Number 2... How'd you know that you were ready?

[Miss E]

Thanks for all your replies ladies, it really helps hearing everyone elses perspectives.

Thrilled try not to stress too much about it, I felt exactly the same when DS was that age, now as he gets older I'm warming more and more to the idea and the more I think about it (which is a lot right now) the better equipped I feel.

MZ - too true, you make it work whatever life throws at you.

Bekz, thanks for sharing, the fear of not being the 'perfect' mum is what scares me most, but you've really helped to put it in perspective.

Life is good and Rumpled elf, that is really interesting about the love of babies wearing off, I've never come across that before, must admit it makes me even keener to start TTC soon. Lg, good luck with your birth!

Thanks for sharing ashie.

Just to update DH and I are thinking we will start TTC in a couple of months when DS turns two. He is developing so fast at the moment and that is giving me more and more confidence that by the time we fall pregnant and have the baby he will be in a great place and it won't be as hard as I fear it will be. Thanks everyone x

[fionas]

It was hard because DD1 was an easy baby but it took me a long time to physically recover from the pregnancy/birth (long story which I won't bore you with). Then when she was a toddler, my goodness she was a terror and I too wondered about how I'd cope. The pregnancy with DD2 was awful because of my physical problems (couldn't walk, housebound for six months basically) and the fact that DD1 who was in full tantrum mode was housebound too. Added to that, we had a lot going on generally - buying/selling a house and 16-year-old DSD going off the rails so I worried myself silly about how I would cope with DD2.

But things change - they really do. We moved house, physically I'm a lot, lot better than first time around and DD1 is a bit older, bit (I emphasise 'bit') more sensible. And despite the fact that DD2 is nowhere near as easy a baby as DD1, it's all worked out brilliantly.

My age kind of helped otherwise I probably would have secondguessed myself for a lot longer, but I knew I didn't have the luxury of time to do that from a fertility perspective.

If it wasn't for the fact that I have physically rotten pregnancies which apart from being a complete pain, make it v difficult to actually practically look after children, then I'd be trying for no.3 right now.