I'm sure this gets asked a lot, but how do you figure out how much time to have in between babies? Initially, I wanted to have our kids 3-4 yrs apart, but then one of my friends had a baby 2 months ago, and that kind of started a baby fever of sorts. Not so much the "I want a cute cuddly little newborn" kind of thing, as that I just want to get the baby stage over and done w/forever. I would rather not get out of baby mode and then have to get back into it again.

DH and I have kind of talked about it. Well, more of me talking and him making non-commital grunts. If possible, I would like to time it to give birth before he deploys again - which should be sometime next summerish.

I probably should mention that Ivy is almost 11 months.

This is how Rod and I figured it out. IF we could say I am ready for a baby 9 months from now then we were ready. We would ask each other every month. We kinda wanted our kiddos fairly close in age as there is a huge age gap between my sister and brother and me and his brothers and him. And we both felt we lost out alot in that age gap. So for us, we wanted them close. When Ethan was around 18 months old we both said we could honestly say we were ready for a baby 9 months from now. And so we stopped preventing and were blessed right away with our daughter

We spaced our 4 kids anywhere from 15 months to 24 months apart.
We really like the way we have it. It wasn't a big transition for the next baby.
I was always ready for the next sooner than dh of course, I just love my babies :wub

We did ours 4.5 years apart.

I was ready about a year ago (my son will be 3 next month) but DH wasn't so I waited ....it was HARD....and we're trying now. I guess just do what you both feel is right.

I just found out I'm pregnant this weekend & our daughter is 13 months :) So she'll be 3 months shy of 2 yrs old when this one is born. He was ready last year when she was 7 months, but I probably would of liked to have waited another year at least, if I wouldn't of gotten pregnant now.

I think it'd be a lot easier to have a baby when your other child is at least walking & out of diapers.

DH would get me pregnant as soon as I was cleared to have sex again :lol. But I really want as much time alone with my boy first before we have another one (if we do). But at the earliest we would be trying when he turned 16 months. But the big factors for me in the age space is how old DH will be (I don't want him to be too old) and I dont want them to be over 4 years apart.

All of mine will be around 3½-4 years apart. They weren't planned that way, it's just the way things have ended up working out. I do enjoy having them a good distance apart. Only one in diapers at a time, when they get older we aren't trying to do the same thing for all 3 of them around the same time. And I actually will have a lot of one on one time with each since Colin is in school now, I've had time with just me and Caleb, and Caleb will start school in '08, so I'll have the one on one time with this baby.
All in all, I'm really happy with it.

I said 4 years but we will see when I get preggo and go from there!! Atleast 3 years

This is how Rod and I figured it out. IF we could say I am ready for a baby 9 months from now then we were ready. We would ask each other every month. We kinda wanted our kiddos fairly close in age as there is a huge age gap between my sister and brother and me and his brothers and him. And we both felt we lost out alot in that age gap. So for us, we wanted them close. When Ethan was around 18 months old we both said we could honestly say we were ready for a baby 9 months from now. And so we stopped preventing and were blessed right away with our daughter

Okay that's a really cute way to do it and smart to!

My son and daughter are 3 years and 2 months apart and then there is almost a 9 year gap

We're spacing the next child about 4 years. I'd like to finish college first AND I would like for E to already be in Kindergarten. I'd like to have the one-on-one time that I shared with E. :) Plus I want for E to be self-sufficient enough for me to nap during the pregnancy.

Also....IF we have a #3 he/she may be close in age to #2 but NO less than 18 months apart. Hell...that's even TOO little time now that I'm thinking about it.

We wanted our kids to be between 4-5 years apart, and our kids are actually 4 1/2 yrs apart. We timed it perfect :). Also, even with the age difference, the kids actually get a long really well too.

ours will all be 2-3 years apart. Gabe was a depo oops, but it worked out perfect. Chris we timed right. and this one just fell into our pattern! LOL

Mine are 16 months apart. We didn't think it would happen that soon but I wouldn't trade it for the world. We were very happy to find out we were pregnant so soon into TTC. 16 months a fantastic gap between kids. IMO

We want our kids spaced pretty far apart-about 5 years. I'd like to be able to give each child individual one-on-one attention more like the first gets before siblings come along, so we'd like our kids to be in school before the next one comes alone (we'll have our next when DD enters kindergarten). This will also give me some time for much needed naps with the new baby. Also, I only want to have to deal with carrying one child on my hip at a time, only dealing with 1 child in diapers at a time. And I want our child to be old enough to able to understand for the most part why she sometimes has to wait while baby is fed/changed/etc. I watched a baby not too long ago and DD was fine with it for a few hours. But after that, she wanted me to carry her too and I just didn't have the strength to carry around 2 kids (that 8 month old baby weighed like 26 lbs no kidding and DD was about 30 lbs) that big-she's still young enough she often wants me to pick her up and carry her a lot. I could go on and on about our reasons.

DD is soooo needy/sensitive/emotional that I can't imagine having to deal with another baby right now. DH feels the same way. We love our daughter, and she's great, but she's quite a handful and VERY willful. We had planned on spacing them out that much before we had her, but she helps keep us on track with our plan of waiting. And I have plenty of brothers I helped raise, so I knew what I was in for.....Or so I thought. But they were nothing like her...Even DH keeps saying he wants to wait until DD is older and in school before we have another one, and he's not the one who stays home with her all day!

Also, I want to add that personally, I loved having them 4 years apart. Emily was already potty trained and was such a little helper. Before we even had children, dh and I both agreed that before we had another child, the first one would be out of diapers, eating regular food, and able to talk before we even tried to conceive. Plus, I am glad I got to spend a lot of one on one time with Emily before we had Noah. Plus, she knew that there was a baby in my tummy, and it was such a easy transition for her. She was able to understand, and to be honest, there wasn't any jealousy.

Of course, this worked best for us :)

We're planning on around 2 yrs apart in age for ours. Dh's kids are 23 1/2 months apart and it;s just perfect.

Also, I want to add that personally, I loved having them 4 years apart. Emily was already potty trained and was such a little helper. Before we even had children, dh and I both agreed that before we had another child, the first one would be out of diapers, eating regular food, and able to talk before we even tried to conceive. Plus, I am glad I got to spend a lot of one on one time with Emily before we had Noah. Plus, she knew that there was a baby in my tummy, and it was such a easy transition for her. She was able to understand, and to be honest, there wasn't any jealousy.

Of course, this worked best for us :)

This is EXACTLY what I want!!!!!

so our boys are 5 years appart it's great but was not planned that way we wanted them closer in age. James and I next month will be TTC we want our last baby closer in age to Joshua 17 months appart would be great or any latter so we shall see.

My kids are 16 months apart also.It was great when they were little.They always had someone to play with.Now that they are 7 and 8 they get on each others nerves sometimes.they are into the same things so the clash sometimes.The only difference is my DD is 3rd grade and DS is 1st grade due to birthdays.So their friends are slightly different,they do share a few.BUt I wouldn't do it any other way.

My lovelies are 20 mos apart. We didnt plan it that way but to be honest, it worked out WONDERFULLY.

Mine are going to be 10½ years apart :lol

Definately didnt want it that way. It just took us a WHILE to have #2. We want #3 ALOT closer to #2 though!

I think there are going to be pros or cons both ways.

In my family, the large age gap just didnt work for us. I never knew my brother (7 years age difference and he went to the marines when I was 10) and my sister is 5 and a half years older then me. And it was hard. I remember pleading with my parents for another sibling so I had someone to play with. By the time I was old enough for stuff my sister had outgrown it and didnt wanna play. So since that was MY expierence with it I wanted my kids closer in age.

However. Ethan knew there was a baby in my belly. He called my belly Ashley after we named her. They are 27 months apart. And when I got hom from the hospital he no longer called my belly Ashley he called Ashley by her name. I got a ton of 1 on 1 time with Ethan which was very important to me. And I get lots of time with Ashley. Just differently. Ethan is a great helper etc.

So being closer can have pros. It can also have its cons too like double the diaper costs and adjustment phases and such. You just have to weigh the pros and cons and choose whats right for YOUR family ;)

I think there are going to be pros or cons both ways.

In my family, the large age gap just didnt work for us. I never knew my brother (7 years age difference and he went to the marines when I was 10) and my sister is 5 and a half years older then me. And it was hard. I remember pleading with my parents for another sibling so I had someone to play with. By the time I was old enough for stuff my sister had outgrown it and didnt wanna play. So since that was MY expierence with it I wanted my kids closer in age.


Thats my biggest fear. :sadeyes
Since mine are gonna be 10+ years apart they arent going to be close at all. Although Rayzin is dying to have his sister, he is gonna get older and not really have ANYTHING in common with her. :(

Thats my biggest fear. :sadeyes
Since mine are gonna be 10+ years apart they arent going to be close at all. Although Rayzin is dying to have his sister, he is gonna get older and not really have ANYTHING in common with her. :(

Yeah but my situation was a lil different cuz it was my sister. So it was 2 girls... So when I could play barbies she didnt wanna cuz she outgrew em etc. Where Rayzin is a boy and can nice and protective of her. Ride bikes etc. I think boys adapt to that sorta thing better then girls. And like I said it isnt EVERYONES expierence. But thats how it was in MY family :hugs

My sister and I are 5 years apart. My mom wanted 4 years, but she couldn't get pregnant. We get along wonderfully to this day and I was the bestest helper. :wink :lol

I think there are going to be pros or cons both ways.

In my family, the large age gap just didnt work for us. I never knew my brother (7 years age difference and he went to the marines when I was 10) and my sister is 5 and a half years older then me. And it was hard. I remember pleading with my parents for another sibling so I had someone to play with. By the time I was old enough for stuff my sister had outgrown it and didnt wanna play. So since that was MY expierence with it I wanted my kids closer in age.



That's rough, Kristi. I'm 5 years older than my sister and I still played Barbies. I think we finally stopped playing when I was 16ish ... by then Ashley was 11 and on to new things, I was driving so I could take her mini golfing and to the movies instead of being stuck home.

That's rough, Kristi. I'm 5 years older than my sister and I still played Barbies. I think we finally stopped playing when I was 16ish ... by then Ashley was 11 and on to new things, I was driving so I could take her mini golfing and to the movies instead of being stuck home.

Yeah it sucked. But that was my only expierence with it and although I know everyones isnt like that mine was. So I wanted my kids close if they could be. If not that woulda been fine too (with the infertility and all)

Yeah my sister would play with me when I was real little but once she hit her teenage years. 13 and up she was only interested in guys, dating, partying and such so I didnt have anyone. And of course I wanted to be like her lol. And we did not get aloing AT ALL. We do now. But not then. But there is more involved to that then age.

I wanted my kids close in age. We didn't plan to get pregnant when we did but it worked out great. Ella and Landen will be 20 mos apart.

Jaxon is 2 1/2 years older than Shelby and Hunter is about 15 months younger than Shelby.

I hoped and prayed that we could have them close together and I am so glad that we did. Just like I really hoped and prayed that we could start our family right after getting married.

Of course things don't work out like that all of the time. I know plenty of people who wished they could have had their kids close in age or be parents right after getting married, and things just don't always work out how you plan or imagine. But I'm very happy and feel extremely blessed that we were blessed with things working out like that for us. Of course people adapt just fine when things don't work out like planned and no one would ever feel any less blessed or happy because they had to wait longer than anticipated. I'm just personally very happy that things did work out the way we hoped for :yes

Our oldest two we planned 3 years apart. And I love it. I only had one in diapers, one to chase out of things etc. My oldest was old enough to understand how to help and to stop doing something because it was not helping. Our 3rd surprised us so she is only 18 months younger. It is so much harder having two in diapers together and two who do not understand everything you say or reasoning. It is also really hard to chase after 2. I have decided the best part about this situation is that our girls are still close enough to have a good relationship (4 1/2 years apart) and I love that they are far enough apart they have to have their own friends and do their own things. That was another big thing for us. We wanted all of our children to feel more independant and not like they had an extended part of their body attached to them forever. I guess we will see in time what is instore for us.

Taylor is 9 years old and my dd from a previous marriage.. Nathaniel is 13 months old and having them so far apart was a bit of a shock :shock at first, but I enjoy the space. In total I lost 5 babies in between the two so I feel truely blessed to have my two kiddos. In all reality though I think having kids closer together is ideal for most.

Taylor is awesome though and sometimes she thinks her brother is HER baby :lol and there have been times where she would rather stay inside and play with her brother then go outside. Eric and I talked about having one more even before Nate was born, but God had other plans so we are happy with our two

My boys are exactly 2.5 years apart.

Taylor is awesome though and sometimes she thinks her brother is HER baby :lol

My mom said she had that problem with me too. :giggle

I definitely want them closer in age. My sister and I are almost 8 yrs apart, and I can honestly say that I couldn't stand her until she was about 12-13 yrs old. I do not want my younger child to go through what my little sister did. I was horrid to her. DH and his older brother are 13 months apart, and they're very close. DH's younger brother is 6 yrs younger than him, and he got the short end of the stick as well since he was so much younger than the other two.

Having two little ones will be interesting to say the least. Ivy is at the CDC all day since I work, so I would get one on one time w/the second baby. As far as diapers, I cloth diaper, so I could just reuse what I have now. And, as soon as Ivy is steady at walking, I'm going to potty train her, so she should be out of diapers before she's 2 yrs old.

This time we have the luxury of attempting to actually plan. Ivy was an oops. I guess it's nerve-wracking in that I have to think everything to death.