Tips for surviving 2 under 2

[Beckie1987]

Super excited that we are expecting number 2 in September! Dd will be 21 months when dc2 arrives and I'm just after tips for surviving 2 under 2

Dd has a set bedtime routine and is a good eater and I'm trying to make her more independent and may try to potty train before dc arrives if that is even possible 🤷‍♀️

Also is it easier to have them both in the same room when dc2 is 6 months?

My first 2 are 13 months apart. Routine is everything. If dd is already in a good routine I'd try and get baby to fit in with that. Both of mine had a nap at the same time each day and it was a godsend to have that time to get things done.

I had mine in separate rooms but both were good sleepers so probably would have been fine in the same room.

I had a basket of special toys for the big one that he only had when I fed the little one so he was happy while I fed.

My twin sisters arrived when I was 18 months so my mother had 3 under 2. She says she had a very strict schedule - if one child got their nappy changed everyone did, if one woke to be fed everyone else was too, if one was bathed then the others too. We were all in the same room. Apparently we all got very used to it and hardly ever cried (I guess most of the time our needs were met before we even knew it).

Mine are 2.2 and 8 weeks. It's been remarkably easy compared to what I was expecting. It was harder being heavily pregnant than since.

Tips,

Get reins, you run out of hands quickly so a pair of reins so toddler can't slip away from you also handy to pick up toddler when they work out that by hitting the floor commander crawl you can't reach them whilst heavily pregnant
Get a slow cooker, dc2 is attached all afternoon so cooking becomes difficult and toddlers need to eat at sensible time. Or batch cook/save a portion for the next day.
Get over the tv guilt asap.
Buy a new toy to come out when baby arrives home, we got a play kitchen as it's a great toy that you can direct from chair breastfeeding.
I taught ds to hold on to the buggy when I was pregnant which has come in handy.
Sling is useful particularly if you're going somewhere the double buggy tank won't fit/weigh clinic that they don't let you take prams into.
Don't expect dc2 to be anything like dc1

Potty training, I had a go last August so ds was 21 months and he understood but decided he wasn't doing it. So I left it. He started to poo (this month) the minute I left the room so last Monday I decided to try again. He had 6 wees on the potty 3 on the floor Monday, Tuesday morning pooed on the potty first thing and not one accident since until I put shorts on him (he got distressed so I went back to naked) Today will be trying shorts again. So my advice unless she is showing signs of being aware of wee/poo don't bother.

Haven't got a spare room so dd will have to share with ds, might keep her in our room longer than 6 months depending on what night wakings are like.

Thanks everyone they are great tips!

Routine seems to be key. I have let dd1 routine slip a bit the past few weeks because I've been exhausted and ill (the joys of early pregnancy) therefore will get that back on track ASAP 👍

Definitely following. DD is nearly 12 months and I'm nearly 4 months pregnant!
Need all the advice I can get lol

I have 18m age gap, they're 3 & 20m now.

Getting out and about is key to everyone staying happy, I found at home everything could get quite fractious but if we went out the baby would sleep in the buggy and I could concentrate on the toddler. Those toddler groups in church halls saved my sanity in many a rainy day.

However don't feel guilty about sticking the cbeebies on for an hour (or two ) while you get stuff ready, you'll be knackered and it'll be worth it while you're out the door.

Personally I wouldn't bother potty training yet, it's just as easy to do two nappies as it is one and your eldest is still quite young. It's good to encourage their independence but important to remember they are still babies too! Even if they seem huge compared to the newborn.

I'm 34 weeks with DD2 and DD1 is 13 months old! I'm hoping that having a newborn and a toddler is easier than being heavily pregnant with sciatica! 😂

In the early days, you might need to pre-prepare snacks and activities to help keep your toddler occupied while you feed your baby. This is especially true if you are breastfeeding your new baby for a long time. She might like to cuddle up to you or a favourite teddy while you feed the baby. Having an activity or a storybook handy can also be useful. That way your older child can sit next to you while you read stories to them or do a puzzle or other activity nearby.
Try to get some rest during the day when you can. Whether that’s by having a sit down and a cuppa at a toddler group or having a lie down when your toddler naps. If your toddler goes to a nursery or childminder, you might be able to rest with your baby for a while.