okay, having 3 kids, I think the easiest is AFTER you have the first two and you have the third….. you know what you’re doing with a baby (pretty much), the older two entertain each other and, as baby gets older, take turns entertaining baby, so it’s easier to get one on one time with everyone.

Now, between going from none to one or one to two, I have to say, it’s different for everyone, but for me, it was much harder going from none to one.

There’s so much you don’t know, and you’re always second guessing yourself on your instincts.

With the second one, there are issues, of course, but that’s with EVERY baby… there just isn’t that horrible anxiety and nervousness of what to do when you bring baby home… the fear of being alone with baby the first time.

So it may not even be that it was easier as much as it was that I was more confident.

And a lot has to do with how you approach it. My first two are 18mo and 8days apart. From the moment I knew that I was pg for sure (3mo along), I started just casually talking about the new baby… on our walks, when we were playing, just random talks about how we loved him and this was going to be HIS baby.

So when his brother came home, he could have cared LESS about me coming home… he jumped up on the chair and just reached out and gently started petting the blanket on his brother and then his brother’s foot. He was enamored. I let him help as much as an 18mo old can from the get go (helping to hold baby’s head to nurse and later, helping hold the bottle) And I just made sure that at least one time every day, I spent 3 10 minute spans with JUST me and my first… whether baby was napping or my husband took him for a bit… whatever.

Heck, even if the baby was sleeping on me, if I could read him a story, it was just as good… as long as he had my full attention.

And knowing what to expect made it so wonderful.

Depends on the baby. My first baby was hard but only because of lack of experience. My second slept all the time and never cried. My third was my first boy so that was a HUGE adjustment. My fourth cried constantly, so of course I’m inclined to say 2-3 or 3-4 is hardest. But I can see if I’d had the same kids in a different order I might feel differently. I do agree with the being out#ed theory.

Going from 1-2 was the most difficult transition for me.
For a few reasons; they are fairly close in age (18mos apart), my 2nd was a November baby so I had a long Canadian winter to get through with a newborn and a toddler, I had a traumatic delivery which likely contributed to my PPD.

Going from 2-3 was by far the easiest which totally surprised me as that’s the one that outnumbered us. Three is a breeze! lol!

None to one and one to two are both difficult, especially if your kids are closely spaced. Two to three was when I finally felt like it was easy!

1-2 was harder for me, at least so far. I was a homebody before we even got pregnant with our first, and wanted to be a sahm anyway – our lifestyle didn’t change much other than it became a bit more child-centric. Got into a decent groove with the first, and got knocked up again. Threw us for a loop. No more napping when the kid’s napping – they tag-teamed me more than I care to remember (i.e. one would take a morning nap, would wake up as I got the other one down, etc. all freakin’ day). I’m a little afraid of the third that’s due any day now and how few showers and sleep that’ll mean for me, but we’ll survive. Hopefully.

I think it’s harder to go from two to three. Two parents, three kids you are out numbered. Giving equal attention gets harder and harder.

I only have 1, and it’s been a HUGE adjustment. In fact, I am in the process of getting treated for PPD.

I’m actually terrified of having #2 – just because of this dilemma.

I’m going to venture to say that going from no kids to one kid is the hardest. I had my first child in August and the first two months were SO difficult. She was a good, easy baby, but I was completely overwhelmed. I work full-time from home and found it so difficult to balance being a mommy with being an employee. What made it super difficult was that I thought I could do it on my own and refused all help. I will never do that again. It’s been especially difficult because we live in the Northeast and our families live in the Midwest.

My hubby and I are planning for baby #2 next year and I will definitely take the help next time. I think it will be so much easier because I will know what to expect the next time around. I love my daughter and love being a mommy, but it’s definitely a role I had to grow into at age 32. And I am looking forward to baby #2 whenever he or she decides to grace us with his or her presence!

I have two girls 18mos. apart. I vote for none to one…I have babysat my WHOLE life and I am very comfortable around babies/children, but with my own it was so new. I was the mom, I wasn’t a temporary situation like babysitting so I found that to be unnerving as everything took twice as long to accomplish, even showering. From 1 to 2, it was just a continuation of what had started 18mos. prior! My husband and I swear that we have not slept since 2004. We are debating a 3rd, my friend wanted to warn me though, she said going from 2-3 throws of the dynamics of it all (at least for her), you become outnumbered and it is a bit harder to manage…we’ll see when we get to that point!