Tips on adding DC3 to the family

[InTheFamilyTree]

Note - not conception, we managed that bit ourselves

Seriously though, DC3 will arrive in the spring and I'm starting to worry how we will cope. Maybe it's the winter blues, covid restrictions fatigue and Brexit worries but today I'm feeling despondent.

My worry is how I will manage to give the kids all the love and attention they need, I don't have a lot of patience sometimes especially when sleep deprived. We also have a small house and I can't even see where we'd put moses basket, bouncer chair etc in the living room, it's super tiny. I don't have family close by and the baby groups and things that bolstered me on tough days at home are no longer running.

So, any one been here before and can offer wise words/top tips/tea and cake?

I found 2 to 3 very easy (and 3 to 4!). I think once you are used to being out numbered then you just tuck the baby under you arm and carry on. I found that DC 1 was great at entertaining the baby so that I could get on. We did loads of skyping with grandparents which helped a lot and they would read the middle dc stories on skype, do nursery rimes and silly games. The main thing I found was to have a safe room and cot to put the baby in if I was needed elsewhere in a rush. I put a hook eye snib lock up on the top of our bedroom door so that if the baby was in his cot, the older dc couldnt get at him at all.

My dc3 is now 10 weeks old and my eldest is 3.5! Tbh it’s been reeeeeeaaaaaly hard work but is starting to get a little easier now that the baby doesn’t cry 24/7. My advice would be to get a sling to make getting out and about easier (we’ve got a close caboo), lower your standards in every possible way (housework, cooking, screen time, frequency of showers etc) and have a 4pm wine on the really tough days. It really does improve things!

Surely the fact you've got a small house crossed your mind before you decided to have another baby? Just think back to what plans you made at that point to make it all work.

What a snide thing to say @ShesMadeATwatOfMePam. Are you that unpleasant to people face to face?

I found going from 2-3 the easiest. Ds3 was a fairly straightforward baby though which helped!

I found a sling invaluable for getting stuff done during the day. I also became an expert in bouncing him in the bouncy chair whilst doing anything!

He loved watching ds2 and ds1 play which really helped and if I needed to sort out ds2 then ds1 would entertain ds3.

I found ds1 and ds2 has a shared love of our wooden train track so occupied each other whilst I breastfed ds3

I actually find that now my boys are teens/preteens it is harder in many ways and look back with fondness at having a 4,2 and newborn

What a snide thing to say @ShesMadeATwatOfMePam. Are you that unpleasant to people face to face?

I don't think suggesting she think back to how she planned to fit in a 3rd child before she got pregnant is a snide or unpleasant thing to say. Most people would have made some sort of plan if they live in a tiny house. And yeah i would suggest that to a friend in real life.