Get as organized as you can--try to shop only once a week, keep laundry together and done up as much as possible. Keep baskets in every room for toys and baby things. It will make you feel better if things are picked up, even if they are just in a basket. Accept that your house will have a well loved, lived in look. Plan simple, healthy meals. Let others help you when they offer.

I'm a Montessori teacher and mom. I would read up on it and use it at home. Children can be very independent at an early age. They can be such a big help by learning to care for themselves and their environment--picking up what they use for example and putting it away when they are finished.

Your children will be very close and loving to one another. They will enjoy each others company. And, they will both still nap for awhile!

Good luck!
C.

Hi, I know the feeling. It was really tough for me. I had my babies 19 months apart. Let me tell you one thing, God doesn't give us anything we can't handle. I understand with the whole sickness and all but every baby is different. I bet you end up having an awesome pregnancy. Yes your husband is right, it's a blessing, we don't see that sometimes. Our children dont pick to be born to us, as a parent I had to learn that. My son (my baby) is Autistic and I'm dealing with that as well, but let me tell ya, the two babies get along SOOOO Great. My two girls they protect my son, too much sometimes. Best advice is to try and be happy, I know it's not the dad's having to take on the pressures of having these babies, but old wives tale, if youre unhappy the baby develops different. You can email me. I live in georgetown, especially if you can use a friend...
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I hope this has helped a little .

Well, we tried for years and finally had a successful pregnancy - but we had twin girls. Can't get much closer than 2 minutes apart. Just when I had them sleeping through the night and being a little independent, Daddy pressured to try again for a boy. We tried for a year and had one egg left. What are the odds it would split in two and now I have a second set of twins; just 3 years apart from the first set. But the second time around is not as hard as the first time, because now you know what to do etc. And the kids love each other and help out. My twins are now 1 and 4, and all is well. It's not always easy, I won't lie, but all in all, it all works out in the end. take care and next time you are scared just think of me with two sets of twins...

Cari,
I have 3 children, all 1 year apart, the girls being only 1 year and 4 days apart.

It works out great, yet I can understand you're feelings. We wanted 3 but the 2nd one was kind of a difficult newborn and I was totally surprised that I was pregnant so soon with the third and not in a good way. But it was by far the easiest pregnancy. The 2nd one wasn't bad either. I've heard it gets better as the more you have.

Having them close together means they will be great playmates, you can reuse clothes and toys quickly and your maternity clothes (if you still have them).

It will be fine. Just make sure if this is really the last one that you or your husband take more evasive action after this one is born, because I have a personally theory that once your body is used to having babies that it gets really easy to get pregnant and just keep popping them out.

I just want to say first, breath and relax. It will be okay. I got pregnant with my son when my daughter was just 1 year old and I was on the pill and not planning for a second for some time. But my son was soooo much easier than my first daughter (now I have 3, all very close together). My son slept thru the night right away, never had colic and only cried when he was hungry. And I was already primed for dealing with a baby since I never had any down time between them and I already had all the baby stuff ready to go. I am not saying it will be a breeze, but adding the second so close was not too much of a change, especially if you have a helpful husband :). Now, when #3 comes unexpectedly, then freak out! Really, I went thru the same thing and it was such a shock at first because you are just getting settled from this monumental change to your life when suddenly BAM it happens again. Hope I have given you some peace of mind.
-R.

Congratulations!! I know that things seem devastating right now, but give it a month or two and you will start feeling the fun anticipation of a baby. Trust me!! I have not been in your situation, but my twin sister has and she felt the same way. Before she knew it, she couldn't wait for her baby girl!! (she hadn't had a baby before, but was pregnant unmarried at 19 yrs old. She was so devastated!! It completely changed her life!! She thought for the worst, but turned out for the best!! This baby was NOT wanted at first, but became the joy of her life!!) The bright side: Your little girl will have a sissy!! I just had my 2nd baby girl and they LOVE each other! It is so precious and special to watch them grow together. God Bless you and your growing family!!