Pregnant again but baby is still waking a lot 😩

People have coped with less of an age gap so you’ll be okay. Although some tunnels are a bit longer than others, the light at the end is still there! Congratulations mama, you’ll figure it out🫶🏼

Thank you @Chanie, I needed to hear this! I also have a 6 year old and I really struggled with the transition to 2, but mostly because I’d had so much time just the two of us and all of a sudden couldn’t give her as much attention. I just know that this age gap is going to be so different. X

I’ve just had my second baby 2 weeks ago and my eldest is 17months, my partner also has two boys (who we have week on week off for a week at a time) they’re 6&4 both with autism so we face additional challenges daily. It’s been tough don’t get me wrong, but it’s been no where near as bad as I had expected. I’d spent nearly the whole pregnancy panicking about how horrible it was going to be. We have had literally sleepless nights of course, but honestly been soooo much easier than I expected so far🫶🏻

I’ll add I’ve never been good with less than 7hours sleep, and I’ve made it this far with significantly less, your body just allows you to do it and I genuinely feel great, please try not to worry too much (easier said than done I know) just start thinking about little things you can introduce to make life easier when the baby arrives! Not sleep related but… 6 weeks before I was due I got the bassinet; next to me, baby bouncer, play mat etc out so my daughter could become familiar with the items before there was a newborn in them. She also started showing interest in dolls maybe 2 months before I was due, so we went with it and got her one and a pram, nappies, bottles, dummies etc for the doll so she could kind of understand the level of care/ some of the activities she would see from us with the new baby and it’s helped massively. Now if I’m feeding the baby, she will feed her doll and it makes tasks a little easier all round. I’ve been left surprised by the whole experience x

You’re welcome, it will be a lot different this time and will come with its own set of challenges but you’ve got this as you got through what you probably thought you couldn’t already, here if you wanna chat x

I found out I was pregnant with my third when my second was 4 months old, I didn't know how to feel as she was the worst sleeper (and still doesn't sleep at 14 months). I felt the same as you did, unfortunately I miscarried at 8 weeks. There would've been just under 13 months between them but at the time I was just like we would cross that bridge when we come to it, we'd make it work somehow, yano. I think maybe it was gods way of telling me I wouldn't cope. My 14 month old wakes up at least 3 times in the night and only has an hour nap during the day so after experiencing the miscarriage and blaming myself, I now realise maybe i wasn't ready just yet, I defo wouldn't of been able to cope with 3 under 3 as I struggle now but you will make it work! My mum had me and my sister 10 months apart, she said it would've been easier having twins but she made it work! xx

I also struggled with the transition from going to 1 to 2 and there is just over 2 years between my eldest and youngest. I've heard many people say the third just slots in and that's with different age gaps. You will manage I'm sure and maybe you can get your eldest to help out with your middle whilst you're taking care of your newborn?🫶🏼

I think mine are 17 months apart too. My daughter is 3 years old now and my son has just turned 20 months old. I also went back to work full-time for 6 months until my second leave starts. She was still waking up 3-5 times every night, and I breastfeed while I was pregnant with my second too. The good news is, milk will start to dry up now that you’re pregnant, so baby will start to feed less frequently as a result but may still do as a habit so the milk won’t be completely dry up. Then towards the end, you will produce colostrum again , so if you can, I would try to get baby off breast now, because I ended up bf my day until she’s 3 years old 😅 my son now still wakes up for night feeds 3-5 times each night and I work full-time. There are better days and there are worse days, but i can still function, somehow. I don’t really rest on weekends either, and I don’t know why. The good thing is I know this will all be over when they start school, and that’ll be in 2-3 years time

And I won’t have to be deprived of sleep again, unless we decide to have another child 😅😂