Tips for getting toddler ready for new baby?

[verytiredmummy1]

I'm due DC number 2 soon. Any tips for how to prepare a toddler of 15 months? We openly talk about it and at the moment DC number one keeps 'posting' things in to my belly button for baby! We've read books and played gently with dollies. Any other tips? X

[BirdsAndBlips]

Place marking :)
DS1 is 17mo and DS2 is due now
I've read of big brother gift boxes but I think I've been quite rubbish at preparing him for what's coming...

[verytiredmummy1]

I'm not really sure what I can do to get mine ready. She's so little! X

[lia666]

Buy a present of the baby for the 15 month old, and wen he comes to see u in hospital or when u get home give it to them and say his is off ur baby brother/sister

[insertimaginativeusername]

We bought the book There's a house in my mummy and read it often. DD noticed that there was some similarity as I got bigger and resembled the mummy in the book. She also got a present that that DS brought with him and she picked a teddy to give to him when he arrived. It was still hard at first but she got better when she could actually get involved and have a special 'big girl' role like helping with nappy changes.

[Muddlingthroughtoo]

Cry in their face, pull their hair and steal their toys. They'll be well prepared.

[Obsidian77]

Sounds like already you’ve taken a lot of sensible steps and are doing the best you can to prepare her. The downside of her being so young is that she’s still a baby and will be quite demanding, emotionally and physically. The upside is that within a very short time of DC2 arriving your daughter will have forgotten what it’s like to be an only child, so will adjust much better than an older child might. Hopefully in a couple of years they’ll be best of friends :o)
My advice is really more for after the birth; a present waiting for her in the hospital is great, when you’re feeding the baby have a bottle ready for your daughter so she can sit with you and feed too. You’ll be helluva hot from having two little furnaces against you but it should stop her feeling excluded. Storybooks that I found helpful are “Brand New Baby”,“Be Gentle” and “It’s not fair”. If it’s possible (I recognise that for many people it’s not), can someone spend a lot of time playing with her and making a big fuss of her? She might like to help with nappy changes. If you have one of those baby bath chair things they can both bathe together almost from the start.
Try to keep her routine as normal as you can but expect tantrums – this doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. It’s even harder getting out of the house and to the shops etc with 2 very small kids, don’t beat yourself up about this, just muddle through as best you can.

[Donatellalymanmoss]

There's a house in mummy tummy is awesome. I can still nearly recite the whole thing and dc2 is 4!!!

[Kittyrobin]

I brought a doll for ds, he was 18 months old when ds2 was born.
I used to do a lot of role play with the doll, even used to put it in the double buggy and take them for a walk.
And defiantly get a present from the baby, I packed ds present in my labour bag and made a big thing if him opening it so it wasn't all about the baby.

[verytiredmummy1]

Thank you so much for all of your ideas :)
We'd bought her a new doll that I'm taking into hospital to give her there and a bottle to feed her baby whilst I feed DC2.
I'm so nervous!! Don't want to upset her! X

[Kittyrobin]

It's hard work but lovely for them to be so close.
I was so worried about how ds would react to ds2. He was fine, and he was a very demanding toddler 😀