Just Found Out We Are Expecting #3!!! Advice Please Mama's!!

I now have a 3 month old total surprise....for a total of 3 girls ages, 5 years, 3 years and 3 months! I didn't realize how incomplete our family was until baby number 3. Now it feels just right! :-)

I too freaked out - totally! I was convinced that number 3 would be born on number 1's first day of kindergarten....how irresponsible could we possibly be as parents???

Alas....she was here in July and 1 started K in August. I even managed to pump enough to leave her for orientation and the first day of school...and she took the bottle splendidly!

Now I must say I have a very mature 5 year old...a more immature 3 year old (she just turned 3 in August), and a very easy going infant. There are lots of challenges including getting everyone to all activities...lots of nursing and pumping in the car (my pump in style is in the van now!). It is fabulous!

I also had a grandmother staying here off and on with the birth of number 2...and I totally did not need them. Number 3 was an easier labor/delivery...but recovery almost killed me! :-) I'm pretty sure I couldn't have done it without the grands this time around.

The love and college will come! Enjoy the ride! I am pretty sure this is it for us in the baby department so I am trying to savor every moment of all 3...it is just going by so fast! I think having one start school and on born at about the same time really hit home!

Have fun and feel free to PM me if I can help with anything specific! Good luck!

I always knew it would all work out and that all children are a blessing.

Congratulations. You will be fine. Always enough time, energy and love to go around.

I hear having 1 is hard..........I had 3 within a ten month span of eachother and that made having 1 look easy. Now I am pregnant again with number 4. My kids are all now in 2nd & 3rd grade. I am sure it's going to be hard during homework hour and taking them all out to places. Having children, whether it's 1 or 20 is never just easy. Either way through all the momments, memories and good time and bad you still have your family at the end of the day of which makes you proud!My best advice is try to have somewhat of a schedule, somewhat, as much as you can, for your own sanity.

Our baby #3 was a complete surprise. I walked around in shock for about a week it was crazy. He is now a joy at 14 months. Our kids were almost 4 and almost 6 when he was born. They love having a baby brother and our family feels so right with him in it. You will survive. Your kids might be jealous but that is normal too. My son who was almost 4 had a bit of jealousy and needed extra love and attention since he was used to being my baby, but we got through it. Congratulations!

CONGRATULATIONS ! ! !

Our third came in May after our second came in early December. Its a wonderful situation. Our ability to love more than increased enough to take in each child we had. And my 8th has been a joy to our lives.

I guess God blesses those that are willing to give His children a good home and family.

Good luck to you and yours.

Making the decision to have #3 was THE BEST decision husband and I ever made! Love my little baby girl...whose not that much of a 'baby' anymore, she is almost 5, can't believe it!!

Congrats!

~All of your worries are totally normal, by the way! And yes, you will have enough love to go around!

Congratulations! My third was a surprise, but she is the sweetest little girl ever! She is a true blessing in my life! It will be overwhelming at first, but it will be okay. My older two were 7 and 18 months when I had her, and I was quite surorised that my 18 month old was not jealous of the new baby. You will have time for all of them, but make sure that you do one-on-one things with each one of them. It will all work out and they will love their new sister or brother!

As to the cost of college, my DH is the oldest of four. His younger brothers qualified for all kinds of scholarships and financial aid because the family had multiple children in college at the same time.

I had the EXACT same scenario - a sort of but not entirely planned 3rd pregnancy, a 3 and 5 year old and lots of nerves. I was actually stunned this time around by my level of anxiety - I would swing back and forth between excitement and paralyzing fears and guilt. I had thoughts that I was "ruining" our perfect family balance, that my oldest daughter (who would be six and just starting Kindergarten at the time of the birth) would be particularly traumatized, that the 3rd addition was going to put us in the poor house! You name it. Just know this is normal! Let yourself feel it all. It will help you prepare, and eventually embrace the new little one. You will be ok, and yes, it will take some time to adjust for all of you. It'll be a new routine for everyone. My oldest did act out for a while, towards us, but we allowed her that space as the tranisitions for her in particular were huge. Have patience and expect ups and downs. Our 3rd just turned 1 and he is truly love of our lives - for ALL of us. My older daughters adore him, and call him "Our baby". Routines have settled down, the kids help care for him, and we feel complete. Now that he's here, I can't imagine what we did without him.

Congrats!!! I completely understand. We just had our baby # 3 6 months ago and I am so thrilled. I can't imagine my life any other way. My advice to you is to breath, embrace however you feel and get the support you need. Your kids will adjust to the baby---it will be hard at times but as long as you make time for all, everyone will adjust just fine. Congrats!

I only had one, so I haven't been there but I wanted to say congrats on the pregnancy and I am sure you will be fine. Just the fact that you are worried tells me you're a good mom nd will do a great job!

Just keep in mind that you won't be able to do everything every day and don't try to. Don't worry about the housework - your priority is the children. Keep things in perspective and always in the back of your mind remember to do the things you want to remember and your children to remember forever - a loving mom who is there for them. They don't care whether there is dust on the furniture or not!

Congrats! I have my third on the way as well. My daughters are 8 and 5, and this is our first son. So far, getting ready for this child has been mass chaos. I imagine that will be my life for the next 18 years! I'm trying not to worry about everything all at once, because there's enough of it. Don't borrow worry from tomorrow, because there's plenty for today!

LOL boy I think I have answered a question like this before! Yes you will survive! Don't freak out. Our #3 wasn't planned either. After our 2nd child, I refused to go on birth control because of the "claims" out there from strokes and everything. I had severe pre-eclampsia at 37 weeks and 6 days pregnant with #2 and I was so scared if I were to go on birth control a clot would form. Luckily I did deliver a beautiful girl. My 2nd child was 6 months old when I found out we were having baby #3, so you are lucky your kids are ages 5 and 3 now. I have a 4 year old, 2 year old and 1 year old. Yes it does get stressful and yes the kids will get jealous, but you adjust to it. While you are feeding the infant, the other children can play with daddy or vise versa. If you plan to bottle feed (or you can use breast milk in a bottle), make the 5 and 3 year old help. Now, yes you will need to help them to support the little one, but you will be surprised at how much they love to help! Both my girls always helped us with their brother! My middle child and youngest are only 14 months apart!

As for if you will have time to love them all and be with them, yes....as a mom you MAKE time. Turn the TV off, computer off and just sit and play. Now I will tell you that the first few months when the baby is up constantly, yes it is hard because you have like no sleep but it GETS BETTER! I promise! My son for the first few months was awful! He was colicky and had several bowel issues. I took him to Urgent Care because he was in so much pain and the doctor said he looked like he had an obstruction in his intestine so I was instructed to go to the ER and have them look at him and he may need surgery. I freaked out and started to cry my eyes out. Now luckily he just needed on soy milk.

I only say this because yes I am experienced with 3 children and there are going to be times you will stress and freak out, but it is all in GOD's hands. We have to trust His judgement. Children are a true blessing from God and we must cherish it. Just remember, there are some people out there whom cannot conceive at all.

You will be fine. Just relax and don't over think things. College is expensive that is why they have loans and hopefully by the time that day comes, your house will be paid off! LOL sorry had to put a little humor in it!

Good luck!