Tips for a 2year old and a newborn

[roweeena]

That it really. I'm 32 weeks pregnant with DC2 and DS will be 25month when the baby is born - gulp! I'm terrified!

What are your tips for survival. I have a buggaboo bee and I've bought a buggy board but I think the plan may be to sling the little'un as much as possible. (Trying to avoid the expense of a double buggy).

How is bedtime ever going to work? Most nights midweek it will just be me to get both to bed. I was considering a big bean bag to feed baby on whilst DS1 reads his bedtime story with milk.

Any advice massively appreciated - help!

My two are 23mths apart. Youngest now 9mths old. Strategies!! I would bf DD2 whilst DD1 was in the bath (sitting next to the bath -- v glamourous but safe for all); lots of use of the bouncy chair whilst putting on pjs, reason stories etc. Sling wa a god send during the day whilst playing with DD1 or giving her tea etc. My eldest went to nursery two day per week which had been happening long before our DD2 came along. We were fortunate to be able to afford this and I know that isn't always the case but it allowed me to bond with DD2 and give her some one on one time. We don't have family in the UK so this was our saviour.

Double buggy -- never needed it. You have a great plan. You will be ace!

Good luck

Thanks Mimmy - I plan to keep DS at childminders two days per week. It's all so daunting, even though I've not done it long ago all of a sudden it seems very distant

I can well understand! Few other things that have popped into my head since earlier... We kept our eldest on her routine quite stringently to reassure her. It helped us too! And we planned ahead as much as possible to limit interruption by cluster feeds/ poo explosions/ extra naps (or lack thereof). Batch cooking to a meal plan really helped - and helped me keep my strength up to feed our whopper (over 10lb) whilst playing as energetically as ever with DD1.

Trust me, you are an awful lot more capable than you think you are.