How far should your kids be apart in age?

[CouponQueen23]

From my experience, I have a 7 years between my first and my middle ( this is to many years imo) It took me a long time to have another so that is why it is that. I think my stressful job contributed to my not getting preggo. So then I have 3 years between my middle and my youngest and the youngest and the baby that is due in March there will be 3 years in between those two as well. I think 3 years is a good space. I just finished potty training the 3 year old. So I think that is good only one will be in diapers/ pullups. Also it gave each of my kids some time alone with just mommy. Ds#1 had me all to him self for y years
Ds2 had me all to himself while older one was at school all day.
Ds3 has me all to himself while the other 2 are at school during the day.
Baby due in March will have me all to her self Ds #3 will start half day pre k this year so this is a pretty good gap I think 3 years gives you a chance to be there during the early years and give a lot of one on one. Then get the one out of diapers/ pull ups in time for the next one. I think 3 years old they are pretty excited about having a baby too. All my kids are pretty happy I have all boys and we are expecting our first girl kind of makes me laugh that they are happy for that but I am glad they are :)

[seren]

My DD and DS are 13 months apart that was 25 yrs ago and i think ive blocked a lot of that time out because i had another DD 12 yrs later and kept thinking ok this was nt planned but its got to be easier than last time anything has to be better than that lol so it must have been bad So personally id space them 12 yrs apart coz beleive me its bad having 2 babies but its worse having 2 teenagers and mine always fought like cat and dog and still do lol .Actually why not forget having another baby have you thought about having a nice dog or cat they cheaper and easier lol . Lastly I would like to say has hard as it was I love all 3 of my children and would nt change any of it

[Pennstater]

My younger brothers are 7 and 10 years younger, this is too far apart. I did not really grow up with them but grew up taking care of them. When I moved away for college they were only 7 and 10. We had to get to know each other again as adults.

[Justmeinflorida]

If you can plan such things, you are lucky. Some ppl don't have a choice but to hold off for health reasons or difficulty conceiving. I guess what i'm trying to say is that, whatever and whenever you are so blessed with more children, it will just work out.

I just came back to this post and I have to say I couldn't of said it better. I lost 2 babies in the last 5yrs, one at 9wks & another at 12wks, so DS was a blessing.

[Beach Bum]

I agree that all children are blessings and this is only in an idea world, which we know is not. We can't never really plan what God has in store for us, but if we are lucky enough to plan the second one, I just wanted to know everyone's thoughts on the age differences.

[jen276here]

Also getting pregnant immediately after having another baby...is IMO not good for your self..not good for the first baby... and apparently it can even raise the risk for a certain kind of a cancer for your child.

My cousin did that with her 2 on accident..and her daughter had a brain tumor..and apparently the doctors said that the cancer often happens when mothers get pregnant within the first 6 weeks after giving birth..it is believed the mother has some cells from the first baby that implant themselves on the new baby ..and those become cancerous

Just curious, but why do you say it isn't good for the first baby?

6 weeks after giving birth is incredibly close to have another child. There are definitely risks associated with such a close pregnancy.

[abond0017]

Don't have any kids myself yet, but I thought I'd throw my mother's experience in here. I am not going to count myself cause I came 14 years before my two younger brothers.

They, however, were right around 2 years apart, which I see is what most of the posters here prefer. I just wanted to say that it will all really come down to their personalities and temperaments. Where most of the others have good experiences with this spacing...my mother did not. My two brothers do not get along AT ALL. Constantly fighting...so much so that the older one went to live with his dad this past year. They are 13 and 15 and have been at each other for the past 5 years. They were both too similarly stubborn and at the same immaturity level...so it was very difficult to get them to leave each other alone. Maybe it would have been different if they weren't both boys...but IMO for them...they needed to be at least 3-4 years apart.

So, I guess the moral here is...you won't really know until you have them.

[JessicaComstock]

My daughters are 1 years and 10 days apart and i would not change it.my son is 2 months old now and he is 3 years apart from his sister my middle child.

[loladooder99]

I think your youngest should be close to three before the second is born. Because any younger and they tend to have jealousy issues. But it all depends on each kid. Mine second was born in December and my oldest turned 3 in march. He didn't have any issues with not accepting his brother and was really good with him. He also had just gotten out of diapers. You don't want two in diapers or have to potty train the first with a baby. Its just to exhausting. Even with mine being that far apart a 3 year old still needs help with getting wiped after potty and other stuff. I was wiped out having to take care of both at the same time. I doubt I could have waited till the oldest was in school. It will be better when they are older and they will both be grown and out of the house at around the same time. So my husband and I can enjoy our life together without having to raise kids forever.