first birthdays and thoughts of another baby - a common occurence?

[LucyG]

Did your baby's first birthday give you "baby fever" again? Intellectually, I know that we are not ready to have another baby yet. At 11 months old, DD is still such a baby, and will be for quite a while. And, we love the little girl she is becoming! Still, that doesn't keep me from thinking about having another baby, and from sneaking wistful looks at DD's newborn pictures. A few friends are thinking of having #2, and I think that's part of it, also.

So, if you experienced this phenomenon of returning baby fever, did the urge pass once that momentous first birthday was over? I know I'm having to deal with my baby growing up, and that's totally the reason for this. I feel like a psychology case study! Please tell me I'm not the only one!!

[jubilee]

I totally don't have baby fever, to my hubby's dismay. We had planned on getting pregnant about now, but I just can't do it. I have zero desire to have another one right now. I look forward to hearing when everyone's biological clock started ringing again.

[jesseandgrace]

I definitely did not have the desire at a year, but my neighbor did. Right around her sons first birthday she started talking about having # 2 and missing having a little baby. She was pregnant a few months later and it worked really well for them as far as having the kids a little less than two years apart. I have a friend who is definitely planning the next one and her son will be one in a few weeks, so I think you are in good company :).

[MelissaTC]

DH caught the baby fever when DS was 4 months! Needless to say, I didn't catch it until after DS was a year. We have it now and DS is 19 months. We are starting fertility treatments again in a few weeks so if things go well, DS will be around 2.5 when the new baby arrives!

[lizajane]

i have it BAD!!!!!

so don't worry that your first few replies said "no way."

we have always wanted to ttc #2 at 12 months, until i figured out that my friend got preg the week ds was born and her dd was born dec 17. i do NOT want a x-mas baby! so we are going to shoot for may. that would give us a feb baby, JUST before ds is 2.

but i am ovulating TODAY (i get cramps, etc, so i know) and i can't TELL YOU how TEMPTED i am!!!!!!!!!!! dh is tempted, too!! he actually asked if i wanted to go for FEB so we would have #2 before christmas. i don't know if i can wait until may!! i feel EXACTLY like i did before i got preg with schuyler. not quite ready for a baby, but ITCHING TO GET PREG! and by the time schuyler came, i was SO excited and SO ready. (but terrified that in 7 years i would have a 7 year old... if that makes sense. the baby didn't scare me. the fact that the baby would turn into a KID scared me!)

so (ramble, babble, tangent..) YES YES YES. baby fever is taking over our house. (schuyler is a really good baby, so happy, so sweet, but the recent snotty nose and 5 am wake ups are keeping the condoms in use! hope that wasn't TMI!)

[dogmom]

My DS just turned one last week. I've been saying "eighteen months" because one study says spacing of less than 18 months leads to a higher risk of complications for both the mother and the baby. (Of course the study is slightly skewed because the mothers that were having babies less than 18 months apart weren't planning, so much as just having, and they higher rates of smoking, etc.) So anyway, I decided that 18 months was 9 months to get over the pregnancy and 9 months to get ready for the next one.

Year one rolls around and I'm several days late for my period.. I'm thinking, am I pregnant? First I'm happy at the thought, then I panic about having 2 under two, then I think, well, I won't be 40 and pregnant (shrinking window left on that one) and on and on. It does work out I'm not pregnant, and I'm guess I'm happy with that. I think it will be a few months before we officially try again. But I am looking at my DS thinking, he's not a baby anymore, and getting a little sad.

Jeanne
Mom to Harvey
1/16/03

[barbarhow]

oh yeah. I'm there. I keep looking at Jack's newborn pictures and tearing up...He is turning into such a little boy. Currently our plan is to start TTC in July. I would love to be moved and into our new house before I have to cope with morning sickness and fatigue. But I also have the "age" card to deal with. I am certainly over the hill already. Older by far than almost all of you-so feel that I want to do it sooner rather than later.
One of my coworkers staopped by the other day with her 4 week old. She is so tiny and sweet and making those tiny little baby sounds that I had forgotten about.........
Barbara-mom to Jack 3/27/03

[missym]

Don't tell my DH, but I'm right there with you! I know we can't afford another baby right now, I've had some health issues recently that make me unsure it's a good idea to get pregnant again, I want to concentrate on Gwen, etc. etc. etc. BUT, I can't help but think about how much I enjoyed being pregnant and Gwen's newborn days. (Am I crazy - what am I saying???!!)

I'm sure it's like you said, our babies are changing before our eyes, and somehow the approaching 1-year mark really brings it home. Hopefully it will pass; maybe we should go buy puppies or something!

Missy, mom to Gwen 03/03

[gour0]

LOl! when Joanne got pregnant, I thought, "That's what I want! 9 mos to recover and then ttc #2" Well, our timeframe got pushed back by Blue Cross Blue Shield (we won't have maternity coverage until October). And, now I'm glad. I am so loving having Ben 'in the spotlight' so to speak. I'm not ready to give that up yet. But, I too have been melting over little babies at church!

[starrynight]

YES!! I had it horribly bad when Daria was 11 months old. I mean BADDD, dh had told me he didn't want any more kids and I should just get over it. We had a few fights etc I was a mess. Anyway right around the week of her first birthday I realized I was just upset at her growing up and got over it. I finally agreed with dh that we woulnd't have anymore kids. Wellll becareful what ya wish for since I was already pregnant with Eliza but didn't know it!! :+ Then I was a complete mess for a month because I had just decided I didn't want anymore and was upset I was pregnant. LOL Yes I am insane....

[C99]

I'm actually somewhat on the fence about this, but I'm more on the "not ready yet" side. I've been looking at Nate's newborn photos, and seeing new babies and I remember how cute and cuddly they are and it makes me somewhat wistful for those days. But then I also realize that my experience won't be the same as it was when Nathaniel was a newborn, for lots of reasons.

BUT, I have been saying things like, "This time next year, we'll start TTC."

[sntm]

We had originally considered TTC #2 when jack was around 9 months (since our next "window of opportunity" won't be until I finish residency + fellowship or another 5 years), and as much as I loved him as a baby and sometimes miss newborn type stuff, I am surprised that I don't feel like having another one right now. Which is good because we decided we couldn't afford it (daycare costs, ugh) Ask me this summer when Jack turns one (and it is too late) and see what I say!

shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[millerpjm]

YES,YES,YES!!!! My baby is turning 1 in a week, and I lately I have been having baby fever SO BADLY! For us, it's not financially possible for #2 yet, and DS is on the fence about if he even wants a second baby. Meanwhile, I am back to thinking about baby names, and being pregnant again. I'm hoping it will pass, at least for a little while. I always said I wanted the first one out of diapers first, but lately all logic seems to want to go out the window! You're not alone!

Jen

Proud mama to Thomas 2/3/03

[McQ]

We've got a case of baby fever/baby panic in this house. 6 weeks after Declan was born DH & I had the birth control talk and he was like "let's get pregnant again now!" and I thought he was a crazy man. There was no way I wanted a baby at Declan's first birthday party. I came around some time in the fall and then loved the idea of having two so close together so we started trying. But then one morning I had brought Declan into our bed and he was cuddling all up against me asleep and I thought what the heck are we doing, if I have another baby I won't have time to snuggle with Declan like this. But overall, we've got baby fever.

Allison
~ mommy to Declan 3.24.03

[Elilly]

For DD's 1st BD, DH made a chronological DVD of pictures from her first year put to music that put me over the edge. #2 was conceived about 6 weeks later! Although slightly panicked about having 2 kids 22 months apart, I cannot wait! I believe the first birthday definitely gave me a case of the baby fever!