Expecting 2nd baby - 13mths Apart - Advice Needed

**Squidysmum** · 04-07-2006 21:22

Hi All

We're expecting our second baby boy in 10 weeks and although we planned this second baby to be so soon after the first one (13mths apart) i'm starting to wonder how i'm going to cope!

I know there are many wonderful mums out there with 2 under 2 and would appreciate any advice you could give me on what it will be like and any tips to help me cope especially in those first few months?

**Melissa1983** · 04-07-2006 21:25

Hi

My girls are 12 months and 2 weeks apart. It is hard work, but you do seem to cope. At the moment i am finding it hard and they are 3 and 2. I have to buy everything the same or they crack...

Good luck.

**KarniF00l** · 04-07-2006 21:29

Originally Posted by Mummyof2

Hi

My girls are 12 months and 2 weeks apart. It is hard work, but you do seem to cope. At the moment i am finding it hard and they are 3 and 2. I have to buy everything the same or they crack...

Good luck.

Yep, my middle children are the same as yours.. almost 13 months apart. They are terror's.. they both obviously have middle child syndrome

I don't want to scare you Squidysmum but Goodluck!!

**sunshine girls** · 04-07-2006 21:36

there's a bit bigger gap with mine but yeah you do cope, you've just gotto think of the positives to keep you sane....like they both still have a sleep during the day...bliss (but dont tell the hubbys that

**uptheduff** · 05-07-2006 12:56

My boys were 12 months, 10 days apart, and TBH, i don't think i found it as hard as i thought it would be! You just have to get yourself into somewhat of a routine.

I@m finding it a little more difficult now that the oldest is starting to get jealous...but you just need to make sure that both kids are getting enough one on one time!

good luck

**Squidysmum** · 05-07-2006 21:13

Thanks ladies for your replies, i'm a routine type of person so i'm sure once i get into one with the new baby i'll be okay. I've just been finding myself in a lot of situations lately where i've thought "oh boy what would i do now if the other baby was crying or due for a feed" eg. last week my son had an ear infection and i was up most of the night and had to rock him to sleep in rocking chair all night and i thought at the time what would i do if the other one woke up now...would i have to leave this crying baby to tend to the other one....

Can anyone recommend any books or websites on dealing with small age gaps/second children?

**MummyCharmzy** · 05-07-2006 22:39

We have 12 months to the day between our girls and its only day 7 with them so I probably shouldnt be replying to this but having had a c-sect and having big attachment problems its proving to be rather challenging at the moment!!!!

Make sure you have a LOT of support for when bubs is born. We have a great family and friend network thats helped and helping us out at the moment which is hugely needed.

We also have 3 and 4 year old boys so its not just the two girls to cope with which definitely adds to it but they can do things for themselves so they really arent a problem... Isobella is 12m1w now and obviously in nappies, can cruise furniture but not walk on her own, likes to be fed her night time bottle and needs feeding most meals still etc so obviously still very dependant... when she is needing things at the same time as Savannah our one week old.. things get tricky!!!

Anyway I'm sure its going to get much easier, it just takes time. When we have established breastfeeding life is going to be 100X easier on all of us here but for now its a lot of hard work.

Best of luck

charmaine

**mumtok&z** · 05-07-2006 22:46

14 months between our two boys! It wasn't planned and I freaked out at the though tof having 2 under 2! But once second baby came along it really wasn't that hard. i was lucky though, second baby slept between feeds ( 4 hourly) and 1st baby understood that mummy needed to care for baby! We got into a routine fairly quikly too and that is what kept me from going insane! Second baby turns 1 at the end of the month and they are the best of friends and the biggest pair of monsters! But i am glad that they are close together. Not looking forward to when they are teenagers and want to go running a mock together... I see grey hairs coming along!

**Valosgirls** · 07-07-2006 14:55

Hi

My girls are 12months and 7days apart - so I know how apprehensive you feel right now!!

Im a stickler for routine - so this is how I managed for myself. Without this I think I would have gone round the bend to be honest. I was just soooo BUSY all the time - that I needed structure to my day. I worked on the Sleep/Feed/Play Routine.

I always woke my baby during the day for feeds every 3hrs - unless they cried for it before ( this also helps them to distinguish from night and day) and I found that the constant regular feeds during the day meant that when I did my last feed at say around 10.30pm I would let them wake me during the night when they were ready - but having squeezed in a good amount of feeding during the day I found they never woke me more than once or twice. I did this from birth and they both slept through the night at 6wks and 9wks respectively.

Once I was getting a full nights sleep I coped SO much better - it will be a busy busy year but the pay off at the end is soo worth it

All the best!

**ChubStar** · 20-07-2006 22:17

We are currently TTC #2, DS will be 2 1/2 to 3 yrs by the time we have #2 and we are thinking of having #3 in quick succession. Could end up with 2 under two and 3 under 5. That'll be fun, but DH works from home so I know I'll have the help there if I need it.

My sis and I are 15 months apart. She was a

baby, crying all the time, and I was an angel. Mum dealt with it, mothers have a knack for dealing with things that others can't. You'll be right!