Someone once told me that going from one to two children is a bigger adjustment than making the leap from zero to one child is. I TOTALLY disagree.
Much as I adored becoming a mum for the first time, it was on so many levels A LOT more nerve-wrecking than doing it again three years later. Sure, it all got a little busier and I had that little less time to, you know, eat and shower and hold a meaningful conversation with another adult when baby number two made his appearance, but seriously, this time around: Piece. Of. Cake.
In fact, here are 10 reasons why you should ABSOLUTELY not dread getting started on Baby #2:
1. You’re way more relaxed
You didn’t kill the first one. If that isn’t proof that you can do this, I don’t know what is.
2. You know how fast it all goes by
With baby number one you spend a lot of time worrying about doing everything right, worrying about if this (sleepless nights/sore nipples/baby brain) will ever pass, and if life will ever feel normal again. With baby number two you know it will, and not only that, you know how fast that first year goes by, so you get better at just letting go and enjoying the moment.
3. There is no time to be bored with baby number 2
When my baby girl was a baby, I admit I found some days (in those early stages) rather long and like I was repeating the same things (feed/change/wash) over and over and over again. With Baby #2 you will be so busy with two little ones, who will not even have time to contemplate being bored. Trust me.
4. Nobody messes with you
You are now a mum of two – and you have the look of wisdom and hard-earned field experience that go with it. It might just be because you give off the air of confidence you lacked with your first, because after all, nosy do-gooders tend to sense weakness.
5. You have all the gear
Having baby number two is practically like you are SAVING money! Getting more use out of all those (useful and not so useful) bits you invested in for Baby #1.
6. You know half of the “essentials” are crap
Ah, all the things some pretty shop assistant told you you NEEDED for baby No.1. That you now know were utter shite. (swaddle blanket/door-bouncer/nappy bin, I am looking at you!)
7. You already have mum-friends
And you could not even begin to envisage life without them. By this time, any old friends that were going to stick around, have; and in the meantime, you’ve made a new tribe of friends! It’s not always easy to break into the mum-friend world, but by the time your second one arrives, you likely have more than a few friends who can totally relate to leaky boobs and poop explosions.
8. You have adjusted to less sleep
This one is such a beauty. By the time you have survived your first infant, getting though the day on 4-5 hours sleep is a breeze. (Well, almost. I take comfort in the fact that in 10-12 years I will probably get to enjoy a good night’s sleep again.)
9. You know what to expect from weaning
Ah, those weaning days the first time around. When you wept into the sweet potato puré over hours spent preparing the most nutritious and organic gloop known to man – only for your baby to REFUSE to even touch any of it. Or spit it out all over the floor/fancy Scandi high chair/your clothes. The second time around you feel A LOT less guilty about giving them a jar of baby food and making them eat it while sitting in the bath!
10. You know it’s all about LOVE
When you become a mum for the first time, you can’t imagine loving anything as much as you love your first. True? But then you meet your second baby, and you love them just as much. And then you love your first for how much they love their sibling. Oh. My. God. The CUTENESS! And then you love your husband more for giving you another bundle of joy. And on and on. It is BEAUTIFUL!
So if you’re on the fence about getting to work on Baby #2, I say GET GOING! You know what they say: Three’s a crowd but four’s a party. But be warned: You might enjoy baby number two so much that you start pining for number three! (I am speaking from experience.)
