TTC with close age gaps

If me and DH started ttc now, then I could potentially be due end of November. My little girl will be 16months then, and my boy will have just turned 3years old. I know it will take a lot of adjusting if I were to do this. But i'm not completely nuts for wanting my 3rd (and last) child this close. There is 21month age gap between my two kids, and it was good. but is 16months to close of an age gap? and thats if we fall preg first month trying,

Well, I don't think it would be that bad of a thing. My daughter and son are going to also have 21 months age difference as well, But me and my brother haha you ready for this, We was born in the same year! He was born Jan 1989 and I was born Dec 1989. Needless to say my mom didn't waste anytime, But I love it because me and my brother are so close sometimes I feel like we are twins. I just think your children would have a close bond being so close in age!  

I am just wondering what I am letting myself in for, seeing as it would make up three. Maybe I should leave it a few months, so there is 21months (at least)between each child you know.

wow at being so close in age with your brother. Hmmm im sure whatever the age gap though It would take a good few weeks if not months to adjust to it all. Just don't want to be all crazy and stuff, even though DH family keep asking when we are trying for our third. Hmm think I will leave it one month before we start trying, then least it will give me an extra month of just having 2kids. thanks for the reply!  

The spacing of your children is nobody else's business. My son and daughter will be just 11 months apart and people think we are crazy but we love it.

IMO the perfect age is 3 years. the eldest is either already potty trained or on the way to be. They also understand a little better that mommy isn't replacing them.

A friend of mine's children are 18 months apart and she says it's alot harder than she thought. I'd wait just a little while longer. Again, this is just my opinion. you know your family best.

Only you can say what the best age gap is. I'm sure it will make it tough with them close but you do what you want! At first I said I wanted my kids 4 years apart (because I was four years from my sister and remember her being born) but now that I have Endometriosis, we might just jam em in as fast as we can! lol. Good luck to you, your kids are beautiful.  

Thanks girls for your replies. I love the age gap between my boy and girl. 21months. I don't think I would want it any different than that. But wasn't sure how I would do it with a 16month age gap. I know it can be done. But having 3, I really need to think about what will be best. I know I don't want a big age gap (maximum would be is 4years) as I want to get all the diapers/bottle feeding/breastfeeding/teething all out of the way at once. It took us three months to conceive our girl, so a part of me is thinking if I start now, and it takes us just as long or longer, then it will be 21month age gap or there abouts maybe. But then again I have been able to fall preg first time twice before (miscarriage and my boy) so whos to say it wont happen again. Maybe I will wait it out until May/June time to start trying, so that I am at an age gap that I'm already familiar with. Also a plus my boy will start part time nursery in Jan 09, so I won't have all three of them together all day. Im just sooo broody. But yeah I think it might be best to try stick to the age gap I know or a little later. Don't want too big of a shock when/if number 3 arrives.

Thanks girls!


jka I remember seeing ur name around on here a lot when i was preg with my girl. Congrats on the latest pregnancy. hope it is all going well for you! and cool on you for the 11months apart. My friend just had her third child. Her girls ages are 4yrs old, 1yr old and 1month old. She is loving it so much. And she is broody again, so it can't be that hard if she wants another.  

Fancy.Pants

Thanks. I think they are gorgeous too. heehee

Think about it, they'll all be teenagers at the same time, and out of the house within a couple years. I'd spread out the fun of having kids around.

Quoting Steffy:“ If me and DH started ttc now, then I could potentially be due end of November. My little girl will be ... [snip!] ... gap between my two kids, and it was good. but is 16months to close of an age gap? and thats if we fall preg first month trying,”

I think it is a good age gap. I have a 6 month old boy right now and I am a little over 6 weeks along with my second. If he/she is born on their due date, my kids will be 14 months apart. I think it is great they will be so close in age and can play with each other and relate to each other when they get older. 

My nieces are 18 monthsand my SIL loves it. She said it was an adjustment, but her girls are the best of friends.

Yeah having my little girl 21months after having my boy, was a big adjustment but thankfully the hubby had nearly 6weeks off when i was due, so I had a lot of help. but this time it wont happen (he took a week over a weeks holiday, had two weeks factory shutdown, and then two weeks paternity) because the only time two weeks are next to each other are in august. so the maximum he would get off with us would be about 4weeks. and thats if 1 week is factory closedown. i will have to have a talk with hubby and decide what the closest age gap we will be happy with, and try plan a baby round a factory shutdown.

Thanks girls.



Ilse777....sorry if im being dumb here, but your meaning spread the age gaps apart so I have them around me longer. I would have done this if I wanted a big age gap. The maximum age gap we agreed on was 4years. But then for me I feel it is too big a gap. I want them all to grow up close and stuff, and to get all the baby stuff like diapers, bottles, breastfeeding out of the way, It's partly because I look at my mom now, and she has my sister who is 14yrs old. And me and my other sisters are 21, 23 and 26. And my mom hates that she is tied down to my little sister still, and can't 'live her life' I don't want to feel like that. I know my mom chose to have my sister and stuff, but no one can help what they feel. I just prefer to have them close, and wondered if I were crazy to want to get pregnant now, and have a possible age gap of 16months.

And the thought of them all flying the nest within a couple of years of each other isn't such a bad thing.

Also a positive that I didn't think about: My first sister and I (4 yrs apart) are close but not as close as my first and second sister (they are only two years apart). It's difficult when there are more than two years I think because then they are just at different points in their life. I remember not really talking to my first sister much once I got in middle school-highschool because it was just difficult. How much could a18 and14 year old have in common? LOL.

Totally get you on that. I was closest to my sister who is 18months older than me. But now am closer to my oldest sister as we are the only two with children. But yes I have heard that the bigger the age gap the harder to get two activities that both will like. ATM with my two I can take them to playgroups and the ball pits, and they both enjoy it. But i'm thinking a 6month old and a 5year old wouldn't really have much in common. But even with my first born and last being a big age gap, my girl in the middle will sort of bring it all together, as hopefully she will be walking by time baby number 3 comes along, so the two older ones can sort of entertain each other more. Thanks for positive replies on this. Glad I am not crazy wanting another age gap just as close.