introducing bubs #2

Ooh good questions, can't wait to see some cool answers on this!

The few things I have thought to do are, we have bought Leah a new baby doll and little stroller which we are going to wrap up for her from the baby, we will give it to her at hospital, saying that the baby brought her a present. We also have something for the baby from her. I have made a photo book up about us having a new baby with lots of different pictures of her doing things and with people she sees all the time (including the midwife and her checking my belly! I am also trying to make sure that we co-ordinate when she comes to visit for the first time to the hospital that I am not holding the baby so she can have a big cuddle with me first before we show her the baby. (don't know if that will happen but its worth a shot!)

They will be about 22 months apart when baby comes.

Edited by LisaD

The gremlins have no idea about the impending chaos, I keep trying to explain to them that there is a baby in my tummy but Mercedes thinks it goes 'woof woof' and Sienna just wants to poke my belly button and say 'beep beep'. They're 20 mths and baby is due in a week or two.

We did the presents thing with Maya when the gremlins arrived but she was 3 1/2 by then so quite involved in the process, she picked the presents for the gremlins herself. I had a half baked idea of doing the present thing again for them but I've left it too late now, I can't be bothered going shopping!

I've had a 19m gap then a 17m gap. i would talk with the toddler about how we are going to have a baby soon etc etc, I'm not sure if it makes much difference at that age but I did it anyway! We didn't do the present from baby idea but we talked a lot (particularly after birth) about "our baby" and how we have to look after our baby etc. The toddler seems to lose interest rather quickly, although they enjoy cuddles with the baby (just stay close - Briona used to just let go when she was done with holding baby Kryssi!!!). After that they seem to respond well to being Mummy's big girl helper etc with the passing of wipes and bibs and nappies and all the rest.

There is another thread on here somewhere but I can't remember what it's called - to do with adjusting to 2 i think. Anyway some ideas to occupy the toddler when you are tired and feeding baby, are
nail polish (paint toddler's first then your own, they will watch you do yours and it will make theirs dry)
balloons
put a CD on and watch them dance
tuck a few toys away now and bring them out after you are at home with the baby and toddler and stuck feeding

Our gap is 20 months and we did the gift from baby thing and I made sure I wasn't holding DD2 when DD1 came to visit at the birth centre the first couple of times. Before the baby came DD1 came to all my midwife appointments and we let her listen to the heartbeat and I bought a couple of books that we read to her about mummies being pregnant/new babies.
We've put a couple of different boxes of toys away that I bring out when DD1 is at the end of her rope and I'm feeding. I'm not so good with the involving DD1 in the care of the baby, mostly because she's going through a hitting stage and hits DD2 any chance she gets so I need to supervise pretty closely when she's with her sister.
The biggest issues we've had have been with DD1 not dealing with the reduced attention and time DH and I have with her. It's part of the baby arriving and we are doing our best to spend one on one time with her every day, but she has not reacted well. Also the terrible twos approaching too, so we're hoping this stage will pass soon.
Good luck with your two - it's hard work from all I've heard it's pretty great once the baby starts interacting with the older sibling and having them so close in age is really cool.

i did nothing.... there is an 18 mth age gap between the boys. i dont think he even knew we were going to have a baby. he just adapted. i thought it was going to go really badly in the hospital when he came up for the first time and he cried as soon as the baby cried, but once we got home he was fine, it was almost like he had been there forever.

I dont think Blake has any idea whats about to hit him....gee thats such a male thing!


I think will just wing it all...my usual style!

theres 15 months between my two and iv'e had no problems. I didn't really do anything to prepare dd.
She loves helping and climbs up beside me when iam feeding ds loves to give him kisses and cuddles.