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How did the family dynamic change when you had a third child? How did the relationship between siblings change? Or did it stay pretty much the same? Do they all play together or do two tend to pair up at a time?
Just curious. My girls get on so great right now, I hope it's smooth sailing whenever we have number 3!
We found it hard to settle into a routine at first, but ds had reflux so needed a lot of attention so it was hubby with the girls while I calmed down ds or vice versa. Dd2 has always been great she would happily get blankets, dummy's or give cuddles we just had to watch she wasn't too rough. Dd1 was in need of more attention and went backwards with toilet training in the beginning.
Nowadays we have a great routine we all eat together, the kids play happily they love getting the cars, trains or blocks out to play together. At times ds goes to a different area to play and dd1 has a table and chairs in her room she can escape to if it's too noisy.
I find I am busier but it's fun being around them.
DD2 was a super cruisy baby so sometimes it was like she wasn't even here! She just slotted in so well to the way our family was at the time. I didn't notice any problems with the way they got on - they are all 20 months apart and they played together well. Of course there were times when they would fight and it would be 2 against one etc, but that's just a part of life - if you have 2 kids they can fight with each other too kwim? When she was first born though they ignored her really - DS1 wasn't interested in babies and DD1 was too little to be too worried about her too. It wouldn't have been till DD2 was 6mths+ that they really started to develop their relationships with each other.
After both claiming to be 100% done after two, we started talking about a potential third last night so interested what people have to say! We have decided to at least wait two years before doing anything permanent in terms of birth control and if at that point we are keen, we will try. At first DP said he was thinking maybe another in 5yrs but I couldn't do that, I would want to have a similar age gap and he is willing to accept that for me it would have to be in about two years time or never. I could potentially be swayed to wait 5yrs IF we had another two haha DP is also open to considering that option.
I would love another CHILD... not sure how excited I am about the pregnancy, birth and adding another few years onto my breastfeeding journey but that might just be because it is way too soon after DD2 haha.
Interested also... I'm not ready for a third just yet, but I can tell I'm not done yet. DH and I had always talked about having three or four anyway :).
I'm loving having two right now, so I do wonder and worry about how a third would change things.
Nothing much changed in our house. All the kids play nicely together. There's a lot of love in those kids :)
Im loving having 3; yes its still early days but I love it. The big girls are so kind and loving to their little sister.
T
It's sounding good! cluck cluck cluck
I was just worried I would change something between my DDs and I don't want to change anything, they love each other so much. I should know by now not to worry! Before DD1 was born I worried that things between DH and I would change, before DD2 was born I worried about not having enough time for DD1 and how it would change things between us. Of course, things did change, but only for the better! It's just the fear of the unknown I guess. And as we get closer to wanting to TTC again it's on my mind again.
Heaven, I think for the kids it's very much like it is for us - you think there is no more room to love another one, but there is kwim? It just means that their relationship becomes a 3-way one instead of a two-way one.
oooh i'm interested in this too! I think about this too, my girls are best friends and I wonder how having #3 will change things.....
I've always wanted 3 or 4 so definitely having more regardless of how it changes things!! :)
I often think though that it will be so good that they will have each other to play with while we are busy feeding baby #3 etc.....
I think that's how a lot of us feel Heaven! Totally normal.:
Oh gosh, so great to hear what everyone is going through having 3 children!
I just found out I am pregnant with number 3, so I hope for my DS's it's a crusey transition!
My eldest keeps telling me he wants a baby in my tummy lol but I won't tell him until a lot later on.
Both my DS's love and hate each other countless times a day so I figure I could do 3 lol.
lol, my DD1 asks me all the time 'Mummy, can you grow me a brother now??' Umm...I'll give it a try.
I had a bigger age gap between no 1 & 2 (6yrs) which I found quite a large adjustment where as having DD she has just slotted into the family so easily, the boys both love her to bits, there's never been any jealousy or anything. I now couldn't imagine life without her :D
3 is a magic number- my twins adore their younger brother and it is awesome!!! Their bond between each other is still so strong and now they both have a bond with their younger brother as well!! Go for it heaven !! Just as you love 2 children - your kids love their 2nd sibling the same way!! Xxxx
Nothing changed in my house when the 3rd came along. Well, nothing except the amount of washing :rofl:
Nothing really changed in my house when I had DS 3, my first 2 boys are only 16 months apart and have a great friendship, so if anything when I had No 3 they had each other for company so didn't really notice if I wasn't giving them as much attention. As number 3 got older he just fitted in with the older boys (he thinks he's 6 too). It did help that No 3 was an easy baby. Although now that the older 2 boys are both at school I can tell that he is quite lost without them.
I'm interested to know too. DH said he could 'go' for Number 3....but I have a few pre-requisites first. 1. Got to be back in Australia 2. I've got to be under 40 and 3. Kids have to be at school already!
DS doesn't even like his Sister NOW....let alone another brother or Sister. I am also not sure I'd want DD to be a middle child...you know the stigma attached to that one...is it true!?
When dd2 was a baby it was great, even though it was 3 under 3.
However - ds and dd1 had always been the best of friends until dd2 started getting older and now ds rarely plays with the older two girls, they just fight.
Dd1 and dd2 play a lot together. Except if we have a friend over, then they usually shut dd2 out of her room.
So in my case, it changed everything and put ds on the outer so to speak, but - and this is a huge BUT - he is the only boy and at that age where he wants to play on the wii and not play with dolls. So it probably would have happened anyway.
LOL! DD1 says the opposite! She says "Mummy, I don't want another baby sister, I just want L" nawwww! I think it's because she thinks if we have another one, then that will replace L for some reason?! I have to then explain to her, 'well how about another baby sister or brother AND you get to keep L too?" and she says "yeah!!!" hehe:
I can't wait to have a 3rd now.... so exciting!! Although happy with my 2 girls for now!
:bump:
Hmmmm any news yet???? :)
Lol no, not even TTC yet. I thought I wanted a 2 year age gap again but now I find myself pondering these things and I don't know! Decisions decisions... not sure I'm ready for DD2 not to be my 'baby' anymore :(
love 3 kids
but i must say- my twins are away at camp for 3 days and with 1 child, it is so much different
so 1 child - 1st gear
2 kids- 3rd gear
3 kids- 4th gear
life is faster, busier, quicker, more washing, messier but I would have it any other way!!
Thanks det!
I always overthink things. I'm sure it will be great but I'm having trouble imagining what 3 kids is like and how they play together. I love how the girls get on so well now, I wonder if that will change with 3, will one be left out? I hope not!
This is exactly how I am feeling atm.:
I hate this indecisive stage!!
I felt the same way once! We bit the bullet and went for #3 and have no regrets :D.
It's hectic, it's crazy, but it's fun! None of our three are left out ever, they're all too stubborn to let that happen :lol:.
Just do it I say! (lol easy for me to say)
LOL Trish! Less thinking, more action hey? haha.
I also don't have that really clucky feeling yet like I want another baby NOW! And it's annoying me, LOL. Most people don't want to be clucky, I do!! In my head I know I want 4 kids, I want a big family, always someone to play with, fun, loud, I want all of it. And I LOVE the 2 year age gap between the girls. I wanted that again because it's awesome and they'd all be close. So I know in my head I want it but why am I not feeling it?? I feel like I should wait til I get that feeling again otherwise it's like I don't really want another baby or something. I can't remember now how I felt before TTC DD2. I know I was worried about how it would impact DD1 but can't remember if I felt all clucky, I don't think I did as much as with DD1 but I did a bit at least and wanted to give her a sibling. Once I was actually pregnant I couldn't wait!!
So will I get that feeling again? Do you get it with each baby still after you've had a couple? Should I wait? The thought of waiting too long and having a much bigger age gap though makes me want to TTC now, ahhhhhhhh.....
I also read all the time how people say they had another baby because they felt someone/something was missing. I don't feel like that! I feel complete. I'm perfectly happy with my two girls now, though I know I want a big family, I don't have that 'something missing' feeling. Is that weird.
OMG listen to me ramble. So sorry for boring you all. All this overthinking things is doing my head in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You're way over-thinking things lol! Just kidding, it's very natural, I did the same :p. I have a 3 year age gap between my first two because I just didn't feel ready yet to have another bub. I wanted to wait until I felt like I wanted another one itms? I had a fear that if I fell pg before I felt ready that the bub may not feel wanted. Probably a silly fear, but that's the way I felt!
Sounds like you're not ready just yet. Keep thinking it over and I'm sure you'll feel ready eventually :).
Thanks Trish. I keep looking at baby photos and videos to try and make myself feel it :rofl: I'm crazy, I know. But this is interfering with my grand plans, haha.
Anyway, I should know that when I start thinking about it this much all the freakin time it means I'm getting close to wanting a baby anyway. Relax, relax, LOL.
I used to ponder this but now its different - DP has a son (8) and step daughter (16) also who both come up here every fortnight and next year his son will live with us. I don't know if this is going to be a typical third child?!?!? But I can see given it can be a very noisy household its going to be born into noise and hopefully be one of those babies that just fits in and doesn't seem bothered by it!!! Else I might go around the bend lol.
Absolutely! That's how it happened when I has ready to go for round three lol! I felt the urge much sooner that time around thank goodness! I guarantee you'll be ready within the next couple of months ;):
Oh and just to prove I was over-thinking #3 too, I just dug up this old thread https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...ike-72037.html. We started TTC the next month haha!
hahaha Trish!! Thank you! That thread was helpful anyway!
Omg I could have written all that!!!!!!! I too am feeling like ...ahhhh!! I want another baby but for now I just want DD2 to be the baby. It all feels like its happening too quickly and she's ONE all of a sudden???? When did all of that happen??? Lol:
Ikwym about the clucky levels!! I think with each one we get that little less clucky as well we are busy!!?
I too feel complete. But.....want more LOL
I just adore having just the two girls for now and can't picture having 3 kids yet.... I am so loving just two for now!!!
We also want the same age gap again 2yrs4mo but looks like we might have bit bigger gap as we aren't ready to try yet. Plus we have an overseas trip booked so I can't be too pregnant for then anyway :)
For us we were always going to have two, we started discussing a 3rd and both decided that we were happy with the two healthy boys we had (25 months apart). I thought i was ok with this but at the same time a little hesitant about accpeting the finality of it. In the end the decision was made for us as i fell pregnant with a surprise bub when DS2 was 13 months old. I was in shock and it was a little tricky for a bit there dealing with some unexpected emotional feelings but we embraced the fact that we'd be having another little one in our lives fairly quickly.
DS1 & DS2 were pretty good mates by the time DD arrived (DS1 3.11 & DS2 20months) there were lots of challenges with regards to DD being quite a difficult baby at times, with pretty cr@ppy sleep happening and then on top of that we had kinder runs and a couple of activities a week. Lots of guilt on my part at not being able to provide DD with a little less chaos. But fast forward to now and it's actually really pretty good, things are getting easier :shhh: and DS2 and DD are the best of mates and play together so well. DS1 and DS2 still play well also and there are times when all three of them have a great time toghether
Life is full of interesting moments and challenges but it's what keeps me going. I love my kids with all my heart and every day i look at DD and think how could we have not thought we didin't need another precious little one in our lives.