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'We planned this, but now I'm terrified': Sydney mum's admission

By Nikolina Koevska Kharoufeh |

A couple of years ago when I was working in radio, I remember a conversation I had with radio host Tim Blackwell about having kids.?

At the time his wife had just given birth to their third child and I asked him how things were at home with the new addition and whether it was harder juggling three than two.?

His response was something I hear a lot from parents or more than one child: "It's easier going from one to more, than none to one".?Now that I'm pregnant with my second child, I am really counting on him being right!?

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Nikolina with toddler Noah while pregnant with baby number two. (Supplied)

Falling pregnant with my second when my first son Noah was nine-months-old was incredibly exciting.?

It was something my husband and I had planned - no accidents here - and was something we consciously wanted. Both being one of three kids ourselves, we know how special it is to grow up close in age to a sibling so we wanted that for our own kids.?

But, as I approach the birth of our second child, those feelings of excitement have been replaced with ones of anxiety and stress.?Quite frankly, the thought of having two kids under two is terrifying.?

These days I can barely get to 11am without questioning whether I need to enrol my toddler into an extra day of daycare.?

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'We wanted a close age gap between our children.' (Supplied)

I am dealing with food refusal, temper tantrums and nap refusal on a daily basis.?

My husband and I plonk into bed each night utterly exhausted, keen to get as much sleep in as possible before we do it all again the next day.?

I can't help but wonder how exactly we are going to fit a newborn into this chaos.?Where do I find the extra patience, understanding and motivation I need to parent two under two??

These are all questions I ask Dr Charise in the final episode of Come To Therapy With Me. I open up about my anxiety about having two under two, and ask how I can steer myself into a more positive and realistic headspace before the birth of my second.?

Join Nikolina as she opens up her heart and her mind. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts.

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