How long to wait before TTC for second baby

Lucy Lu · Dec 17th, 2009, 17:11 PM

Hi ladies,

Wow - this is the first time I've posted in WTT!... as I first joined the website when we were TTCing our first little one.

Our LO is 2 and a half months old so it's very early days but OH and I are having a difference of opinion about when to start TTCing for our second child. He reckons an age gap of about 15 months would be great, but I guess I always envisaged having a couple of years between babies.

I'm not sure why I've had that set in my mind though, so thought it might be helpful to have a thread for ladies in a similar position for us to post pros and cons of having LOs really close together.

Look forward to reading some of the responses!

xx

lozzy21 · Dec 17th, 2009, 17:17 PM

I cant realy comment as i havent had a chid yet but i want atleast 3 years between my kids. There is 15 months btween my brother and sister and my mam said it was hell.

The way i see it is your going to be the one having to look after one LO while pregant with another so id wait as long as you want. Its easy for him to say that as he goes out to work every day leaving you at home to look after an LO and being hevily pregnant.

Samantha675 · Dec 17th, 2009, 20:00 PM

We are going to start trying about the time Brenn turns two. That way there will be almost 3 years between. I like a 3 year gap. Brenn has time to be a baby and by the time #2 is here, he will be ready to be independent.

faille · Dec 18th, 2009, 17:07 PM

We're planning to have the next one born just after Violet turns 2.

There's a 2yr age gap between me and my brother and we always got on really well. There's a 3yr gap between me and my sister and we fought like hell. Sister and brother have a very small age gap and they too fought really bad (could just be my sis

).

Best friend at school also had a 3yr gap with her sister and they were always always fighting too.

My nephews have 2yr gap between them and they are so close and play well with each other and look after each other.

I also don't want too big an age gap as that makes family holidays a lot harder - you have to try and entertain the younger one without boring the older one and the things the older one wants to do is too old for the younger one!

goddess25 · Dec 18th, 2009, 19:17 PM

I am going to TTC number 2 when my current son is 1, which is in Feb. If all goes according to plan he will be about 21 months when the next one is born. Ideally i would like a little more time but I am wanting to try quickly as I will be 36 at my next birthday and I dont want to wait too long due to my age.

mrso · Dec 20th, 2009, 00:53 AM

We are planning 3-4 years between each of our children.

We started TTC #2 when my son was 2 and it took us 10 months to get pregger with second child. I am really glad that we waited this long too. My oldest is potty trained, sleeps well, and is pretty independent. I dont have to chase him all over. He is a big boy and can do most things for himself.

princess_bump · Dec 20th, 2009, 03:26 AM

we're hoping for about a 3 year age gap between ours, which is perfect for us, as we get to spend lots of time with just our daughter, and are able to do so much with her before we have another one, like our big disney holiday and wedding in september, we wouldn't of been able to do this if we had a small age gap as i wouldn't of wanted to take a small baby out there.
personally though, i don't ever think there is the 'perfect' age gap between children, i think it's what works for you. maddi has always been an 'easy' baby - she slept through from 6weeks, and since then she's had one rough night last year when she was ill. she still naps twice a day for 2hours each, and sleeps from 6/7pm till 8/9am and she doesn't tantrum etc, so what i'm trying to say is, we could of had another straight away (though after my em. c-section i don't think i was up to it!) but for us, it's perfect to wait, and spend some time 'just us' x

Kimboowee · Dec 20th, 2009, 04:15 AM

We originally planned on having a 2y age gap but we're just gonna see how it goes and start to TTC when we feel its the right time. Its changed so many times now Im just gonna go with the flow - saying that I wouldnt want more than a 5y age gap

Becky10 · Dec 20th, 2009, 15:22 PM

I always planned to start trying for number 2 when DD was 18months as I heard that your body needs that long to fully recupperate anyway. DD is 18months in Feb, so we have almost waited that long! My sis and I are 21months apart and I always found that a little too close, so hopefully mine will be about 26 or 27months - perfect hopefully!

PeanutBean · Dec 20th, 2009, 16:14 PM

We're waiting til next summer so if we conceive right away and the baby is born in, say, April 2011 then Byron will be almost 2 and a half. A few reasons for the wait:
1) I was horribly horribly ill in pregnancy and there is no way I could manage with a baby needing constant carrying so Byron needs to be walking ok before I get pregnant again.
2) I still don't feel quite recovered and took a long time to heal as I had a traumatic labour so want to feel more normal before doing it all again.
3) We want to get in a better financial situation after my maternity leave.
4) We want Byron to be getting his free nursery days before the new baby goes into nursery as well as we won't be able to afford two lots.
5) We want to be able to have some special time with Byron as we'll never have the one to one relationship with him or other babies in the future.

Dec 17th, 2009, 17:11 PM	#1
Lucy Lu Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 1,454	How long to wait before TTC for second baby Hi ladies, Wow - this is the first time I've posted in WTT!... as I first joined the website when we were TTCing our first little one. Our LO is 2 and a half months old so it's very early days but OH and I are having a difference of opinion about when to start TTCing for our second child. He reckons an age gap of about 15 months would be great, but I guess I always envisaged having a couple of years between babies. I'm not sure why I've had that set in my mind though, so thought it might be helpful to have a thread for ladies in a similar position for us to post pros and cons of having LOs really close together. Look forward to reading some of the responses! xx

Status: Offline

Dec 17th, 2009, 20:00 PM	#3
Samantha675 Pregnant (Expecting) BnB Addict Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 8,123	We are going to start trying about the time Brenn turns two. That way there will be almost 3 years between. I like a 3 year gap. Brenn has time to be a baby and by the time #2 is here, he will be ready to be independent.

Status: Offline

Dec 18th, 2009, 17:07 PM	#4
faille Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Kent UK Posts: 3,681	We're planning to have the next one born just after Violet turns 2. There's a 2yr age gap between me and my brother and we always got on really well. There's a 3yr gap between me and my sister and we fought like hell. Sister and brother have a very small age gap and they too fought really bad (could just be my sis ). Best friend at school also had a 3yr gap with her sister and they were always always fighting too. My nephews have 2yr gap between them and they are so close and play well with each other and look after each other. I also don't want too big an age gap as that makes family holidays a lot harder - you have to try and entertain the younger one without boring the older one and the things the older one wants to do is too old for the younger one!

Status: Offline

Dec 18th, 2009, 19:17 PM	#5
goddess25 Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: vancouver Posts: 5,591	I am going to TTC number 2 when my current son is 1, which is in Feb. If all goes according to plan he will be about 21 months when the next one is born. Ideally i would like a little more time but I am wanting to try quickly as I will be 36 at my next birthday and I dont want to wait too long due to my age.

Status: Offline

Dec 20th, 2009, 00:53 AM	#6
mrso Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: WY Posts: 1,406	We are planning 3-4 years between each of our children. We started TTC #2 when my son was 2 and it took us 10 months to get pregger with second child. I am really glad that we waited this long too. My oldest is potty trained, sleeps well, and is pretty independent. I dont have to chase him all over. He is a big boy and can do most things for himself.

Status: Offline

Dec 17th, 2009, 17:17 PM	#2
lozzy21 Mum (Mom) BnB Elite Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Teesside, Posts: 19,412	I cant realy comment as i havent had a chid yet but i want atleast 3 years between my kids. There is 15 months btween my brother and sister and my mam said it was hell. The way i see it is your going to be the one having to look after one LO while pregant with another so id wait as long as you want. Its easy for him to say that as he goes out to work every day leaving you at home to look after an LO and being hevily pregnant.

Status: Online

Dec 20th, 2009, 03:26 AM	#7
princess_bump Mum (Mom) BnB Spammer Elite Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: England Posts: 31,450	we're hoping for about a 3 year age gap between ours, which is perfect for us, as we get to spend lots of time with just our daughter, and are able to do so much with her before we have another one, like our big disney holiday and wedding in september, we wouldn't of been able to do this if we had a small age gap as i wouldn't of wanted to take a small baby out there. personally though, i don't ever think there is the 'perfect' age gap between children, i think it's what works for you. maddi has always been an 'easy' baby - she slept through from 6weeks, and since then she's had one rough night last year when she was ill. she still naps twice a day for 2hours each, and sleeps from 6/7pm till 8/9am and she doesn't tantrum etc, so what i'm trying to say is, we could of had another straight away (though after my em. c-section i don't think i was up to it!) but for us, it's perfect to wait, and spend some time 'just us' x

Status: Offline

Dec 20th, 2009, 04:15 AM	#8
Kimboowee Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Derbyshire Posts: 9,427	We originally planned on having a 2y age gap but we're just gonna see how it goes and start to TTC when we feel its the right time. Its changed so many times now Im just gonna go with the flow - saying that I wouldnt want more than a 5y age gap

Status: Offline

Dec 20th, 2009, 15:22 PM	#9
Becky10 Pregnant (Expecting) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Oxfordshire,UK Posts: 1,335	I always planned to start trying for number 2 when DD was 18months as I heard that your body needs that long to fully recupperate anyway. DD is 18months in Feb, so we have almost waited that long! My sis and I are 21months apart and I always found that a little too close, so hopefully mine will be about 26 or 27months - perfect hopefully!

Status: Offline

Dec 20th, 2009, 16:14 PM	#10
PeanutBean Mum (Mom) BnB Elite Join Date: May 2008 Location: Greater Manchester Posts: 18,226	We're waiting til next summer so if we conceive right away and the baby is born in, say, April 2011 then Byron will be almost 2 and a half. A few reasons for the wait: 1) I was horribly horribly ill in pregnancy and there is no way I could manage with a baby needing constant carrying so Byron needs to be walking ok before I get pregnant again. 2) I still don't feel quite recovered and took a long time to heal as I had a traumatic labour so want to feel more normal before doing it all again. 3) We want to get in a better financial situation after my maternity leave. 4) We want Byron to be getting his free nursery days before the new baby goes into nursery as well as we won't be able to afford two lots. 5) We want to be able to have some special time with Byron as we'll never have the one to one relationship with him or other babies in the future.

Status: Offline

Similar Threads
How long have you waited/ got to wait before TTC?	Waiting To Try
Folic acid - how long to take before TTC?	Waiting To Try
How long to wait before seeking help?	Trying To Conceive
How long to wait before testing	Trying To Conceive
How long would you wait before taking a new baby out?	Pregnancy Club

User Name		Remember Me?
Password