Too Many Babies!!

Hi I have two girls. My oldest was 17 months when I had the little one. It wasn't really as stressful as I thought it would be, until the little one could actually start doing stuff by herself. All I can really say is try to have the older one help out with the baby so she won't feel left out.

Hi! I can relate - my boy/girl twins were 5 months old when I got pregnant again (a big, happy oops!). I freaked out!! But by the time my little girl was born, I realized that it was so much easier to take care of a newborn the second time (okay, third LOL) around. My twins were kind of oblivious when their baby sister came home - they are 15 months apart. But as they've grown together, it's kind of like triplets. My little girl *thinks* she's the same age as her twin siblings. They all play together, and it's fun.
BUT, it's still a LOT of work. Definitely have a structure to your day - let the messes be, but be organized ... plan ahead for your errands (try to do them when someone else is watching the kids - a perfect excuse for a much-needed break), plan ahead for meals (or have ideas and a stocked pantry at least), and make a list of all possible activities to do - indoor and out. In moments of crazy despair, look to that list for something to "calm the beasts" and than sit back and realize you DO have everything under control!
~K.

Here's some positive thoughts! Mine were eighteen months apart, so not quite as close, but your 14 month old will probably still take at least one nap, so you'll get quiet time either by yourself or with the baby in the afternoon. We found, too, that because our first one wasn't so old, she wasn't so used to having mom and dad completely to herself, so the baby was a welcome distraction for her. When I fed the baby, I would sit my oldest next to me and read her a book at the same time, so she wasn't competing for time and was still cuddling with me. I also made her a big helper which at that age is still fun! If it makes you feel any better, I'm pregnant with my fifth which was totally unplanned also and you wonder how you'll ever do it, but once the baby arrives, you just do, and everything is fine. Good luck!

I had a 9 month old daughter when I found out I was pregnant (oops!) with my son. I was still breastfeeding her at the time...no wonder I was so tired! Luckily, at this time she started cutting teeth...on me, so it wasn't too hard to get her off the breast. She was already sleeping on her own when her brother arrived, which no doubt makes it easier. The hardest thing I ran into was my 18 month old wanting attention, when I had to breastfeed the baby. A plus is that you have two of the same sex...talk about saving some money on clothes! You will learn that you can do 1,000 different things one-handed, that is for sure. You thought you picked up some multi-tasking skills with the first born...just wait! It was said before and it is true...it is a slow transition, because newborns sleep so much. You will still be outright exhausted, because sleeping when baby does, isn't always an option. The transition period is more for the older kids than you. It is rough to start but as they get older...you will see wonderful things happen between your little ones and probably as I have, forget about how hard it was in the beginning. My children are best friends...they are very close and it does make it easier planning family events because they are interested in similar things. Take a deep breath and revel in the positive things that come from having them so close together. For example: One downfall may be that they graduate one after another ($), but the upside is that they are hopefully out of the house one after another :) Congratulations by the way!

Hi I'm a new membor to and I have four girls 4,3,2 and 4months (lol) The first three are 13mths apart and birth-control did'nt work for us eithor. Now that I have them things usually run smooth,they get along great (most of the time).Passing down toys and clothes works great too. So take a breath and relax you will get in the flow of things.

I have 3 sons - Jake and Noah are 15 mo apart (2yo and 3yo now) and Noah and Isaac are 21 mo apart (Isaac is 3 mo). My advice - don't sweat the small stuff. The messes in your house will be there tomorrow :) Take some special time out for each of your children. This will help your oldest to adjust when you do something special with her. Have your hubby take your oldest out to so you can spend one on one with the baby. I thought I was really bonded with my second until my husband took my first out one day and I really got to focus on the baby. Set up a steady schedule now for your daughter and stick to it when the baby comes.

Just take one day at a time. Remember babies usually sleep a lot in the begining so it's a some what gradual transition. This is all I can think of off the top of my head - but if your have any specific questions let me know! Good luck!

I have a 2 and 3 yr old, 15 months apart. I became more active in my church and found some other stay at home moms who could relate. We have been meeting once a week at a park, once a week at a local exercise class for little ones, and started giving eachother breaks, 2 hours at a time by watching eachother's kids. Sometimes, just that seems like too much for me to handle, with all there is to do at home, but really, it's good for everyone involved. The older they get, the less I feel like they need me and more they need me to let them explore. Do what you can and enjoy them....they are growing up too fast.

OMG that is almost exactly me. I have an 18 month old and a 2 month old. I also have a 5 year old. with my third child my birth control didn't work. I was on the ortho evra patch at the time. It is hard to have 2 babies I have been doing this for 2 months now. They seem to at bedtime fight for my attention. I rock my 18 month to sleep sometimes. We are working on getting him to go to bed on his own, but sometimes I still rock him. I put my 2 month old in his bouncer near the rocking chair. Sometimes they both cry at the same time. It is easier with the 18 month old because he can hold his own bottle and he can feed himself. If you have any questions please ask me. I can help you out with anything. I won't lie to you, sometimes you just want to pull your hair out, but this can happen even if your kids are years apart.

I too have children that close!!!! Mine are 15 months apart. We were not planning on having children that close together at all either. I would not change it for the world, though! My oldest is now 18 months old and the baby is 3 months old, and things suprisingly are going well! A little advice for you...
Give your oldest alot of attention. Let her help with as much as possible!! I found that as long as I made my daughter a part of daily activities like changing the babies diaper, and feeding him, the day went much smoother. The more I tried to "protect" the baby from her clumsy hands, the more upset and withdrawn she got! It was better for us to let her be around him as much as possible! Good luck to you!!!

I am 24 and have three children. My daughter will be 4 in Dec., my first son will be 2 in Dec., and my baby boy was just born on Aug. 26th. I highly suggest getting yourself and your little ones on a schedule because it gives your children a sense of security and will help you keep your sanity. Good luck.

Take a deep breath, it will be just fine. First of all, you need to take the best possible care of yourself..vitamins naps the whole deal, it's easy to have a premature baby when they are so together. Okay, now my friend had her 2 boys 13 months apart, and I had my son 18 months after my daughter, we have a few tricks. The first one is to invest in a quality baby sling or carrier. This will give you 2 free hands to take care of your toddler while still holding your new baby (test them out in the store, some are much better for newborns than others) secondly, try to time their naps together...it will take a while to get them in a routine, but once you do, you will find that you have around 2 hours or more to accomplish things that you couldn't when they were awake...like showering cleaning or cooking. Thirdly, PLAN AHEAD...you don't want to realize you're out of milk 2 minutes after your husband leaves for work for the day, leaving you to take both kids to the store...which isn't fun. Try to get everything "out of the house" taken care of when you have him there to help or watch them so you can leave for a while. The last tip, is to ask for help, from your husband, friends, family, anyone. Don't feel bad, most people you know are dying to hold/play with your kids...let them, it will give you a break. I had my best friend come over one day so i could take a nap...i didn't even sit with her for 5 minutes. Lots of parents love taking a week or so to come help you get adjusted, see if that's an option...they usually cook too!!! If all else fails, communicate to your husband that you need a little down time to exercise or do something just for you. I like to read, but can't find the time, so i ask him to take our older child out of the house while the baby sleeps to give me a little quiet time. They will grow up being best friends, having them close is great...you're just a little more run down. You'll do great, if you need anything else, feel free to email me anytime!!! Good luck~

I have two boys that are less than 13 months apart. They are now 3 & 4 and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. They are the best of friends and the worst of enemies. In the begining it was hard, but then time just flies and they help each other out. Take advantage of family & friends. Let them help out whenever they ask, do not turn them down. Allow each of the girls to be separate otherwise you will run into my problem, they can't go anywhere without each other, even if it just to the store.

Hi,

My children are 18 months apart. My son will be 3 soon, and my daughter is 16 months.
My daughter was a "happy surprise" =).
It was hard at first, but it will get better as your new baby reaches the phases such as being able to sit up, sleep longer, etc.
All I can say is good luck, you will do great! =)

Sincerely,
R.

I am a 26 year old mom of three.One 10, one 4,and one 3.I'm not going to lye. It's going to be tough at first. There will be a baby on your hip, and one in the other hand, in the baby carrier.( everywhere you go!)But it does get easier. My children, (all boys) are now best buddies. I can't imagine not having them this close.I get to reuse everything on the smaller child.(cuts down on the expense of having to buy all new baby stuff)The hardest part for me now is finding time for me.(hehehehehehehe) Good luck to you!

A.

My boys are 21 months apart. I know it is a bit further apart than yours but there are some good things. As they get a bit older they will start playing together and entertaining each other. I have found things work out best if I do not get too involved in their disputes. They learn to work them out themselves.

My sons are exactly 1yr and 2wks apart, so I know where you're coming from. Personally, I think it's great!! Jaden wasn't the only child for so long that he resent his brother, in fact, he LOVES his little brother. I know they will be best of friends!!! It is hard the 1st few months when sleep is limited, and your oldest still has WAY too much energy...LOL. But, it gets better, and you can do it! GL!!!

Hi there! When my son was 4 months old, I found out I was pregnant with twins (I was also on birth control). My twins were born 4 days before my sons first birthday! Less then a year afterwards! I went from having no children to having THREE within one years time! My son is now 3 and my twins are 2 and it has been a rough few years, but my kids are all really close with each other and they keep each other occupied since they are so close in age. Just try to take some time for yourself whenever you can just to kind of recooperate and relax. I know that's easier said than done. Dont be afraid to ask for help if you have family or friends that are willing to help out! Even if it's just for an hour or so, that will give you some "me" time to relax. Good luck! It's not easy!

lol i have 3 girls,,,, a 1 yr old a 2 yr old an a 5mth old there like 11mtha apart.. it gets easier as you go an its so worth it too see how close they will become.. just remember to breathe and take every moment as it comes... and get all the rest you can now.. stock up on things so ur not runnin to the store every day and most imprtant make sure you make time for you

Girl i know what your going thru. My first two are boys 17 months apart. My third one is only 11 months apart from my second and is a girl. If ya need ideas to keep your sanity feel free to look me up. I am also new to the group. Good luck girl.