How far apart are your children? Or if you aren't finished having children, what age difference is ideal to you?
I am pregnant with our first but my DH and I would like to have our children close together and TTC another one 6-12 months after our first. However, I've read a couple of articles about the risks of closely spaced babies. Curious what the ideal age gap looks like for everyone else!
GOLD / papaya / 10206 posts
We're going to start trying shortly after LO turns 1, though we don't know exactly how long.
grapefruit / 4120 posts
Mine are 22 months apart. It's a bit intense at time but we're happy.
GOLD / wonderful grape / 20289 posts
I originally wanted mine to be 2 years apart but now I'm thinking closer to 3. I have health issues, especially when pregnant, so I need LO to be more independent when I get pregnant again.
kiwi / 729 posts
they will be a little less than 2.5 years (2 years and 4 months). We didn't plan it that way, but now that we're pregnant again, it seems like a good age gap.
blogger / pomegranate / 3300 posts
I have four. There is 8.5 months between the first and my twins. Then 2 years and 3 months between my twins and my daughter. The three kids in a year is absolutely not ideal. I like the two years in between. Tht seemed like a piece of cake compared to the three boys
grapefruit / 4311 posts
We are pregnant with our first. My ideal spacing would be to start TTC around first LO's 2nd birthday, while my DH is worried about the financial impact and would prefer to wait 3-5 years.
pomegranate / 3980 posts
My two are 3 1/2 years apart and while I love that space I kind of hope to have my next a little sooner than that but there will be at least 18 months between them.
watermelon / 14206 posts
ds is 5 and a half and I'm 35 weeks with the next. Wasn't my plan in the beginning, but it's actually really really nice!
coconut / 8305 posts
G & P are 8 years apart, only because I was single all that time. We plan to start ttc for our next shortly after P is 1.
My only "condition" on how close all our future kids are is I am not okay risking our breastfeeding relationship before they're 1.
clementine / 959 posts
Mine will be 16 months apart when this one is born in September. We'd like to have 4, so the plan is to have two close together, wait at least 2 years to TTC again, and then have two more close together.
pineapple / 12234 posts
3 years 1 month. I'm liking the age gap. If we were to have another, it would be closer to 2 years.
nectarine / 2217 posts
@duckduckkristen: that is exactly our plan too!!!! We have one lo right now and one on the way. They will be 15 months apart. 
pomegranate / 3329 posts
The older 3 are all 3 years apart, starting at 11 and ending at 5. They're 10, 7, and 4 years older than our youngest and she will be 21 months old when this one is born. Not planned at all, the middle two are my husbands daughters from a previous marriage, and the oldest is from my previous marriage.
papaya / 10473 posts
@duckduckkristen: @tysonja: That's what I want! Did your OB have any concerns about you having them close together?
clementine / 959 posts
@grizz: nope. I saw my midwife 5 months after LO was born and she gave me the ok to TTC. I had a vaginal delivery.
pear / 1723 posts
3 minutes
If we hadn't had twins, I think we would have tried for a 3-4 year gap. Having an oldest that is a little more self sufficient and in school part of the day would be appealing. And hopefully having a year or so of more normal sleep to recover in between.
nectarine / 2217 posts
@grizz: my doctor ok'ed TTC'ing at LO#1's 6 month check up because I had an extremely routine pregnancy and delivery with him with no complications. If i had had a c section I would definitely wait at least a year before TTC, i think! Also, LO#1 has been sleeping 12 hrs for ages so I tricked myself into forgetting those crazy difficult first 3 months of newborn-ness! hahaha....
papaya / 10473 posts
@duckduckkristen: @tysonja: That's awesome to hear! We would really like to TTC again when our son is 6 months old if I have a routine pregnancy and delivery My husband's dream is two little boys 1.5 years apart! I don't have a gender preference but I love the idea of our babies being close in age.
pomegranate / 3398 posts
3 3/4 Years between 1st and 2nd and will be 6 years between 2nd and 3rd. So, just under 10 years difference between my first and last.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
@grizz: I'm currently pregnant with #1, but I'm like you - I want to start TTC for #2 when #1 is 6 months. Ideally, I'd like them to be less than 2 years apart.
My brother and I are 16 months apart and Hub and his sister are 14 months apart, so all we know is what it's like to have a very close sibling. I really want that for my children!
grapefruit / 4717 posts
We have an almost 8-mo-old now. If we have a 2nd, ideally the gap would be 3-4 years, as that's what I have with my sister, and I thought it was great. I prefer for LO to be more independent before having a 2nd, and I definitely don't want 2 in diapers at the same time. DH is an only child, and he was kind of lonely, so I think we may end up with 2 total. While I had a great pregnancy and delivery, I just didn't love being pregnant, so I'm not excited to go through it all again anytime soon.
Sadly, time is against me, as I'm already "advanced maternal age." A man must have coined that phrase! That's the only reason we'd try for 3 years apart rather than 4.
blogger / watermelon / 14218 posts
Ours are 2 years, 7 months apart. We are loving the age difference! But Wagon Jr. is a very independent kid so that helps as well.
kiwi / 729 posts
Ours will be 2 yrs 4 months apart...when LO comes in August. I've really enjoyed seeing my first grow up and hopefully by the time the 2nd one comes, my first will be more independent than his is right now and can help me take care of the baby in little ways!
blogger / pomelo / 5400 posts
@Cchoi4: That's the exact age difference we'll have, too. Fingers crossed ... we also didn't plan that, ha!
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
2 years, 2 months apart. So far it seems like a great difference!
cherry / 142 posts
I am pregnant with our second and they will be 13.5 months apart. We were shooting for 15 months apart but I guess life had other plans! Me and my sister were 15 months apart it was fantastic growing up. I can't wait to give my son a playmate close in age...even if we have to have a few rough years in the beginning!
kiwi / 673 posts
We will probably wait until DS is around 3 to TTC because I'm still in school and I'll be most of the way through my last year then. I'm a little nervous for such a big age gap. I'm a twin so I've always had a sibling and don't know what it's like for a child to have no brothers or sisters for so long.
persimmon / 1379 posts
Mine are 29 months apart (if I have done my math properly). It worked for us, because my older was (daytime) potty trained by the time baby arrived, was able to help and understand commands like "do not poke your sister in the eye" and "you must stay there until I can help you."
It was tricky in the beginning because she wanted a lot of attention, but as I write this, they are playing together like pros!
blogger / nectarine / 2608 posts
Mine are 5 years apart and I love it! Big sister is a BIG help and totally understood what was going on.
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