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Going from 0 kids to 1 was harder for me. It was like being thrown in icy water - shocking! I was not even REMOTELY prepared for it. I was exhausted. Breastfeeding was hard. It took me weeks to bond to the baby. And then adjusting to working full time and dealing with daycare, the lack of sleep, pumping, etc. And everything just felt so overwhelming. It was just so hard!

#2 in comparison has been a cake-walk. I already know how to take care of a baby and all those things just came back to me. Nursing was easy. Doing tasks while holding a baby is easy. Bonding was a LOT easier. Even going back to work was easy! I already had a daycare I felt comfortable with, so there wasn't any of that anxiety or worry like there was the first time. Also, the sleep deprivation - just didn't hit me. It was like "Oh sleep? That's for the weak, we know how to function without it!"

The hardest parts for me (going from 1 to 2) have been: LO1 acted out a LOT in the very beginning and I found that frustrating; and just not having as much time to dedicate to LO1. But as LO2 gets older, even that gets easier. And LO1 only acted out for about a month and now he's bonding with LO2 too, which is AWESOME to watch.

Any input on 1 to 3? LOL. I'm hoping the same holds true for that because I found 0-1 very easy.

1-2 has been really hard. I don't have much help and feel like I had a lot of help and support the first time around. And I hear a spirited toddler and the second baby was a horrendous sleeper until 8 weeks and only went down to. 2 wakings around 11 weeks. There is just no time for anything with 2. With 1 there is at least some down time.

I have not had #2 yet - am pregnant and due in April, though. I have no idea what is to come and I'm hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. However, I can honestly say that I just feel so much more settled in general now, like for the most part I'm ready. And I don't know that I ever felt that way with LO #1 and her newborn days were a nightmare.

I will say that I'm very, very happy to be having a spring baby (I wouldn't even TTC during months that would result in a winter baby). I get seasonal depression and I have a spirited toddler. Knowing that we can get out a lot earlier AND that my 3 year old will go to preschool next year for 5 mornings a week makes me feel more sane. But... best laid plans and all that. We shall see how it goes!

0 to 1 was a doozy for me. 1 to 2 has been a cakewalk!

So, I only have one, but my sister has three and told me that 0 to 1 was hard, but 1 to 2 was hardest for her. 2 to 3 was easiest so far. She doesn't want more, but I asked if she could imagine having 4. In her words: once you have 3, you start to think "eh, what's another".

I've got 2, 16 months apart, with one more on the way. for me, 1-2 was easier in general. I would say physically about the same tiredness/busyness, but emotionally and mentally considerably easier.

I truly hope that the 2-3 transition is as smooth as people make it out to be!!

@pastemoo: my girls are 3.5 years apart and the transition from 1-2 has been much harder. For one, LO 2's sleep isn't very good and it seems that LO 1 has been waking up once a night as well so I feel like a permanent zombie. I used to bring LO 1 in bed with me in the morning and nurse her and doze off but I can't really do that now because LO 1 wakes up and comes in our room and will wake the baby. There are days like today where LO1 fell down the stairs while I was putting the baby down (she's fine), but the baby was woken up bc I had to put her in the crib so fast, and she wouldn't go back down so she was a crabby mess this evening. Then LO1 shut her fingers in the drawer while I was putting her sister to bed tonight and came in crying and woke baby up.

Also, I'm in school and between the 2 of them it feels so difficult to find time to work. If I had better sleepers or if I weren't in school with no additional child care, I might feel differently.

1 to 2 was way easier than 0 to 1. with DD1, i had no idea what i was doing and was completely unprepared for what it was going to be like. so that was miserable, even though DD1 was a very easy baby. with DD2, i know what i'm doing, i am not as anxious about everything, she is an easy baby as well and DD1 has adjusted really well to her new baby sister. it is still early days (DD2 is 7 weeks), but i have found it tremendously easier this time around.

Hmmm, it depends on what aspect of parenting you're talking about. In some ways 1-2 was easier; I was much more confident as a parent and having a newborn felt wayyyyy easier the second time around. But as far as sleep goes, 1-2 was hell compared to 0-1. With my first I would squeeze in naps wherever I could, especially during those newborn days where they often have days and nights flipped. The second time around I was kind of screwed because I was up all night with the new baby and my toddler still woke up ready to start the day at 7AM.

I think @Adira: definitely has a point on the fact that this depends on your work status. If my toddler was in daycare while I was at home taking care of the new baby it would have been much easier than it was as a SAHM.

0-1 was much harder. LO1 was a high needs newborn, we had major BF issues and he barely slept. LO2 was a perfect angel and didn't do anything but sleep and eat the first 3 months!

Having DS1 was such a shock - the sleep deprivation and major change in lifestyle. Going to two kids was so much easier. My body was already used to less sleep and I was used to minimal down time. I also think @Adira is totally right. I WOH - if I was a SAHM I might have a different opinion. My mom watched DS1 while I was at work so on maternity leave she still came over and totally helped me. I was able to take an afternoon nap when DS1 did and she watched the baby.

I found it's gotten harder as DS2 has gotten older. He was a very laid back baby but now at 10 months has serious separation anxiety. He must be held at all times or cries. It's exhausting.

I want a third but am scared of that transition!

This is a scary thread. Has anyone gone from 1 to 3?

@pastemoo: for us, it's more about the difficulty of having a 3-year-old! LO2 (3 months old) is a piece of cake in comparison!

@sometimesshesings: omg this. I have a 3.5 year old and a 3 month old and the threenager stage is my personal hell. Love that kid but ack.

@sometimesshesings: I started a parents of Threenagers support thread for us LOL