I'm currently pregnant with my second and will have 2 under 2. I'd love to hear some real life experiences from parents who have been through it.

A few things I'm particularly curious about:

How was your second birth compared to your first?

How did you find the transition from 1 child to 2?

What was the hardest part of having 2 under 2?

What has been the best part?

How did your older child react to the new baby?

When did things start to feel easier?

Is there anything you wish you'd done differently before baby arrived?

Any tips, hacks, or pieces of advice you think every parent expecting 2 under 2 should know?

I'm interested in hearing the good, the bad, and the ugly. I know everyone's experience is different, but I'd love to get a realistic picture of what life was like for you.

Thanks in advance!

Apple cider vinegar and rice vinegar is giving me energy!!!!!

That’s what it feels like my body thinks is happening when taking care of 2u2 alone lol. Tell me this goes away. My cortisol levels have got to be at an all time high. During nap time I literally just lay horizontal and deep breathe to try to feel normal ☠️

I’m going to be going to the beach on a family vacation soon and I have no idea what to do. My oldest does a toddler bed at home and he does really well but I don’t know how well this will go on vacation or how to even prep for this.
I don’t know what to pack.
I don’t know what’s really needed.
How do you even do an airport with two babies (I mean I know my husband will take our older one but still this is stressful)

I think I’m just spiraling but any advice or recommendations would be appreciated. Help 😅

Hi! I have a 2mo, 18mo and 32mo. Mix of genders. Currently potty training the older two, tandem nursed, no village except husband and we're managing pretty well. I know people often want to know what it's like to have 3u3 here and I'll be brutally honest.

Not complaining or anything, I find it so endearing and I want to know if anyone has experienced this phase.

Toddler (22m) wakes up an hour before baby sis (6m), little sis wakes up for a little bit. They’re both happy to see each other and hang out for an hour or two, baby prefers floor because it’s more fun because she gets to watch toddler play. Baby sis gets sleepy again and goes to nap. Toddler is bored again and wants to see baby. After playing and eating, toddler gets sleepy so it’s nap time. Toddler goes to nap and baby wakes up. Baby fussy because it’s lonely, it’s just her and me. Not settling at all when being held or put down on floor to play. At the end of her wake window, toddler wakes up and says hi to baby but it’s time for baby to sleep. Toddler bored again and wants more people around her. Finally 2 hours before bedtime baby wakes up and they play maybe an hour before bedtime routine.

They love being around each other but their nap times are not overlapped at all and they keep missing each other. They spent maybe a total of 2-3 hours together and that’s when it’s the most calm for both of them.

Again I find this more endearing than annoying so I don’t mind it too much, just feel bad for them because they want to see each other more. Has anyone else gone through this??

I had my second baby boy this week. He’s exactly 13.5 months younger than my first. We just got home and my first is doing alright. He wants to steal baby’s paci and he cries a lot when he cries.

I love my babies both so, so much and I know they will grow up together and be best friends. But today I’m sad. My heart breaks watching my first baby cry so hard around my second. I knew there would be an adjustment period. But it’s crushing me. I’m missing bedtime because I’m nursing my second. I’m just sitting in the chair crying about it. I don’t want to ruin our first’s life. I miss him. I hate seeing I’m so sad about it.

Spam me with all the good please

We close on a house in two weeks. I have only half our apartment packed and went back to work this week. Feeling so overwhelmed. 21 month old and 3 month old. Looking for any and all advice!!

I will be having a baby in August. My son will then be 23 months old. I think a double stroller would be a good thing BUT I’m not sure what’s best.. the kind where the baby is facing you and the toddler is facing outwards like a normal stroller OR when they’re both facing outwards. Anybody have experience with one and/or both and could help me decide which is best? I want to be able to see the baby but I also know they’ll only be that little for so long. Then I also think about how long my oldest will even need a stroller.

Me and my partner are expecting baby no. 2! We’re really happy but in an awful lot of shock, has anyone got a similar age gap roughly 14 months, and can give me any advice. How did your little one take to it? How did you take to it? Any advice, tips and tricks please😊 thank-you in advance

I live in Los Angeles and childcare could be up to $5k a month for baby-care for two. Regardless of where you live, what has been the best saving grace or set up that makes the most sense for your family? My babies will be 14.5 months apart and my biggest stressor about the age gap is childcare I am comfortable with and the price of it. We currently do a nanny share with my 8 month old with a neighbor baby and it's so much more affordable than if we just had a nanny alone - it's the perfect setup and I'm so devastated that we likely won't be able to add a newborn to the mix when I go back to work at 4-5 months. Any advice from working or stay at home moms is helpful, added plus if it's in an expensive city with a creative solution - I don't know how I'll make these next few years work at these prices :(

Anyone else feel like the haze/fog of postpartum PLUS coming home with a tiny worm of a human robbed you of some of the last baby months with your older half of the 2u2? I have my phone on the rotating wallpaper of my kids/husband/cats lol and I’m getting pics from when my second was NB~3mos and my oldest was like 15-18mos and at the time she felt soooo big and I was so overwhelmed and idk I just felt like she was a giant ass toddler. But now she’s approaching 2years old and I’m not in the thick of it as much with the little one and I’m seeing these pics and I feel like I completely missed those months with her. I was with her but I didn’t SEE her and I’m so sad about it 😭 she was just a tiny baby and I made her grow up so fast

Been out with the stroller a few times now, 2yo forward facing and new born up top rear facing. Like everything about it so far, not here for you to sell me on another system or to tell me I’m doing it wrong.
I’m looking for a snack try for the forward facing 2yo. The one pictured works but all he wants to do is unscrew the holder and if you flip the holder around it’s at an obscure angle.
Let me know if you’ve found something that works

Hi! As the title suggests.. I am pregnant again. My babies will be 11 months apart. I don't really know what I'm looking for or if this is the right place to post this. I just wanted to talk to someone who had close age gap children and listen to some stories.

I am very lucky I have a doting husband, we both adore our little girl, and his family are very excited for him to finally have children. My family love our little girl, but were always cautious about me being pregnant and asked me to ab*rt originally. I'm really dreading telling them again, but would love to hear some advice & experience. Both positive and negative.

Thank you

EDIT: Thank you SO much for the response. This sub really is lovely & the community here has already helped me and it's only been a day. I am feeling a bit better after reading your comments & I wish you & your little ones all the best. Parenthood is such a wild ride, but it has been so beautiful already!

Kind of at a loss for what could be keeping my 7 month old up at night.

Because of where we are renting, our 2u2 share a room. They nap perfectly together during the day and have even slept full nights together without waking each other. The younger one outgrew the bassinet in our room and we decided it was time for the crib, and I would sleep better if I wasn’t nursing all night. Also had almost fully daytime weaned baby until recently it seems like a regression and lots of biting while nursing. Now, he’s up 3x a night just screaming, won’t take a bottle at daycare or home, and really to me his screaming sounds like overtired or maybe pain. He was a really decent sleeper until now. For context, my older one didn’t sleep through the night until like 14 months old, when I had just given birth the second time.

I’m not sure if it’s teething, tummy aches from formula now that he was almost weaned, or something else I’m missing. Tried gas drops and Tylenol but he still screams like he’s uncomfortable. Thinking about buying a new formula. I was even okay to let him safely sleep with me if it would calm him down but he doesn’t want that either. My partner and I take turns so we’re not totally sleep deprived. What am I missing? Or it is just baby being baby?

We have 20 month age gap with 3 year old and 16 month old two toddlers have been more difficult than baby and toddler. 3 year old is full on “Threenager” phase and 16 month old’s favorite word is “na” or no. Food pickiness has started for 16 month old and literally everything is a battle with 3 year old.

I’m trying to study for interviews but it seems impossible. When does it get better?

I have two amazing girls that are 17 months apart. I thankfully had a great first 6 weeks with them together postpartum but since then everything has fallen apart. My five month old is teething, wakes up 3-4 times at night, won’t take more than a 30 minute nap and then inconsolably cries until. The toddler is throwing tantrums, won’t let me feed the baby despite trying to use screen time and toys. She’s getting defiant and frustrated. My patience that I once had is gone, I’ve screamed at my toddler twice today and scared the baby and I feel like a monster. My marriage is failing, my husband and I are both depressed and our dreams are crumbling before our eyes. I’m in counseling, we’re in counseling, I’m on SSRI, I work out for at least an hour and a half a day, i’m eating healthy, I have supportive friends and family nearby, we have fun stuff planned, and my husband and I are both dividing the sleep. Long before all of this I wanted a third kid but now I just want to be able to survive these two. Please tell me it gets better. I just need encouragement.

Im in the 3rd trimester (34 wks) fighting for my LIFE. This has been a great pregnancy as far as me &baby’s health and my toddler has been so kind about me slowing down & not being as active…..but WOW am I exhausted. I basically spent the DAY dozing off (toddler is safe. Cannot reach any doors/unsafe items & actually knows not to go after certain things already thank GOD) I just need this fatigue to improve …my God..!

My wife and I just had our second our first is exactly 13 months old the best ball of joy a bit dramatic but never dull 😂 what I’m wondering is how do you manage I know we’re planning on focusing on our oldest because he knows things he’s not a bump on a log like the new born but is there any advice? Also I have eight weeks of paternity leave (I’m dad) my wife is sahm any advice for these eight weeks of what I should focus on?

For naps during the day.

I have a 6mo and a 2yo. 2yo constantly comes into the room while I’m trying to put the baby to sleep. Doesn’t matter if I put tv on for him, give him toys, give him food, he still wants to be with us in the room. If I let him in the room, he just shouts and stomps around - he won’t sit still or be quiet. And if I shut him outside of the room, he’ll repeatedly kick and slam into the door and scream, which naturally stops the baby from sleeping. It’s very frustrating!

I’m feeling stressed and it’s manifesting as irritation toward my wife, kid, and coworkers.

Husband lightly slapped our 1.5 year old..

So me (22 F) and my husband (27 M) are having 2 under 2..

So the night yesterday, he came from his activities I gave babies to him to handle them until I finish the kitchen work..

The lil one 6 month old started crying hysterical as she does like always only I can soothe her then so he tried to soothe her but didn't work and in all that scenario toddler also started to ask her dad for attention as he was busy in soothing the lil one so he didn't payed attention to her so I that case he hit her dad with phone (like thrown the phone at his face) so he slapped a lil on her face.. as per my thoughts it was due to heat of the moment cuz he loves her so much..

But I'm so guilty towards her, there can numerous factors to him being like this either he's frustrated in his work cuz he works hard and also lost some of his profits yesterday. So I'm making that excuse in my mind to satisfy myself..

I talked to him about that and he said I can't be like your father(all lovey dovey and caring) I can be my father(his father used to beat them on mistakes but love them also, it was his father parenting style). But I said, the generation changed we can't hit them now or beat them cuz she's is very lil now and we have to be friend with them, he said you would be their friend and I would be the strict parent to make them disciplined.. I told him that I still didn't got your point..

What should I do?? How should I cope up with it?? Cuz I don't wannna make himself a bad parent infront of our daughters..

Can you please suggest ways you work with your baby to stop the screaming. Please I am mentally struggling with hearing him scream all the time. It makes me beyond frustrated and way over stimulated. I can’t help but to respond with “stop screaming!!” Because gentle singing doesn’t work. I have to be louder than him to get him to stop but it doesn’t feel productive. It’s literally ear piercing screams and makes me want grind my teeth everytime I hear it.

Hey!

Just wondering what sort of transportation everyone used to move their young children around!

I've had a lot of "just wrap baby and put toddler in buggy" but I'm not sure exactly how feasible that is long term? And how easy that's going to be for getting in and out of the car.

I've also had some double buggy recommendations but I'm unsure what the best would be to go for, and what sizing is like? Alternatively a buggy board on the buggy? But I'm not sure my 21 month old (or at least he will be at the time) will play ball with that.

Is a wagon an option? Does anyone have any tried and true suggestions?