Question About Having Babies Close Together

As a mom of 4 and having had my oldest three very close together (3 under 3 for a while), I did the following. I went to wal-mart and got 3 milk crate type containers (one for my car, DH, and MIL). In each I put a first aid kit, box of wipes, change of clothes in a baggy for each child (actually bought some really inexpensive outfits on a clearance rack for this), diapers and large bottle of water for emergency clean-ups. That way in the diaper bag I only carried the essentials for the trip. If there was a need for clothes, clean-up or boo-boo, the back-up supplies were close by. It also meant never worrying if someone else took the one of the kids and forgot something. Hope this helps and good luck!

A.,

I don’t have 2 children close in age but I do have 1 son and we do a lot of traveling. When he was younger and I had to take a days worth of diapers, bottles and clothes because we were going to be out of town or what not I used to use the Skip Hop Dou Diaper Deluxe Diaper bag. It was a bit pricey at $80 but honestly it kept me so organized lots of dividers and different sized pockets it was a dream come true. I can only imagine that it would be a great bag for holding the stuff that 2 children may need. It also hangs nicely from a double stroller. Like a lot of the other moms said I also keep a container in the car of “back-up/just incase items”, so that could help you as well if you just wanted to put together a smaller bag just for quick trips. I had the dream once upon a time of having my kids back to back, but after 1, I decided I needed some time before I did this again, but I give you so much credit for being able to do it!!! I so wish I could have!!! Best of luck and enjoy it (for me! ;0) )

M.

hi,

my children weren't as close in age as yours but my oldest was still in diapers for a while after my second was born. i used a large bag, but i didn't put a change of clothes in it for my daughter (oldest) i put a change of clothes (and still keep one) in the car for them, so that way i still have one but not taking up extra space in the bag. also instead of making up numerous bottles for my 2nd, i took a tuperware bottle a 32oz maybe and mixed up the formula in that and then took that and one bottle with me for the baby. and for my daughter i would just take one cup and then if she needed something else to drink where i was at, then i would just get it there. i would put all my daughters stuff on one side of the bag (it was divided) and then put all of my sons on the other, it made it easier to distinguish the diapers and things. also as they got older and could go for a while without wetting in the diapers, i just kept some diapers and wipes in the car instead of toting those around also.

as far as what i did at home, i would feed them at the same time and lay them down when possible at the same time. also bathed them when my son could start to sit up at the same time, 2.5 years later i still do this. it cuts down on a lot of time. i'm sure most parents do this, but i always lay out there clothes and what is for the bag except for the formula the night before so as to cut down time getting ready in the morning. i don't know if you breastfeed (i didn't) then that will also cut down on space in the diaper bag. hope this helps ;)

Hi A., Congrats on baby number three! My suggestion does have to do with diaper bags, but not the size. When my husband and I had our first, a friend suggested keeping an emergency diaper bag in the car. We used the freebie diaper bag that we got at the hospital. We kept spares of everthing that we kept in the regular diaper bag, and we restocked it every time the baby had a check-up. My kids are 5 and 9 now, and I still keep a change of clothes, water, and snacks in that little diaper bag.

Take a moment to look through the diaper bag you have now and figure out if there is anything you carry around that you really don't need. (Think about the size of an average purse --- what the heck is it that we carry in those things?!?! Men throw a wallet in one pocket and a cell phone in the other and they're good to go!!) With my first child, I carried a hug diaper bag filled with "just in case" stuff. Yea-- if you are spending the day at a theme park you need a bunch of stuff, but think about where you usually go during the day-- you probably seriously only need maybe 2-3 diapers, some wipes, and one bottle or sippy-- and maybe some Cherios. Everything else can be stored in the car. I kept a diaper bag in the car with extra diapers, a ziplock baggies full of wipes, an empty bottle and/or sippy cup, and a change of clothes for each family member in a ziplock bag. I even kept a big t-shirt for myself in case I got spit up on me. Most of the time, months would pass between times when I needed anything out of the car bag, but it was nice to have it there. Even with 2 kids, you really only need to carry with you a couple of diapers per kid, a container of wipes (I fold mine over and keep them in a sandwich size ziplock now because those plastic dispensers are so bulky), and some spit up rags for the baby. Buy a soft sided lunch box to tote sippies, bottles, and snacks if you will be out for a while and think you'll need them.

As for other advice, get a comfortable baby carrier-- I used a sling but not everybody likes those. It's much easier to help the toddler's needs if you have the baby in a carrier rather than held with one arm. It's insane for the first year but it gets easier when you can put them baby down (to crawl/walk) when he's old enough.

I have four. Three of the four are two years apart, but then there are only 16 months between two of them. I bought a diaper bag for each child with their own things in them for when I had to drop them off at church or a friends house and kept them in the car (minus things like bottles of course). And they had their names on them. I also keep a a change of clothes for all the kids in the car, a blanket and some towels under the seat. But I bought a big purse for the rest of the time to carry. I kept one or 2 diapers for each child in it and a small thing of wipes and I added more when I got home each time they got used. (and a roll of those doggy poo bags to put stinky diapers in) I also kept a onesie and bib in there for the younger child. And all of my things, wallet etc. were in their own pockets. My last child just finished potty training, but I still keep wipes in there and there is room for small toys and cups. It's almost as big as a diaper bag, but it's more attractive. I got sick of diaper bags by number 4. As for dealing with them close together, it will be rough sometimes because they will both still need you so much. But you'll find that they will also be close and play well together as they get older. Buying clothes that can be passed directly on is a great idea. I had two boys, a girl, and a boy, so I couldn't exactly do that with all of them, but I do it as much as possible. I also bought a lot of toys that they could share and were safe for all 4 of them. Duplo blocks, big cars, kitchen stuff etc. and anything my oldest son had that was small stayed in his room. I find that my youngest son wants to do everything the older ones do, so I keep his own "version" of everything. The kids have little crayons, he has big fat ones. The older kids have scissors, so he has these plastic ones that don't really cut much but they don't cut skin. I even got him a book that he draws in while the others do schoolwork. And I encourage the older kids to include him. He can't play computer games, but he can sit in the chair and watch, things like that. Some other things I bought were a front baby carrier and a double stroller. And instead of a highchair(s) we bought several of those strap on booster seats that hook to chairs. I hope this was somewhat helpful :)
And like someone else said, be ready to be asked all the time if they are twins, even with 16 months between them- I still get it all the time.

I'm a mother to five and my 3rd and 4th pregnancies were a year apart. I found a bag that had a divider down the middle and used one side for the newborn and the other side for the 1yr old. That was my "essentials" bag. I nursed so I didn't have bottles and what not. I'm sure that would eat up some space. I kept another bag in my vehicle that carried the extra clothes, emergency items. I would combine the two bags if we were at the zoo or somewhere not convenient to go to the car.
As for all the other things... I found that it was nice that as one was done with a piece of equipment, toy, gadget, etc.. - I didn't need to store it because the other child was ready for it. Mine were the same gender so that helped. The advice I would give is to make sure everything you buy can go through two children back to back. Multi use items and items geared at multiple ages.
I also want to say - you might get lots of attention. People will ask if they are twins all the time. They will be each others best friends and fiercest competition (with love). It will feel like you have twins for a while. Get them on the same schedule and it makes things easier. People used to ask me how I did it but you know what? I just did it. When it's your life... you just do it. I was living it so it didn't seem like that big of a deal to me. To the outside looking in it must look like more work than it felt like. It might seem like a huge task but if you just go with the flow and remember to enjoy them during the hustle... you will be richly blessed.

I am a mom of three. My suggestion is that you will need to go into a store like buy buy baby in Coral Springs ( They are currently running a coupon).You will have to treat your diaper bag as though you are having twins.I would buy it now so that your second child will get use to you carrying it and not feel that his stuff is being replaced by the new baby.Relax your email makes me feel that you are stressed.My mother always says that god doesn't give you anything that you can't handle. Also from your email I see that your family is the most important thing in your life so you remember that even in hard times don't apologize to your other two know in your heart that you are the very best mother you can be at every moment in your life! I wish you the best on your new arrival!

Mine weren't quite that close together, just 21 months apart. I found a large backpack with 2 big compartments worked well for me. One for the infant one and the other for the toddler. It also had a few smaller compartments for all the little stuff that gets lost. I found the backpack was easier for me to carry and didn't fall off my shoulder while trying to manage the little ones as a shoulder strap often did on a regular bag.

Hi! When I had my 4th child, I had 4 children 4 years old and under. I found a really good suitcase material diaper bag from Gerber When I was pregnant with my 3rd and it was really roomy and it came with a bottle carrier(I never used that because I breastfeed) and an insulated bag that I keep the others sippy cups in. I have had this bag for 4 years now and I still use it and it hasn't broken down yet. This bag has been great and I fit all four of my kids stuff in it. When my 4th child was born. I had to keep 8 newborn diapers 3-4 size 4 diapers for my toddler, a container of wipes and 2 changes of clothes for the baby and 1 change of clothes for the others and some cloth diapers, along with some small toys to keep them entertained. I was amazed at how much it holds and how strong it is. The best thing was that I got it on clearance at toys R us for $11.00!
I suggest that you get a strong sturdy bag that's very roomy with several compartments to hold all the things that you need to carry. The suitcase material has really held up. Good luck to you! And enjoy those gifts from God!
Take care!
V.

Do you have a backpack? If you have double the gear to carry around, I find that a backpack is often more managable than a regular diaper bag, and will be easier on your shoulders.

Scary at first but of course it all works out. I just really made an effort from the beginning to put them on the same schedule.
The bag issue........I went to 2 bags...Much easier I found....When in a hurry all the diapers look the same, clothes, etc......I couldnt keep organized.
Try to stay organized it really helps. It will be hard at first till you learn the new one. For me I was exhausted for the first month!
I was nursing my 1 1/2 year old! Wanted to nurse the new one but he didnt like it and lost a bunch of weight. Tried the double nursing....Whoa......way too much.
Once the little one gets around 6 months it gets way easier and then as the months go on it becomes really neat to watch them interact and grow together!
Good Luck, You are a lucky Woman

Well, I know exactly what you are going through, because my daughters are the same distance apart. I opted with a bigger diaper bag, since I was carrying for 2 babies in diapers not just one. Lucky for me, once my older one fit into a size 3 diaper, the little one could also wear them because she was on the chubbier side. I dont know what would be the case with you, hopefully that would work too!! Its one less expense to worry about. Aside from that, I dont think I did anything else much different, it was just lugging a bigger diaper bag or when I go out with my husband, we carry a diaper bag each, just so that it is organized a little easier. Hopefully this helps you out a little, and congrats on your new little one!

My first 2 are girls and are 14 months apart, and the second and third are 13 months apart, so they were all in diapers together for the first 6 months of my son's life! I used a medium-sized diaper bag, and it was fine, though I guess it depends on how much you want to carry. I basically had about 4 diapers per child, wipes, and a change of clothes for each one. If I needed to take food for my girls, I would pack that as well.

Don't worry--you can do this!! It will be challenging at times, but the 2 youngest will LOVE each other! And I definitely think that it's easier to have them a year apart than 2 years apart. My first daughter was amazing when my second one was born, but she was 2 when the third was born and was a bit jealous and acted out. The second one was much more interested and not jealous at all when the third was born. Everything will adjust quicker than you think, and you'll soon miss those early days! (Mine are now 3, 2, and 10 months!)

Good morning A.. I have 3 kids and my oldest turned 4 in Jan. and is sister turned 3 at the beginning of this month. My youngest is 5 mo. All I used with the 2 older ones is a medium size back pack. It worked great for me. Also when my oldest got a little bit older I got a childs back pack and put his stuff in there and he loved to carry it around. He thought he was such a big boy. A double stroller worked wonders! The best advise I can give you is be as calm as you can because it will be like having twins for the first few months. It does get better, and I prefered to have them close together. The only problem now is you never get any rest because mine don't nap any more. Congrats!!! and Good luck.

My daughter was 1yrs old when my son was born and still in diapers. I found a bag that was big enough for all three of us--I used the bag for everything they needed and my everyday items(i do not carry a purse for safety reasons). Check Kmart and Walmart discount purse rack you maybe able to find a bag big enough with departments. If you can't find a bag big enough then try putting only what you need in the diaper bag and always keep a bag in the car with extra diapers and clothes(i always keep this bag because u never know).

www.thebabywearer.com/forum
this site is AMAZING!
you will learn all about ways to carry your little ones- the 12 month old will still need to be carried!
HOLD those babies, mama!
so I would hop online and join in the various discussions- start out in the Introduce Yourself Forum and ask where else you should post your questions.
SUCH a NICE group of mamas there!
there is a Parenting Forum, etc

My boys are 15 months apart. When the boys were smaller, I only had 1 diaper bag but it was VERY organized! I breastfed so I didn't have to carry around bottles or formula. if you're unsure about breasfeeding, do it to cut down on something else for the diaper bag and cost! I always kept several diapers and an extra outfit in my truck as well.