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It's not terrible but it's a bit intense at first! I wouldn't so it without a great, supportive partner at the very least. I also have a nanny (I'm a wohm) who really, really helped during my maternity leave with #2.

We will be having 2 under 3...~31 months apart. I am a little nervous since DS is a terrible sleeper and very attached, but overall I think it will be better in the long run. They will grow up knowing the same people and we also have close friends whose LO's are 18 months apart so our kids will grow up together (our oldest are 4 months apart and our youngest will be around 8 months apart). I grew up being 5 years apart from my siblings, so I have a brother 10 and 5 years older than me and at times it felt like we were only children. They were out of school I was in by the time I got to middle or high school etc.

@scg00387: I felt the same way...I couldn't imagine going back to a "normal" life and then doing it all over again, especially with DS's allergies and the chance of the next having similar issues I wanted things fresh in my mind as well as it doctors. DH was on the other side of the fence because of DS, but his ideal child spacing before LO was 3 years so we are almost at that.

We had ours almost 23 months apart and I think it was perfect! DD was old enough to be somewhat self sufficient (think meal times, getting up the stairs etc) but not too old she resented DS for ruining her being an only child. I had help from my Mom and MIL for the first five weeks and that was wonderful. But, we are going to go for baby #3 to be here when DS is close to 2 as well, because it worked out so well!

However, I have a friend who had her third baby when the second was only 18 months and she said that was super hard. The second was still a baby (18 months sounds old, but it gets so much easier the closer they are to two), so maybe the trick is to get as close to two as you can?

It's not terrible, and I wouldn't change a thing... But looking back on the first four months or so is a bit of a blur.

Highlights:
1) potty regression
2) an older sib that is both fascinated with and horrified by the little sib and their own new role in the world
3) you finally get one to sleep and the other one wakes up.
4) leaving the house takes 10 times as long because you have to prepare so many contingencies for each
However:
1) I have 2 kids close in age who both adore each other
2) the older doesn't remember life without the younger.
3) I'll be done with diapers in less than a year (that was fast!)

Well we have twins, so I guess that counts! It's not that hard...try to keep them on the same schedule and figure out the sleep. You'll be fine!

I just have twounder two. My youngest is now eight weeks and they are 20 months apart. It has not been too terrible but I will say my husband helps me a lot.

The worst part of the day is the evening when my youngest one fusses and my older one has to have dinner/bath /story time etc. My husband have to take care of the older one while I nurse the baby while she cluster feeds. So if he didn't help me I would be screwed.

I feel like this time will be over soon and then they will be able to play together and it should be smoother sailings!

I think I have amnesia about much of the first year. The key to my sanity was having the older one start a 2s preschool. But I love our spacing-20 months. The boys LOVE each other, playing together and makes it easier to plan activities since they are so close. I think if the little one ever decides to STTN and we potty train I will be ready for another.

Can I ask an addendum? Does it get easier when #1 is no longer under two?

Ours are 17 mo apart. Life is pretty crazy. I miss going out. It just seems impossible to take them anywhere. We will do the library or park sometimes. But not much else.

On the other hand, I don't know if they had been farther apart it would be any easier. Kids are just hard!

i do so it's easier when there is a bigger gap. but i don't know any other life than 2 under 2 (22 months), so i wouldn't have it any other way. I would say in the past couple of months (olive is almost 3) charlie and olive have become super close friends because she is talking so much now. I think it would take longer if there were a bigger age gap.

it is hard in the beginning -- it was a glorious day when olive dropped to 1 nap so they were on the same schedule. but somehow you just make it work!

Mine are 16 months apart, now 22 and 6 months of age and I SAH. Months 1 and 2 were easy because baby girl just slept all the time, like 20 hours a day. Months 3 and on were tougher and sometimes down right miserable. I sent big boy to daycare 2x a week so I can have a breather and spend some time with the baby so that helps a lot. Now at 6 months into 2 under 2 I have to say I'm really glad it worked out this way. They are starting to play together and it makes me heart burst. She's startng solids so we have meals together. Her schedule is starting to settle so they have an overlapping nap. Going out with them gets easier once you get more practice. Even though the baby was a surprise I feel like this was such a blessing, I would've never had the guts to plan 2 under 2!

So, I can add to this now that my two are both here. Mine are 15 months apart, currently DS us 28.5 months and DD is 13.5 months. The beginning sucked, but, IMO, it was easier than I was expecting and earlier than going from 0-1. You definitely need to be more organized, and prepared to go out. It's dsunting at first, but gets easier the older they both get. Especially once the older ine becomes more independent. Some days I still think 'WTF did we do?', but more days I think it's heat that they are this close, especially when they are playing so well together.

@jetsa: I have to say I think it got "easier" once I kind of adjusted my expectations. You won't be able to give each one the same amount of attention your 1st got. Routines will change, personalities are different, etc. Once I told myself, things will not run perfectly, but it's ok, I relaxed more. Seeing them love each other already is awesome. I really rarely have an OMG moment. But I also WOH so that probably helps.

I would totally agree with @Mamasig: WOH helps! My boys are 21 months apart. Now about 4 months and 2 years and the first 6 weeks or so was tough and I needed help but for the most part I've got it down now. For the most part DS1 was too young to really be jealous and I love watching them together and can't wait until they can play

Mine are 20 months apart and while it's not necessarily easy, it's not as difficult as I expected and I am SO happy with the age gap. I won't lie - in the first few weeks that DH returned to work I called him or my mom or my sister in tears because I just felt so overwhelmed and like I was failing my older DS. Most of it was emotional and for sure related to all those changing postpartum hormones. It was just really tough for me to see the change in my relationship with DS1 and I'm still dealing with that 4 months in but it's getting much much better. My biggest fear before DS2 was born was that I would not be able to handle both boys alone at the same time but that really is not a big deal. Having a baby the second time around is really SO much easier than the first time. Once we got into kind of a routine it's been relatively smooth sailing.