How to prepare for a new baby due when your child turns 2?
We are ttc, and I've got a feeling we may have gotten lucky this time, but I've just realised that we don't really have room for a second child in the house.
I imagine DD will still need her cot, so do we buy a second one?
Does baby need it's own room or can they share?
Has anyone else had to get rid of furniture etc to make room?
What kind of pram is best? i have limited boot space.
Can I just use the same pram and get DD to walk?
Really it all depends on what you're comfy with hun.
We decided it was a perfect opportunity to move DD up to a toddler bed (she was almost to the point where she could climb out of it anyway) - and that had a dual effect of having her 'trained' to sleep in a toddler bed by the time bubba came around. I'm days away from number 3 entering the world and we'll be having two of the kids 'shacked up' in the same room - they'll adapt . If not we may need to juggle sleeping arrangements until we get it right, but thats cool - we're all learning at the same time.
As for the pram, we bought a Phil and Teds Sport with the extra seat - and that is the same size as a normal single pram. It suits us perfectly. I have a 17mth age gap between DD and DS, and I felt for the long walks, visits etc - she still needed the option of sitting as her little legs wouldn't be able to keep up with us, say for instance if we spent a day out at the Zoo. But thats just us. Some pushers you can put a little wheelie board on the back so the child can hold on, stand and get wheeled everywhere, theres another option .
It will work out hun - I promise. Good luck!
P.S - looking forward to reading your announcement!!
We moved dd1 into a toddler bed a month before dd2 arrived she was 20 months. We made it a big deal, with beautiful bed linen and a matching rug, we invited her nanna over and surprised her. I can still remember her excitement.
We also gave her baby dolls to look after. When dd2 arrived she would sit in my lap while I bf and would get me a cloth if I needed it. They bonded really well, i just made sure dd1 got attention when dd2 napped.
It's amazing how they adjust, both girls loved it when Ds arrived.
We have all 3 of our girls sharing. When dd2 came along, she was in our room in a basinette until 4 months. During that time I got dd1 into a toddler bed. They are 19 months apart. When dd3 came along DD2 was already into a todler bed becuase she could climb out of the cot by 18 months They are 23 months apart. So dd3 moved into their bedroom at 10 weeks and we invested in bunk beds. Works really well. If we go back for #4 then we will just do the same, baby in our room, next up into a toddler bed. Then when it comes time to popping it into the other room..... well thats another thing to think about (ooh I am seriously thinking about number 4!)
It will be fine... I have 7 siblings and we shared most of the time and there wasnt too many issues.
And I have a phil and teds double pram.... doesnt take up much room and 2 go in it.... or in our case we can fit 3!
All of mine are 2 years apart.
Baby has always stayed with us in our room/bed. We never really used a cot anyway to the 2yr old either still slept in our bed with the baby in bassinet next to us. Then 2 yr old into a big bed & baby in to our bed.
At the moment my Oldest shares with my youngest & my middle 2 share & baby will be with us.
This is my biggest age gap of 2 & half years. Iain walks so no pram for him. I will mostly carry baby when out in shops anyway & then the 2 not at school either walk or I get a trolley.
You make it work, don't stress about it.
My girls are 22months apart, when I was pg i moved DD1 from her cot to a "big" girl bed (you could also get a toddler bed) as i didnt see the point of buying a 2nd cot when she wouldnt be far off a bed at 2 anyway!
we got rid of the dummy & bottle at 18 months because they were for the baby now
It was actually a really great excuse to get her to let go of things she didnt really need anymore & she thought she was so grown up
I brought a Bertini pram with toddler seat as although DD1 walked most places she did get tired often and we still needed that seat!
Phil & teds are your best bet for a small car they fold fantasticly
Ditto.
DD and #2 will be 22ish months apart (Im due in a week).
Got rid of the bottle (becuase you're a big girl now!)
Started toilet training (first wee and poo in potty yesterday actually!).
Getting rid of the dummy is going to happen soon but she only uses it in bed anyway.
Moved into a single bed (skipped the toddler bed) at 16 months.
Installed cot and car seat etc months ago so she is used to things that 'belong' to the new baby
Giving her more responsibility and etc - for example putting her laundry in the hamper, putting her shoes away, setting her place at the table etc etc - and telling her that it's what big girls do and that she's going to be a big sister.
Just to offer another opinion...
We did buy another cot. We decided that DS was just not mature enough to cope with a big bed. He's little-ish anyway.
We also tried TT, but it was too much for me as I had SJD and was struggling to deal with the bending down etc. We delayed TT until after DS2 was born and it went perfectly smoothly. I use flats/prefolds for the newborn anyway and DS1 didn't need so many nappies by then, so i didn't even buy anymore MCNs. (it was summer too mind you - that helped!)
I have a Phil and teds with the double kit. DS1 loved to walk and i had many baby carriers too, but i have still found the double pram invaluable! We sold the old one and bought another.
I feel that the boys could have easily shared a room, if we had needed them to. DS2 did not move out of our room until about 6 months anyway, and when he has a big cry he wakes ds1 up anyway - one wall between them makes little difference.
Hmm I'm really thinking it might be ok to transition DD into a bed.. We already have a spare double bed, if I chuck rails on it, it might work? If it fails, I suppose I can buy another cot that converts to a bed.
What about kids that don't sleep through the night? Can you put them in a bed or will they walk around the room and fall asleep on the floor??
I will have new baby in a bassinet in our room for a few months anyway, should I just wait till then so I can tell what stage DD is at?
Very interesting to hear about the toilet training too, I'll endeavour to try that too!
Gosh I'm getting so excited. Fingers crossed!!
For dd2 when we put her in the bottom bunk we just tucked one side in and had a rail on the other. She would wake and still does. She walks into our room, I just grab her hand and walk/carry her back to bed, kiss her good night and leave. There has only been a few times where they have woken each other up, so not too bad over the past 2 years! I have found both dds asleep on the floor at one stage or another.... actually we found them sleeping together in the same bed one night! I havent really got anything to say on tt as I just did it as I saw the need for it. Im in the process of tt dd2 and shes 2years 4months. I wasnt in a rush to get them on the loo.... you will know when she is ready or at least showing signs of it.
Good luck
Have just transitioned DD into a bed at 21 months in preparation for DS arriving in a couple of months. We just got bunk beds from IKEA with a trundle bed underneath, for the first month just pulled out the trundle in case she fell out (the bunk is only about 30cm from floor anyway - we decided against rails) - found her on the trundle asleep a few times, and now don't even pull that out - sometimes her legs are dangling out, but she has fallen out of a slightly higher bed while on holiday and didn't even wake up. She loves her new bed and has gone to bed better than did in cot - we lay down next to her and read three stories then kiss her and teddies and say good night leave room and thats it. We haven't found her wandering about overnight, but DH did discover her in our room once when she was meant to be having a day nap - I use the monitor still so I can hear her if she wakes up, and normally I get up if it sounds like she gets out of bed (often I hear her 'reading' to herself in the morning). I ask her in the morning if she has slept well, she always says yes and really seems to like it - she is often laying across the bed or upside down etc though, but I just cover her back up with the doona before I go to bed.
mimatron you said bunk bed? So who sleeps in the top bunk, or is that for when new baby is older?
Coz I do have a spare room, but if I have another girl, I think it's nice for them to share eventually, and saves me moving house when I have a 3rd! Maybe i should invest in a bunk bed instead of buying a new bed (if DD doesn't like the double we already have).
I have my 4 year old on top... we brought the bunks just before Christmas so she was 3 years 8 months. I thought I got the low ones (off ebay) but they werent that low! They have railings all around the top and we havent had any acidents from the top- just a few mid ladder ones at the start where they (Miss 4 and Miss 2) would fight. It doesnt happen anymore! So Yeah... I have Olivia up top, Rebecca on the bottom (she is 2) and Amy in the cot all in the same room. I was thining if we do have #4 we would get another set of bunks and put DD2 up top... by then she would be around 3 and a half- 4!
I think the double would be fine to start off with. Do you really need to move house? We only have 2 bedrooms and an office. It is tight but for the moment its fine and I can see it being fine for at least another 5 years or so! (hopefully) Personally I dont think that its essential for kids to have their own rooms at this age. I tell you what though... I love hearing them at night having chats and when they wake up they have chats too. Its really nice.
That would be so lovely hearing them chatting away together! It reminds me of when I was a kid, there were 4 of us in one room, and it was a lot of fun actually.
I'm definitely going to let them share a room I think.
Thanks so much for the tips ladies!
Oh and if anyone has any extra advice, please bombard me. I need all the tips I can get!
What about breastfeeding? Will DD get mad that I'm constantly holding and feeding the new baby? Will she be bored at home being houseridden?
What about at the hospital? Do I bring DD? We don't really have anyone to babysit.
DH will have to take her home at night for sleep and then I'll be all alone in labour! What did you guys do?
Glad I could be of help!
Breastfeeding.... I expressed for 8 weeks then ff. You just have to make sure you have snacks/activitis for dd to do while holding/feeding bub. Plenty of one on one time with dd while baby is sleeping will relieve boredom and maybe some special outings for her and your dh.
As for the hospital.... I had my mum to look after them. Do you have any neighbours/friends you can drop her off to while your in hospital? Where abouts are you? If your close by me.... I would watch her when the time comes!!! Also when I had the baby I made it that dd1 and then both dd1 and dd2 came in first before anyone else to meet their new sister.
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How to prepare for a new baby due when your child turns 2?
. If not we may need to juggle sleeping arrangements until we get it right, but thats cool - we're all learning at the same time.
They are 23 months apart. So dd3 moved into their bedroom at 10 weeks and we invested in bunk beds. Works really well. If we go back for #4 then we will just do the same, baby in our room, next up into a toddler bed. Then when it comes time to popping it into the other room..... well thats another thing to think about (ooh I am seriously thinking about number 4!)
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