Is it easier?

Anyone who has had a singleton after twins.... Does it seem much easier with just one baby after having two? We just found out we are expecting baby #7 (#5 and 6 were twins) and I can only imagine that it must be easier going from 2 to 1 - or am I just getting my hopes up?!!

 

OMG it was so much easier you can't imagine--but if you had singletons before, I think you probably can, you just don't remember!

I only had the twins before my singleton pregnancy. My twin pregancy was fairly smooth as far as twin pregnancies go, but I didn't enjoy it and I certainly didn't understand why some women say they enjoy being pregnant.
But by comparison, my singleton pregnancy was so easy. In the second trimester, I'd at times try to scoot up a little closer to my desk, and not be able to and be confused for an instant then notice my belly and be like--Oh yeah, I'm pregnant!
And then after he was born I just carried him everywhere in a sling. He was a really easy baby and never once spit up! He could go 24 hours in the same clothes--my twins rarely went 4 hours without needing their clothes changed. He was exclusively breastfeed which was O-SO-MUCH-EASIER, then lugging around bottles, formula, a thermos of water, etc. for two. I didn't even need a diaper bag-I just slid a couple of diapers and a travel wipe case in my purse and off I went. It was almost like not having a baby at all after only ever having had two.

 

Waaaay easier!!

 

SOooooo much easier!! My twins were my first and I remember feeling so overwhelmed! With Josh, everything seems so much easier. Every time he fusses I just think "well at least there isn't another one!" I love my twins, obviously, but I am really enjoying just having one. I don't worry about snuggling or spoiling one more than the other, I just snuggle & spoil him to my heart's content. And when he's super cranky and fighting sleep, or waking up in the middle of the night just for kicks, I wonder how I ever survived twins. I must have blocked it all from my memory!! :lol:

 

Hi Sarah! My twins were my first then I had a singleton 17 months later. Having one newborn to care for is DEFINITELY easier than having two, though I cannot say that my singleton pregnancy was any easier, strange enough! There were new challenges having three so close together, but I wouldn't change anything.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!! Big families are such a blessing!!

 

I'm not pregnant yet (DH and I aren't on the same page yet re ttc again ) but I have wondered about this, too. These posts are encouraging!

 

I would say about 1000% easier.

Congrats!

 

There is no comparison. At all. I swear to God, I forget he's even here!

 

I'm loving all the replies! Thanks ladies! I figured it was probably easier, but I didn't want to get my hopes up and have false expectations!

I love my twins, but I'm excited to be having one (at least we think it's just one)!

 

My newborn is soooo much easier than my boys- now or then!

She is laid back and simple- she only cries to be held, fed, or changed. Nursing 1 baby is a breeze after 2; like Meredith sometimes I forget I have a little baby in the house- she sleeps and I'm still running after my boys. I will say that she also is one of those good sleeping babies at night which my boys totally weren't. I chalk it up to her being full term verses almost 38 weeks with my boys.

 

I'm on my 3rd singleton post-twins. It's walk in the park!

 

CONGRATS!!

When we first brought Easton home, I felt like I was forgetting to do something LOL!!! I would feed him, get him to sleep and actually eat or shower. It felt really really weird not to have to feed another baby LOL!!! Yes, it is much easier, almost a weird easier LOL!!! It is also weird to push a single stroller LOL!!!! I have been in twin mode for so long!!!

 

Congratulations and wishes for an easy, healthy and uneventful pregnancy!

You make it all sound so amazing!! I keep dreaming about how easy it's going to be the next time around, both the pregnancy and the baby stage. Can't wait!

 

When I had my twins (after 3 single babies), I always said that I was so glad I'd had single babies first to learn all the parenting issues before being thrown into the deep end with twins. I think that having twins was a lot easier than it could have been, because I knew the basics of caring for babies, toddlers, etc. But Spencer wasn't a ton easier, after. I didn't end up on bedrest, but was very uncomfortable with him. His birth was much harder than any of my others, and so my recovery was harder, too. And even though I'd nursed 5 babies, he didn't seem to get it and struggled to put on weight at first (which is funny now, because while not at all overweight, he's so much bigger than any of my other kids at the same age). A lot of things were easier, of course. Getting 2 babies into their carseats, feeding 2 at the same time, dealing with 2 babies who have managed to have completely different sleep cycles, shopping with two fussy babies, carrying 2 babies who can't quite hold their heads up well, are all things that you don't deal with when you have just one baby. But I think that some things are harder just based on the personalities or needs of the babies. If I'd had 2 Sydney's, it would have made having twin babies a piece of cake. She's much more of a handful now, but she nursed well, slept well, was a generally happy baby. Sabrina really struggled to put on any weight at all (she still does), spit up constantly, didn't nap unless she was on me, and had vision issues that we couldn't understand. Add that to being one of two and it made life pretty stressful. I suppose this might be the least helpful response of all time, LOL. I was just thinking about it after reading your question earlier and know that for me, there were certainly things that were harder about having twins, but other things that were also quite rough with Spencer.

 

My singleton (after twins) I swear slept his entire first year!! He fell asleep on his own FROM BIRTH!!! It was easier.

 

I'm going to be the odd man out here. I would never characterize it as easy. Sure, there's one baby vs. two, but you still have the older children to care for (in my case, the twins are our only other children). My older boys are at a very demanding age, so there is no "easy" in my life right now. Our baby is wonderful, but does not sleep through the night yet (by my definition!). My twins were sleeping through by 5 months. So, when people like to ask me if it's easier, I answer that it might be if the baby was our only one. It's manageable and doable and all that, but it's not easy ;-)!

 

I want to experience this

 

Yay! I've wondered about this too... and am encouraged! :woohoo:

 

This is encouraging. We have 10 month old twin girls and just found out we are expecting again. I'm freaking out about having 3 kids under the age of 2

 

BusyBabies- come talk to me, I'm living it right now, in reverse order

 

I keep reading this post hoping to gain some reassurance but I'm still freaking out. I'm sure it has a lot to do with the hormones. If I had a little baby to snuggle I'm sure it would melt those worries away Sometimes I just want to fast forward to January when I get to meet this little one but then I remember all the sleepless nights with the twins and I'm glad I still have time to hopefully adjust. We have our first ultrasound next week and I'm hoping when I see this little squirt I'll get warm fuzzies, right now I'm just scared.

 

Great to read these replies!