Practicalities with second baby

[Rhubarbgarden]

Dc2 is due in May. Dd will be nearly 2. Two questions I'd be grateful for any thoughts on:

1. Will a buggy board be sufficient or will I need to invest in a double pushchair?

2. Do we change dd's bedroom? She is a light sleeper. Dh thinks we should therefore move her to the room that is currently the guest room at the other side of the house, rather than having her and dc2 in the adjacent rooms opposite ours, which I had always had in my head as the two obvious children's rooms. Now, the guest room is the prettiest room in the house having been beautifully and expensively decorated by a crazy generous friend who lived with us for a while, and is full of her Lombok furniture which she left behind when she took a job overseas, and intends to collect in a couple of years time when she returns to the UK. It is perfect as a guest room not only because it is pretty, but because it is far from the other bedrooms, so visiting relatives are spared being in the midst of nighttime crying and us flitting to and fro from room to room naked in our pyjamas. And we then get a degree of privacy from MIL our guests. So I am reluctant to turn the guest room into dd's bedroom, and the spare room opposite our room into a guest room, but am I being ridiculous? does the opportunity to lessen the disturbed nights for dd blow these guest room advantages out of the water?

Just my thoughts but

1. invest in a double buggy, I use my Phil and Ted all the time, sometimes your toddler wants a rest or sleep, and mine get whingey if she doesn't get it. 2)leave the guest room as it is, DD1 will get used to the baby (it never disturbed my 2, I think you would regret changing that room when it is already a perfect guest room.

i agree with the above, double buggy and they will be fine next to each other

I agree too. we need the Phil and teds. We have a long by toddler standards (15m) walk to pre school though and I didn't want to be a car mom.

DD1 (2.9) Sleeps through the most horrific colic! We just take DD2 (6 wk) down when she's settling after story etc. I wouldnt move bedrooms as it might cause more upset/resentment when baby comes and is snuggled in near mum and dad.

Good luck. Bloody hard, but the sibling interaction is wonderful.

I have two with a 16 months gap. I had the P&T which i didnt like very much but even though a double opuschair was really really a lifesaver... just think when your 2yo will have a tantrum or is tired.
I also have a buggy board and it did take a few months for my 16mo to get used to it. so if you are planning that route you could get your DD to get used to it B4 baby is coming.
Otherwise a sling might be good.

Good luck!!

I would get a double buggy, also get the best one you can afford. I bought a cheap one with dd1 and dd2 and it became the bane of my life, it was so awkward and heavy. I also tried a buggy board but didn't like it, dd1 didn't mind it but I thought it was cumbersome.

Dd1 never woke through dd2 nightime antics so I wouldn't move rooms.

Thanks - this is the opposite of what I was expecting to hear, so I'm really glad I posted! I'll start researching double buggies.

Hmm, agree re rooms, but would disagree on the buggy. I don't think you definitely need one - I think it very much depends on your toddler.

I think whether a double is worth it depends on your lifestyle and whether you older one still naps in the buggy. My DD1 was 2.2 when her little sister was born, had long ago stopped napping in the buggy and was quite a good walker. A double would have been a total waste of money for us and a buggy board does us fine.

Mind you, I also have a Bugaboo bee. Because it doesn't have a carrycot chassis, the twice DD1 has got totally exhausted whilst out, I have whipped off the baby nest, stuffed it under the pram and put DD2 into the sling.

Other options are to generally put the baby in the sling and give the toddler the buggy still. Or do what another friend does and back carry the toddler in a sling when she gets tired and keep the baby in the pram.

It's a lot of money if you don't really use it... although I think they have good resale value.

There's 22 months between my two, and we've managed fine with just a single pushchair, buggy board and sling.

As for the room, DS doesn't seem to be disturbed when DD wakes up, despite being a very light sleeper. He and DD just seem to take it in turns to wake us up

Congratulations on DC2!

double buggy -it depends -do you walk a lot, does your DD like walking - and does she run off - if she doesn't then a double buggy is quite a lot of money - for something that might only be used for a few month. My DS was walking a lot at 2y 3 mo - and sling and buggy combination can work well as well

that said loads of people I know got them with that kind of age gap and loved them - mainly phil and teds

totaly agree about the rooms - don't change them

I'd go for a sling and a single, that's what all my friends did and we're planning.

It will depend on how much you walk. We only had one car which my husband took to work , which meant I had to walk to toddler group , top up shop etc.

A double side by side buggy was very well used ! Nice big basket underneath for shopping / toys / nappies etc.

I'd keep the bedrooms as originally planned . Toddlers tend to sleep through babies howling !

Very pleased it's unanimous on the room front. anathema you're scaring me re alternate wakings!

Clearly need to think more about the double buggy. Dd is a Gina baby [puts on crash helmet] so if she's still napping it will be the 2 hour lunchtime nap during which time we'll be at home as I'll be busy Gina training the new one, so she wouldn't need to sleep while out. It's difficult to know at this stage how happy she'll be about walking, so I guess I just have to wait and see on that score. A sling and single pushchair could work, although can you still pick up a toddler if you're carrying a small one in a sling?? Imagining all sorts of tricky situations... Hmm some more chin scratching required I think. I've got plenty of time to think about it all anyway. Thanks all.

Congrats OP on your pregnancy, you're in for a wonderful time of cute newborn and loving toddler soon