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Great thread! Can't wait to read some answers.

I must admit, I laughed a little on the inside when I read 'child spacing'. Both kids were happy accidents and are 13 months apart. At first, I didn't love that they were so close together in that 'baby' stage but it's growing on me. Especially since I haven't had time to get used to DS STTN yet, sleep deprivation isn't so bad, and because everything's still very fresh, I remember what to do!

I don't think it matters...there are so many things you can't control!

There is a HUGE gap between G & P, 7.5 years. In many aspects I totally feel like a ftm all over again. It definiltey wasn't purposefully done... I was single from ages 2-6.5 so really had no way to add to the family! lol

I like the gap, but at the same time I would've loved for G & P to be closer! It's such a larger gap it's hard for them to relate to each other. Oh well, he's still an awesome big brother!

Our next will be around 3 years younger than P... that's the plan anyways!

My kids are 21 months apart; there are actually a few of us on here with similar child spacing, so I think it's a pretty popular age difference! Ours were planned; we started TTC again when DD was 13 months, and we hoped to have them around 2 years apart.

The positives are that the transition from 1 to 2 was pretty seamless. We were barely out of the baby stage, so we were still used to diapers, sleep schedules, sleep deprivation, etc... Also, my oldest adjusted to having a little brother almost immediately. She honestly does not remember being an only child, and we had pretty much zero jealousy issues (except when it comes to grandparents dividing their attention, lol!). And now that my son is fully in toddlerhood, they play together so well. They are interested in most of the same things, and in some areas they are at similar levels, so they are very close.

The challenges... the whole first year of my son's life we have been so tired. He basically hasn't stopped teething (already has 14 teeth in!) and there's no "sleeping when the baby sleeps" when you have two kids at home. The other challenging point for this age separation is that you end up with two kids in difficult phases at the same time. DD hit her terrible two's right when DS was born; after a few blissful months, DD is now going into the terrible three's (which are so much worse, ah!) right as DS is walking/talking/starting to throw tantrums, as well. My husband tells me things will be much better in a year, but I joke that we might not all make it through the year, lol! The final challenge to this child spacing is the financial burden of having two kids in daycare at the same time. It can get very expensive for full-time care for two.

Overall, I'm pretty content with our child spacing. I always say this is the optimal age difference for the kids, if only it weren't so difficult for us parents!

Ours are 20 months apart. I love that they are close and the adjustment hasn't been bad at all. BUT for me it was really hard to be pregnant with such a young toddler that still needed to be carried a lot. I was thinking that if we had waited until DS was about 18 months it would have been much easier because he was so much more independent at that age.

There is 8.5 month between my oldest and his twin brothers (that was a big fat surprise) then my daughter came along two year after that. My oldest was 2 weeks away from being 3 when she was born. She was sorta planned. We wanted to start but didn't think it would happen right away but it did.

Three in a year was absolute madness and sometimes I don't even know how we survived. But now they all play together and it's nice. The two/three year spacing for my daughter is really nice. They play together but were also able to play on their own when she was a newborn and I needed to nurse.

We have an exact three year age gap. It's really good. Dd was out of diapers by the time DS arrived. They play together really well. Three years is pretty much ideal for me, but if I were to have another one, I wouldn't wait as long.. That's mainly because I'm already in my 30s. Agree with others that you make it work whatever it ends up being.

21 months. We were shooting for 24... I just say read Honeybee's comment. She pretty much covers it all!

22 months apart. We planned it that way and it's fine (I mean, considering with all the stuff people have already mentioned). We probably won't have a third, but if we do, we will DEFINITELY wait until everyone's out of diapers and somewhat self-sufficient. Mama's tired!!

Good thread! Ours will be 18 months apart and i'm not going to lie, I get freaked out somedays just thinking about how busy it's going to get. I think about naps, and feedings and bedtime and my head almost spins. However, it is good to hear how some moms say it wasn't THAT much harder having 2 than 1. We planned them to be this close btw.

our LO's will be 15 months apart :)! i can only imagine that it'll be pretty difficult at first, but we'll take it a day at a time and i'm sure it will be all worth it in the end :).

yes we did plan it this way, but didn't exactly anticipate that we would get pregnant with #2 as soon as we started trying. i'm not sorry, though! hehe

@Rainbow Sprinkles: not nosy at all. My oldest was adopted and then I found out when he was 2 months old that I was 2 months pregnant. My twins were born at 37 weeks so he was just shy of nine months old when they were born.

Mine are 26 months apart and in the beginning, it was hard. HARD, HARD, HARD. But I think it depends on the kid and the situation. In our case, I struggle with IGT and low milk supply, but was determined to EBF Tractor Girl. However, Deere Boy could do nothing for himself as far as changing his own diaper or feeding himself or anything. And we have no family nearby, so when Farmer Man went back to work after a few days, I was left alone with a newborn and a 2-year-old, unable to do anything but nurse for hours and hours at a time. So, yeah, that was hard. But now that Tractor Girl is the same age Deere Boy was when she was born, I think the age difference would have been easier if she had been born first. She's just so much further ahead with talking and comprehension than he was.
But anyways, now that they're older, I wouldn't trade the age difference for the world. I would have gotten more help, done things differently in the beginning for my own sanity, but that's it. They fight and pick on each other, but they are truly the best of friends and the way they love each other just melts my heart.
Cricket will be born when Tractor Girl is 33 months old and I think I will like this age difference. At least, in the beginning. I hope that they will all be as close as Deere Boy and Tractor Girl are now.
Personally, I would not want to space my children any further than 3 years apart. Because, by the time the youngest child is 3, you're thinking of potty training and no diapers and they're gaining more independence and, in my case, I don't want to screw all that up with another newborn. I'd rather get the newborn stage over and done with, but without completely losing my sanity, and move on to the more independent years.

This is really interesting to read! I have a 9 month old and I have been kind of sad that the closest possible he would be to a next sibling would be nearly 20 months. Reading this makes me not feel so bummed about it though! (at least in some aspects!)