How and when to tell DD she will have a DB or DS?

[needahand]

Any tips she is two. My DH is concerned we should tel her first prior to telling anyone else as he things she might pick up on it otherwise.

DD keeps saying "I like babies" each time she sees one and want to stroke them.

How and when would you tell her?

How preg are you?

I think I might wait until the 12 week scan so you know that all is well, ifyswim.

We waited until 13 weeks or so and then started talking to ds about it and took our cue from him as to how interested he was.

I am now 27 weeks and he routinely talks and sings to my bump and generally "looks after" baby. We talk about what babies are like "they cry a lot and need lots of milk" that sort of thing. He had a baby in his tummy too for quite a while but that seems to have gone now!

He turned 3 last week and so far so good, but I'm sure it will be different when the baby is born!!

Thanks for the quick replies. I am about 7 weeks, but DH cannot wait to announce the news to the world (i.e family). Not sure what to do

WE wanted to wait until our 20wks scan, but MIL told DD after the 12 wk one (we had told her not to).

DD1 was nearly 3 1/2yrs and i knew she would not understand that it just wasn't going to appear the next day and i didn't want months her being upset because of her understanding how long a pregnancy is IYSWIM.

we dealt with it by not mentioning the baby until i was 6 or 7 month snd i was becoming unable to do what she wanted me to.

i haven't been in this situation (why am I answering this thread?!?!!) but I think if this was me with a child this young, I would leave it as long as possible.

The pregnancy will seem a lifetime to her even if you only tell her later!

I suppose it's difficult if people are talking to you about it in front of her....but my inclination would be to leave it as late as possible. Obviously she needs to be prepared for it but as I say for a two year old a pregnancy is forever and i agree with lizzie, she may just not understand why it's taking so long. 6 or 7 months sounds great to me.

We told ds, who was then 20 months when I was 12 weeks pg with dd. He had sussed something was afoot what with me being sick every morning. He was so delighted throughout the pregnancy, came to the 20 week scan and saw dd on the screen, it kept me going sometimes when things were hard. And he adore her now except when she's trying to eat his lego.

We didn't really tell ds explicitly - the new baby was discussed openly though and he picked up on it gradually. Once I was obviously showing and becoming unable to do things, it became more real to him and he gradually got more interested. (He really liked to feel her moving!) There is almost exactly 3 years between them btw.

Ok thanks to all, will think about it some more in light of your comments. I agree that it might sound like a lifetime to her (it does to me!)

We told our DD and involved her immediately. She was 2 1/2 then, that was a year ago. She accepted it and as my bump got bigger gradually, she got so used to it that it wasn't an issue at all.
I think DDs are more accepting of babies amd siblings compared to DSs. They just tend to be more motherly (or bossy!) by nature.
Even now (DS is 8 wks old), my DD absolutely adores him.

I told my dd a couple of weeks prior to the 13 weeks scan. She was 18 months old. We took her to see the scan (I would not recommend taking a child along to the 20-22 weeks scan) and read lots of books about expecting the arrival of ds. She took the whole experience in her stride and both ds and dd get on very well with each other. They even 'gang up' together! This morning for example, and ds is only 8 months old and dd is only 34 months old.

We have told her, she seemed quite unphased and I am not sure it sank in just yet (hasn't for me so what would it for her). She gave a pat on my belly and kissed it.
I suppose we'll have to remind her every now and again. I also told her it would take a long long time for the baby to come