Pros and cons?

cjdanielson

Hi new to this board. Have a 6 month old baby girl. DH and I have baby fever Ahhh! Seriously contemplating stopping the bc and just not doing anything to prevent getting pg. So, what are the pros and cons of having two under 2? And would you do it all over again? We originally wanted our children close together like no more than 3 years. But I just kinda wanna get it over with an be done :-) we only want 2 kids anyways. Thanks for your input... Any other thoughts are welcome too :-)

naturelle25

I could answer this question differently on a daily basis, lol. As it stands now, if I could go back, I would have had more space between the two of them (19 months apart). Everyone says I will be happy when they are older that they are so close in age but right now and ever since Owen was born, this has been so incredibly hard. Hard enough that I dont know that I would do it again this way. I should also add that a big reason it has been so hard is b/c my DH is always working...sometimes 7 days a week, so I get very little help AND my kids are both horrible sleepers.

roundtheworldgirl

We didn't plan to have two so close together (we have almost-Irish twins).  And it's hard, and most of the time I feel like I don't want more kids.  But just today I was telling DH that I wouldn't do it any differently.  DD2 is five months old and they are just starting to interact a bit.  It absolutely makes my day to see it.  (Of course, two seconds later DD2 is screaming because DD1 took her toy, but that's never going to change.

Cons: My second pregnancy was very hard.  I haven't had a good nights' sleep in two years.  Everything takes five times as long.  

Pros: My babies will have built-in playmates.  This is true of any siblings, but I think it's more true of those really close in age.  I'm one of five, and am three years apart from my nearest sibling.  We're close, but not in the same way that my brother and sister (two years apart) are. 

kcisthebombdotcom

I found out I was pregnant when my DS was 5 months old, so they're a little under 13m apart and I love it.

Pros: I found the 2nd pregnancy easy. I could nap when the baby napped (which was a lot), I didnt have a toddler to chase while huge and pregnant. Even when I was in the last few weeks of my pregnancy, DS was still napping 3 times a day. My DS had no issues adjusting because he was too young to be jealous. I like the idea of getting the sleepless nights/diapers/teething/terrible 2s out of the way instead of waiting and starting all over again. I like that they will be able to play with similar toys/share similar experiences. When we go on family trips, have family game nights in the future-they will be able to do the same things. I only work part time so I can be home with the kids, and having them both close means that I can stay home until DD starts 1st grade without paying for daycare.

Cons: Taking both kids out to the car in the beginning was tough (although now it is easier since DS can walk well). I hardly sleep, especially with a newborn that is still up at 2am/5am to eat and a toddler who is cutting molars and is up frequently. Running errands/doing things with 2 kids is tougher than 1 and requires more planning, but I suppose that's true of any age gap.

With that being said, I am really lucky-my DH doesnt work crazy hours and I have parents close by that can help on a moment's notice if I need to run an errand/go to a doctors appointment alone/need a night out with DH. I think it would be much more challenging if I did not have the support I do. I might have reconsidered if I didnt have the circumstances I do.

detroitblondie

We did it (by accident) and it is AWESOME.  It's not always easy (logistically speaking) but it is totally great in so many ways.  It's a lot easier than you probably think and getting the baby stage "out of the way" is a pro as far as I'm concerned.  Go for it!!!