Just realised i have no idea how to parent two, need advice.

[Judgybitch]

Im 7 months pregnant and just suddenly realised that my lovely peaceful and organised life with DS1 and DH is about to be shaken up again and all the strategies we used the first time won't this time as i will have another child to take care of!!

DS will be just 2 when DD arrives and my OH will only have 3 weeks off to help us get settled in. I don,'t know anyone who has recently had a second to ask.

Can i get help from anyone with more experience? Tips and tricks? Naps, feeding, bedtime etc.

I found I worried less about routine etc with the second - she just had to fit round what I normally did with DS. So she came to all his toddler groups etc, napped on the way and fed when we got there.

She certainly ended up more laid back, and slept better as well. Don't know if that was her character, or as a result of less fuss.

I tried to have activities for DS to do if I had to feed when he was around - puzzles, books etc, or sometimes just watching TV together.

I agree to making DD fit around your lives rather than changing everything to fit around her.
I had my DD when my DS was 18mo and she simply had no choice but to fit in as I had to make sure my DS and his routine which I had worked hard to run smoothly (sometimes) continued to do so. I worked for us as a family.
A newborn is more adaptable than a toddler.
She slotted in well

It worked not I

I suppose i am concerned that it will be more difficult. DS was relatively easy, good napper, slept through from 12 weeks and i think this was partially to do with us being very strict about how we did things, routine from birth basically (habit from a 2 week stay in hospital) and i was very strict about not co-sleeping (as i dropped him at a few hours old falling asleep after the midwife assured me i wouldnt :()) so i'm concerned that i will not be able to do the same things with her and will end up just carrying her around all the time so she wont cope so well with self settling as a result...