When should I tell DD the baby is coming?

[PavlovtheForgetfulCat]

DD (she is 3.4)knows the baby is coming imminently.

She knows that Aunt xxx will be looking after her when baby comes as I need to go to the hosp.

Went to hosp this afternoon for a check, baby is likely to arrive (but not guaranteed) within the next 24 hours or so as 4cm dilated already. Been told would be best for DD to stay with friend (who looked after her while we were at hosp).

All the stuff she needs is there with her, she is fine, watching a movie, eating roast chicken, but she has a little cold and is asking after me. She obviously knows something is up, told me she does not want to be away too long and she missed me very much.

We have not as yet made a big fuss that the baby is coming right now as a) i don't want her to fret about me being in hosp b) don't want her to fret about the baby coming c) the baby is not as yet on its way.

When should we tell her? Should it be us that tells her or is it ok do you think for friends to mention it. We have asked them at the moment to just treat it like a sleepover, which she has sometimes there, and not mention the baby coming yet. Good idea? bad Idea? I don't want to lie to her, but don't want to confuse her.

I feel, oddly guilty about leaving her even though she is settled. I want to cuddle her !

Sorry, confusion potential there. Aunty xx is the friend she is with, she is known as aunty xxx)

We told our dd 2.4 years that she was at Grandmas to wait for the baby. Could be a night or maybe 3. We told her a few weeks before. She was very happy to have a holiday at Grandmas while she waited and understood exactly what was happening from her point of view.
Tell her now.

If she went there for just a sleepover and is happy to stay there then I'd keep it at that for as long as you can tbh to stop her worrying.
If she gets upset or really wants to know why she is staying there a bit longer then tell Aunty XX to spill the beans then.
If she is happy there and having fun then wait till baby appears and just call her and tell her that her brother/sister appeared sooner than you expected!

Good luck with the imminent arrival!

She might be excited rather than fretful!

tell her now what is gonna happen (in a childs talk way not a adults talk way or she may go ) and where she will be. She is now 3.4yrs old so she will understand.

Good luck!

She is excited about the baby coming, but also fretting about being away from me (she is not normally clingy either, only recently, even more so in the last couple of days). I don't want to tell her baby is coming right now, then tomorrow it still not happen, but then I also don't want to tell her nothing, and then the baby arrive and her be a bit surprised (although she does know it will be very soon as we have been preparing her)

Am daftly excited for you.
From your other thread your dd knows that the arrival is imminent. I think i would leave it at that until you have something a little more definite to tell her.