Please tell me it will get better....!

[cookie90]

So I am pregnant with DC2, only 2 weeks to go til due date and my 2.5 year old DS is driving me mad! He is usually fairly well behaved, but over the last month or so he has been quick tempered, lashing out at me when he doesn't get his own way, pulling hair and hitting etc.
I am finding it all a bit depressing, and feel most days are spent with disciplining, use of naughty corner , star charts for good behaviour etc. I'm sure the fact I'm heavily pregnant, tired/emotional with pretty bad SPD isn't helping me see things clearly, but I am just so worried how things are going to be when DC2 comes along.
Anyone got any words of wisdom? Or reassurances that this crazy stage will pass?!

[okthen]

I experienced the same with dd who was 2.9 when ds born. She was AWFUL for a good six weeks when I was in third tri.

This might sound weird but it turned out she had threadworms. I was so anxious and felt so guilty about her 'obvious' angst at impending arrival- and my iwn feelings made it all so much worse. As soon as we treated the worms she was back to her usual self.

If I were you I'd rule out a physical cause (worms and nits have both turned my lovely daughter into a devil in the past).

[mummy2benji]

My ds (4) was more trying than usual when I was heavily preg - I put it down to my lack of energy and also the fact that dh was working long hours and ds wasn't seeing very much of him. My ds is a bit older than your ds, but he has adored dd from day 1 - my heart melts at how sweet he is to her and how much he loves her. His behaviour got much better after she was born, despite my having to shamefully overuse cbeebies and disney dvds (get a stock in now!) for the first few weeks while I adjusted to having 2 children.

[cookie90]

Hi thanks for the replies, I've just had a difficult couple of days with temper tantrums and needed to vent a bit! Pretty sure there's no physical cause, but thanks for the suggestions. I think it's probably all part of normal development, which has probably been worsened by me being tired/heavily pregnant ( and it has been a difficult pregnancy....have bypassed the blooming stage completely this time!)
I am quite anxious about how I will cope with a toddler and newborn, but I'm hoping to feel better in myself after the birth ( fingers crossed SPD disappears and energy levels improve a bit), but will just have to wait and see. I really hope DS's behaviour doesn't deteriorate further when baby arrives! I remember enjoying mat leave 1st time round, and I only stopped working last week and I'm already being driven crazy at times. And that just makes me feel like a terrible mum