How will I cope/deal with bedtimes with a baby and toddler?

[LittleMonster100]

Dc1 is 18 months and bedtime is 7pm/7.30pm. Am 26weeks pregnant. I don't know how I am going to cope logistically with the bedtime routine when dc2 comes along.

Here's dc1's current bedtime/evening routine:

6.15pm - finished dinner
6.20pm - bath is run and ready, sleep suit laid upstairs on bedroom
6.30-6.45pm - bath
6.45-6.55 - drying off in bedroom, massage and into sleepsuit with a special sleepy song
7-7.20pm - bottle, cuddles and teeth brush
By 7.30pm at the latest - out down awake and kissed goodnight. Dc1 settles and sleep through 11-12 hours.

What do I do with the second one for 45mims?? Am starting to panic slightly.

Feel free to ignore me as I have only one dc but looking at your post I'm thinking you might need to be a little less rigid in your timings and routine?

Do you have a dh who can help?

Things will be different when dc2 comes along but you'll have to just wait and see what kind of a baby you get, how easy to settle, content they ate etc.

pinkflipflop unless I get her down by 7.30pm at the latest she will scream, cry hysterically and be so over tired so won't slep for hours. I work FT as does dh so the earliest I can get dc1 home is 5.45pm and that's when we i do her dinner. It feels like a constant rac against the clock, I'm tired and running around like. Crazy person trying to sort out bedtime in time.

Dh rarely gets home before 9/10pm on a good da, he might be home in time for bedtime once in 2-3 weeks, so as well as working FT and beng pregnant, I do essentially all the parenting. Which is slightly panicking me with the arrival of dc2.

Wht o I do with the baby when dc1 is bathing? Carrier? Bouncer?

I feel so clueless...there's loads on books on parenting but less info on what to do with 2 under 2.

Babies and toddlers don't need a bath every night. Can you cut down to every 2/3 nights? Your dc1 may not need a bottle and bed time by then too. My DD2 dropped hers before or around 21 months, partly because she doesn't need it but also in preparation for potty training.

I'm sure it is hard and daunting. Remember that although you will still be tired, you won't be working FT which is exhausting when you are pg.

Someone useful will be along shortly!

Will be watching as this will be me in a month and a bit.

My first thoughts are - we do the teeth brushing in the bath, would that help? At first I guess I'd have the baby in a sling while bathing the toddler, then as soon as the baby is sitting up bath them together with one of those bath seats...

If you have a good routine already set up maybe see if you can incorporate the baby into it?

Maybe I should get back to you in a few weeks

You'll be fine. I have just had dc3 and get them all in the bath together. Don't forget you will presumably be on mat leave do that race against the clock won't be so bad.

I am frequently reading a bedtime story to dc2 whilst feeding 3 and telling 1 to stay on bed and I'll be in to listen to her read shortly,(I have 3 under 5).

Oh, and I don't bath the baby every night.

I have a two year old and a three month old and do bAthtime/bed on my own several times a week. They have baths every other night which takes some pressure off and is enough - I think so anyway! I do tea then get them both upstairs. Undress and get the toddler in, undress and 'dunk' the baby and give him a quick wash. Get the little one out, dried, dressed and in his sleeping bag whist the older one plays in the bath. Leave baby in his cot to kick mobile/scream whilst I get toddler washed, out of bath, dried and dressed. Milk, story, cuddles for toddler sat on cushion next to bed whilst little one is on lap/feeding. It was hard to begin but completely doable now.

I just fed DD through most of DSs bedtime routine I think. Plus he didn't have a bath every night. Remember also that it is 3 months or so until your DC2 is born and you may find some things change in that time. I have never been much good at routine though

I didn't really bath DC2 until about 6 months (I did wash her, just not full bath in the evening). Once she could sit up properly they both went in together.

I would keep the toddler's routine and fit the baby round. I was often bf the baby while reading DS's story. Bouncy chair is good for baby whilst older one is in bath. Didn't try getting youngest to sleep upstairs until about 4 months, before that just brought her downstairs with me until I went to bed.

Oh and definitely teeth cleaning in bath

Thank you all for the advice and reassurance everyone. I like the teeth brushing in the bath suggestion, cutting back to every other night and prob no bottle by the - maybe a drink of milk in a beaker after dinner instead? Thank you all.

Definitely cut baths down to 2/3 a week. When baby is brand new I found with mine I spent the whole of bathtime pretty much feeding baby while sitting on the loo seat. Then baby spent a lot of time lying on bathroom floor while I got the older one out and dried.

It does pass in a bit of a blur but you soon develop a routine. Use the sling lots. Stick to your toddler's routine but maybe relax or shorten it a bit, less stories, more TV etc!

Chill out don't meet trouble half way these things work out. I have a toddler with one on the way I've not thought about that but then our routine is not nearly as strict a yours your been very hard on yourself. No need to bath a baby every night top and tale. It'll be fine.

The first week I had to cope with a newborn and a toddler on my own at bedtime, I asked my mum to come and stay! In my defence, the baby was at the cluster-feeding stage. Now, I don't bat an eyelid! You WILL cope. I had quite a few bathtimes where I was breastfeeding the baby while supervising the toddler (I also got really good at reading stories whilst feeding). Now with the baby at 10 months and the toddler at 3, it works like a dream. Seriously, don't worry. You'll cope.