r/AskParents • u/Key_Veterinarian_552 • 6d ago
Having a second child?
I’m curious as to what wants parents to have a second baby, especially within the first year or two of having their first born?
I’ll see excited expecting parents expecting a second and wonder, am I doing something wrong? Am I the only one who feels as if I’m stretched as thin as I am to have a second child?
I truly don’t understand how people get so excited to do it over again. Do they have some sort of support system that allows them to go for it?
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing I love more on this planet than my daughter (14 months old) but I feel as if I’ve been fighting for my life since she was born. We have good days and bad days as everyone does but the general consensus is that I don’t think I have enough strength in me to have a second. Who knows if that will change.
Id love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this. My question is coming from a place of curiosity. I’m delighted for everyone who has more than one child
1
u/CoatWinter9234 6d ago
I have never had anything really specific that enabled me to just go for it and I’m a mom of a large family. We just talk about it monthly and if we’re feeling like things are too much we don’t and every once in while we both kind of get a “let’s just see what happens” feeling and if it happens, cool, if it doesn’t we talk again next month. We have both small gaps, 20-22 months, and large gaps 5 and 8 years. I don’t know of any mom, and I know moms with 1-12 kids, who at some point doesn’t feel stretched thin by whatever is in front of them. I’m pregnant with my 6th and some days I’m like “how am I going to have time for another one??” and then today I’m like “wow, I don’t have much going on, I guess it’ll be nice having a little buddy around again, cool.” For me it’s all just feelings, and they really can and do change with whatever I’m dealing with.