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Parenting
"irish twins"
Just curious if any parents that have had children back to back, would offer some of their thoughts on the subject... My husband and I are looking to have children back to back, as close as possible together. We were just blessed with our 1st son a month ago.
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Re: "irish twins"
I know the term generally means under a year apart but mine were close. L was 1yr & 11 days old when my twins were born. It was CRAZY! Luckily he was an excellent baby and was sleeping 12hrs at night and took 2 2hr naps during the day. The good thing was that he was so young that he was easy to occupy. He still played in the jumparoo for the first 2 months the girls were born.
Once the girls were sleeping through the night (for the first 3 months they had their days/nights 100% switched but by 4 months were sttn from 9pm-9am) and on formula instead of bfing I was able to get them all on the same schedule pretty much. It got much easier and I got used to doing everything 3times. Feeding, changing, bathing, dressing etc. By the time the girls were 1 it was very similar to triplets because they all did everything together and played well together.
It was a huge relief to get them all out of diapers though. Not the actual changing them part but the money savings part. L didnt pt until 3.5yrs so I had 3 in diapers for 2.5yrs and then 2 for another year until the girls ptd.
I always wanted my kids 4-5yrs apart. I wanted a somewhat independent older child who could for the most part do simple things for them self. (eat, play, dress, bathe, potty etc) before we had another one. I also thought it would work out well to have the time alone with only one while the older was in prek/kindergarten.
We failed at family planning and Im so glad. I LOVE having my kids so close.
Landon * Kaydance * Kennedy
5/13/05 ******5/24/06
* Baby is due July 24 2012 *
My first two are 11 months apart. The first year was a breeze for the most part. DD1 was an incredibly high needs baby, but fortunately her neediness mainly required that she stay latched onto my boob 24/7 (I'm NOT exaggerating). DS had some health problems during that year and that kind of drained me, but otherwise caring for them was rather easy.
My pregnancies are all difficult. DD1's was easier in the beginning because my nausea wasn't as bad (ie, not 24/7). However, I dealt with some PTL (I'm not sure how much was PTL because nothing became of it and I did the same thing with DD2, and continued unmedicated for it and nothing happened).
Anyway, I think I'd be a-okay if I had stopped at those 2. I found myself pregnant when DD1 was a year old, and the pregnancy/first 2 years sucked the life out of me. If you choose to try immediately for another one, make sure you have people who can take care of your child if you go on bedrest (it's not uncommon for moms of "irish twins") and take your time before having a third.
Good luck. There are definite good and bad parts of the closeness of age. My kids are all so close, but I'm raising three very young kids and it's very hard. Once one exits a bad phase, another one enters the same phase. THAT is hard.
My cousin has 2 that are 13 months apart and she says it's hard. Hard on your body to have 2 pregnancies that close together and hard to have a new baby when the older one is still so needy. She just now feels that things are getting easier with the younger one past 2.5.
My OB recommends that you wait until the younger one is at least a year old. Mine are almost exactly 2 years apart and I wish we had waited at least 6 more months if not a year. I am tired.
DS - December 2006
DD - December 2008
Having kids so close together, pregnancy wise, is very hard on your body and therefore sometimes the baby.
Quite honestly my kids ar 2 year 2 mos. apart and sometimes I wish we had waited another 6 mos to a year for the 2nd.
Mine are 22 months apart as well and I could've used another few months. I was getting older and thought it would be better to get it over with. Hindsight is 20/20.
I announed my second pregnancy at my first son's 1st bday party so it wasn't quite that close but still under 2 yrs etc. I love having my kids close together and have a sister the same number of months older than me and we are close as well. you will be tired regardless of how close your kids are but I admit it's nice if one walks. I did potty train mine together (my older son has delays so he was a touch behind but the younger was ahead so it worked). It's nice that they do things together.
ITA too! And, I'm kind of sad that my baby years were over so fast. I really missed a lot the 2nd time around b/c things were so busy. And, what really killed me was having a 1 and 3 y/o. That was rough!
My kids are 4 days less than a year apart. Not planned. If I had the choice to do it again, I would (now). But if you'd asked me in the first four months, I would have said hell no. HELL no. It's hard. Extremely hard, esp. when you deal with PPD.
Now? I adore their age difference and love seeing them together every day. They're already great friends.
If I were having more kids (I'm not)? Never again.
Im with you here...there are 3 year, 2 months and one day from DD1 and DD2. Im somehow still pregnant with LO#3 so he or she will be right at 3 years younger than DD2. I love the age diff because you get more time to enjoy each of their accomplishments like walking, swimming, playing sports, going to school. Plus, potty training! Not to mention the older child is such a huge help with the baby....such as grabbing wipes for you when there is poo smeared all over the baby. I would have liked for #2 and #3 to be one year closer, but DH lost his job about that time, so we had to wait another year.
This. You are considered "high risk" getting pg again so soon. I would not do that purposely knowing you are putting you and baby at risk.
Our 2nd & 3rd children are 27 mos apart. That was close enough! Our 3rd and 4th children are 33 mos apart and just that 6 mos makes a BIG difference! I MUCH prefer the 33 month spacing than the 27 month spacing. I look at DS2 now, who is 31 mos, and cannot imagine having a newborn right now...I must have been NUTS!!
Our Angel Boy- m/c in 2007 @ 9wks due to Trisomy 17
I know. I look at my friend's 2 year old and how much of a baby he still is. I had DD 6 days before DS second birthday. I could not even imagine having a newborn NOW, when DD is 2.5. She's just starting to be less work and is on the verge of potty training.
DS - December 2006
DD - December 2008
Though we don't have Irish Twins my kids (oldest 3) are close in age and I wouldn't have it another way, I love it.
Baby number 4 will be my biggest span between babies 27M. Only because we thought we were done, and then one day we had a change of heart glad we did.
Stanley Oct, 2006
McKenna Feb, 2008
Evelyn July, 2009
Baby Boy Oct, 2011
My age differences are 16M with #1 and #2 and #2 and #3 are 17M.
My Oldest was 2 was my 3rd was born, kind of wished we were having #4 closer to #3 then we are. But oh well life happens.
Stanley Oct, 2006
McKenna Feb, 2008
Evelyn July, 2009
Baby Boy Oct, 2011