A mom on Reddit is opening up about her fears of having two children who are very close in age.
In her post, she explained that she’s 8½ months pregnant with her second child and is “freaking out,” overcome with guilt and anxiety. Her first child is not yet 2 years old — almost 23 months — and she’s suddenly wishing she had waited longer before expanding her family again.
She said she felt pressured by her own fear of getting “too old” to try, and since she became pregnant quickly, the reality is now weighing heavily on her.
“Now I’m feeling so terrible that I won’t be able to pay as much attention to my son,” she wrote. “He’s so amazing and I love spending time with him, and now I just feel so much guilt for what I’m about to put him through.”
She asked fellow parents for reassurance and advice on how to navigate the emotional challenges of going from one child to two.
One commenter told her these feelings are common and that parenthood naturally comes in phases.
“If it makes you feel any better, this is a normal way to feel regardless of the age gap,” they shared. “There will be seasons of life where one child needs you more than the other. Your newborn may need you more for a while, but that doesn’t mean your toddler is being neglected. Later, it could be the opposite.”
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Another parent chimed in, saying their children are 22 months apart and although the early days were tough, it turned into a wonderful bond as they grew.
“It was rough for the first couple of years, but when they were about 2½ and 4, they began to play with each other,” they said. “Having a sibling close in age was a gift for them. They’re now in their twenties and still close.”
They encouraged her to take things day by day, find activities the siblings can share, and still make time for one-on-one moments with each child.
Someone else added that their own children, just over two years apart, became inseparable.
“I felt the same way! But my oldest loves his little brother,” they wrote. “They have a great bond!”
