Planning baby no. 2 with no village

If I’m honest I might be mad but I have a 3 year old and 6 month old. I have found it easier to be honest my little boy loves her so much and she’s a really easy baby slept 12 hours from 4 weeks old. They really do just fit right in I spend 6 days with them both my son goes to nursery once a week and have my husband on weekends but in the week 4 days the 3 of us. Whenever I do her milk I make sure my 3 year old is okay first toys, snacks for example not sure if this helps at all xx

We have a 4 year old and 2 year old, there is a 2yr 5month age gap and I found it extremely hard for the first year after the 2nd was born, things started to get better and it feels so much easier now...I'm even considering a 3rd next year, as I'm not sure I'm done having children yet... What I find the hardest is not been able to go out with my husband without children, as he either goes out and I'm with the children or I'm out and he's with them and this won't change until all of them are at school as our children don't go to nursery/preschool.

After having my first and the lack of village I had, for my second babywhat I would do differently this time around is I would hire a nighttime doula. This time around I would get proper rest and not be stressing over cleaning,sanitizing bottles, laundry etc plus they also attend to the baby if you are asleep so you get proper rest for the next day and they usually come from 10pm-6am and leave everything prepared for you so that when you wake up all you have to focus on is bonding time with baby.

@Chantal are those in UK as well? I have a 19 month old, me and her dad are not together anymore but co-parenting fine, I am planning 2nd baby (donor baby) in maybe 2 year-ish I live in UK, my family is in Czech so no village for me either, would love to be able to hire a doula, that sounds amazing tbh

Wait until your youngest is around 3 because that’s when most kids can play more independently & help out here & there. I have an almost 3.5 y/o now & don’t have a village either but wouldn’t have considered giving birth again until now maybe bc it all suddenly is way easier to care for my pre-k aged toddler. Otherwise, definitely consider putting your older baby in daycare or getting a nanny.

Work on building that village now! You may not have family close by, but it's possible to find some fellow moms who will bring you a lasagna on a really bad day or swap childcare in a pinch. Try to find at least a few that have multiple kids, so you don't feel like the only one with a split focus. Also find more than one babysitter you and your child like in case your favorite one is unavailable.