should i start potty training 2yr old before new baby arrives?

[mrsmon]

My son has just turned 2, he tells us when he is dirty and so on but has only used potty twice and now just refuses. im due my 3rd baby in august and just wanted to know if any other mummies have potty trained their child before new baby arrives. i feel a wee bit guilty as if im pushing him to do it because of new baby but then dont want him feeling pushed out when baby arrives and he goes back to nappies.

[girlywhirly]

I personally wouldn't, unless a child is really keen and motivated to train. If you force the issue he will only regress. I'd wait until the baby is maybe 3-4 mths and everything has settled down.

[NellyTheElephant]

Generally my advice is not to push to try and get a toddler out of nappies before a new baby as it can be pretty stressful (for all of you) and there is a fairly high chance of relapses after the new baby arrives. But maybe give it a go as your DS is 2 and you still have a few months until August. I tried with DD1 (who was 23 months) just before my DD2 was born (about 3 weeks before, which was a bit of a silly idea really) and it was a total disaster so I gave up went back to nappies and then trained her very easily when DD2 was 3 months old. I gave it a go with DD2 a few months before DS was born - she was only 22 months and I didn't have much expectation really, but it was all fine and I really enjoyed having a few months break from nappies before DS arrived. She did have a brief relapse though about 6 months after she was trained (I think she had realised that DS was there to stay and wanted attention), but we got through it pretty quickly and I'd had 6 nappy free months so despite the relapse I was definitely pleased I'd trained her pre DS. So why not give it a go, see what happens, but give yourself a deadline and if he's really not getting it within 10 days or so then revert to pull ups and forget about it until your baby is a few months old.

[bumpybecky]

I wouldn't.

dd1 was 2 years (+5days!) old when dd2 was born. It was decided by an interfering grandmother that dd1 must be trained as it was ridiculous she was still in nappies. dd1 very soon learnt that all she had to do to get attention away from her sister was to decide she needed a wee NOW. So just as dd2 was latched on and milk let down there would be a wail and we'd either have wee on the floor / knickers or milk gushing everywhere. dd1 took about 6 months to be reliably potty trained and the whole thing was a nightmare!

with dd2, dd3 and ds we waited until they were MUCH older and it was so much easier. All of them were 3+ and all reliably dry day and night in under a week of starting potty training - I think we had less than 10 puddles between the 3 of them :)

[mrsmon]

thanks for the messages :) i just didnt want to push him as i didnt want him to feel pushed out and maybe have a relapse as u say. i think the next couple of days il just keep mentioning it and see if he picks up on it and hopefully he wants to try himself and if not il wait until DS3 is born and try again . thanks x

[GooGooMuck]

I don't see what the difference is whether you have the new baby or not? Unless it's cost? (non-judgemental emoticon)

Just train him when you think he's ready. We're due a nice bit of weather in the next week or so, maybe have a low-key effort while he can be outside most of the time?

DS was trained just before he was two. I kept him in pull ups at first, asking him all the time. He was ok about using the toilet though ( we never really bothered with potty). I would do whatever you think will be the least stressful for you. You don't need to be stressy and pg, or stressy and new baby. :)

[dilbertina]

No.


That's it really. Be kind to yourself. You will have enough stress, you don't want pee everywhere.

• from mother of three who tried to train ds (2.5) and move house, and move country, and have dc3 all at the same time...
  
  Just don't. Leave it a few months, he'll have got over shock of new sibling,and it will all be so much easier!
  
  Good luck!

[mathanxiety]

No. please let sleeping dogs lie. Don't make work for yourself. He will only regress in all likelihood when the baby arrives. When you toilet train you have to be on duty constantly and really give it your whole attention and it can get very frustrating if you and the trainee are not on the same page. Leave it until you are getting some sleep and settled down with the baby, even if it means trying it in winter.