Child spacing

weezie825

If you plan on having 2 or more kids and money & job/daycare wasn't an issue, how far apart would you prefer your children to be?

Ragdolls

Add age and fertility as non-issues and I would say 2 or 3 years apart.  I want time for DS to enjoy all of our attention, not to mention time to get my body back (as much as possible).  We're not young for first parents, though, (I'm 32 and DH is 40) and took some time to conceive DS, so at the very least I doubt we'll actively prevent for that long.

BunintheOven311

Honestly we want ours close together...I think it would be fun to have siblings close in age.  We're hoping to have another so they are 1-2 years apart. But of course if it doesnt work that way then thats ok too!

daisyterp

I did not want 2 under 2... but I got 2 under 26 months which is pretty close, but I was lucky that I only had 2 in diapers for 2 months because DD decided she wanted to start using the potty after DS was born- which is a frickin' miracle.  DD is very independent for her age and has handled getting a baby brother like a champ.   

It is the right spacing for us, but I will say that if we decide to go for #3 there will be more than 26 months between DS and any future siblings.  Having a newborn and a 2 yr old is exhausting- I think it actually might be easier to have 2 under 2, except for the diapers all of the "double" crap you have to invest in, and it's harder on your body.  I think that if we go for #3 I would try to time it so that DD is in kindergarten- and DS would be 3 and in nursery school 2 or 3 days a week.  DD would be a good helper and I think by then DS would be more independent. 

ThePastor'sWife

We're hoping to have them relatively close together, actually.  We're definitely going for #2, and are thinking we'd like 3, but we'll see how #2 is - DS is such an easy baby that 3 would be a breeze if all of them were like him, but we're not crazy enough to think we're that lucky. At this point, assuming DH gets a call this spring/summer, we're planning to start TTC #2 late summer/early fall... putting them at ~2 years apart.

autumn bliss

We want 2 for sure, but really are on the fence for 3.  If I knew for certain we would be good with 2, I would want another two years before trying for #2.  I am really enjoying this time with DD and don't want to be pregnant right now.  Plus, she is such an easy baby that I just know it won't be like this for another.

moonfaerie

I haven't had two kids for very long, but my girls are 14 months apart, which for the most part was planned taht way. (We were aiming for 15-18 months apart, but Chloe couldn't wait.)

I'm n the fence about having two and we're through, or 3u3. I don't want to be pg/have an infant intomy mid-30s. (I'm 31 right now and if we have a third, I'd plan to have it by 33.)

Lisa and Mickey

I always thought 2 years between would be good, but that would put us TTC in March-April, and that just feels too soon. We may be ready to TTC in the Fall or next winter, so maybe 2 1/2 years. I'm with the other girls on age. I'm 30 so if I want more than 2 I feel like I have to get a move on more so than if I were younger.

daisyterp

Oh and one of the reasons I would like to have a little more space between DS and a potential 3rd is that I have been pregnant and/or bf'ing since April '07.  I don't think I could handle being pregnant and nursing w/ 2 kids.

jcsntms06

DH and I have been talking about adding another baby to the mix. We are hoping to wait until August-October to try again. I would really like Annabelle to be a little more independent, maybe even out of diapers before another baby comes along. I'm also high risk, so I'm waiting to talk to my doctor, before even ttc, to see what our options are. But most likely I would like our children to be 2-3 years apart.

Cooper81

As much as I would love TTC now, the thought also scares me.  I feel like we just rush through the week, and have a very regimented schedule and throwing a NB into that scares me.  We have talked about TTC around this time next year.  I would love to shave 30 minutes off my commute each way (and I've been trying for a year now, but it's not like I can just go out anywhere and get a job, I have a specific agency in mind), that would give me an extra hour a day, and would help out so much.

madladybride

IF we decide to have another, then probably 2-3 years apart. It took a long time for us to have a successful pregnancy (about 3-4 years). I'm already AMA, so we would probably start a year after we have this one only because it took us so long to get pg the first time around.

mrs. remy

2-3 years would be my preference.

Mrs.Wtobe

We were hoping to have kids about 2 years apart but when DS arrives on Tuesday they will be 17 months apart.  We haven't closed the subject on a third child yet but if we did have a third they will be a lot further apart.  I'm thinking at least 3 years apart. 

weezie825

I should answer my own question- lol. 

Ideally I would also like about 2-3 years between our children.  However, since I am high risk already and in my mid-thirties we're thinking more like 18 months - 2 years. 

cbaummer2be

My first two are 18 months apart. This was a surprise and not 100% ideal but it worked. I basically brought a baby home to a baby which was a challenge but they are very close right now. They attend pre-school together on a part time basis, play at home together, and generally do everything together which I think is great.

We were on the fence about 3 but we were definitely considering it. 4 was definitely not on the table but we got a BOGO deal with our current pregnancy and we are currently expecting identical twins. It was a huge surprise and adjustment. However, they will be close, my son and daughter are close and are becoming more and more independent, and I am hoping that they will want to help. I guess you can try to plan everything but it's the human body, timing, luck, etc.. and nothing when it comes to children ever goes exactly as planned.

SarahKate31

I'd say 2-3 years would be my ideal.

Given our ages and our history with getting and staying pregnant, I kind of want to accelerate that. But then again, affording 2 under 2 in daycare would be nearly impossible.

FieryIrishAngel

My ideal was 18 mos-2 years, but reality is going to be more like 5 years if we have a second.  I'm bummed by it.

Matildasun

I think 2-3 years is a perfect spread. We plan on starting to try in September. I am going back to school in September, and would like to get a whole school year in before I go out again.

KathrynMD

I think 2-3 years is ideal, probably a little more on the later side.  We're still on the fence about #2, but if we go for it, we'll do it soon.

idonthavethis

FieryIrishAngel:

My ideal was 18 mos-2 years, but reality is going to be more like 5 years if we have a second.  I'm bummed by it.

I know it's easier said than done, but try not to be bummed by it. This is coming from someone who has a 14 year old and a 1 year old..ha ha. Ava loves her brother. She will go through the list of everyone in our house.."Mommy, Daddy, Ava, brother, Oscar (the dog)"--it's awesome. If I didn't have Ava, I really believe Chris would've been fine since he was an only child for 13 years. If you do decide to have another one, the space will not bother you (at least that's my opinion).

FieryIrishAngel

idonthavethis:

FieryIrishAngel:

My ideal was 18 mos-2 years, but reality is going to be more like 5 years if we have a second.  I'm bummed by it.

I know it's easier said than done, but try not to be bummed by it. This is coming from someone who has a 14 year old and a 1 year old..ha ha. Ava loves her brother. She will go through the list of everyone in our house.."Mommy, Daddy, Ava, brother, Oscar (the dog)"--it's awesome. If I didn't have Ava, I really believe Chris would've been fine since he was an only child for 13 years. If you do decide to have another one, the space will not bother you (at least that's my opinion).

Yeah, I try not to fixate on it because at this point, it's out of my hands.  There was no way that we could have afforded two in daycare before this, so it just wasn't an option.  Nothing I could have done would have changed that and I just need to accept it.

The idea of starting over, though.  Oh ugh.  Diapers, midnight wakeups and feedings, etc.  Mia's through all of that and so independent.  I know I can do it and it's worth it if I decide that I truly want #2, but boy do I not want to go through all of that again.

lauranne

Ideally, we wanted ours to be two years apart.  God had different plans for us, and ours will be about 3 years and 3 months apart.