Ds1 2.11 years and ds2 7 weeks - How do you do it?

[shish]

I don't quite get how it works with 2 dc's. Everyone says that dc2 should fit in around dc1 but how does it work when baby is so young?

Did you just demand feed dc2 and wait for him/ her to fall into a routine around dc1? Say once they're on 3 meals? Or did you set a routine from very young for dc2 to fit in with dc1? If so, how do you do it when babies feed on demand and don't have any set bedtimes/ naptimes?

Am finding it hrad at times to juggle the 2. Especially when ds2's feed clashes with having to collect/ take ds1 to nursery.

Any tips on what other people have done would be hugely appreciated.

ds2 fitted round ds1. he got used to the system. ds2 had problems that meant he had to be feed every 3 hours but we worked it round ds1. get freindly with other parents at nursery. ask them if they could get ds1 at same time if ds2 isn't having any of it. as long as nursery know friend will collect ds1 they are normally quite happy with that. i found it took a couple of months to juggle it all but it can be done. good luck

Take one day at a time and try to enjoy it!

DC4 has been very unsettled and so I have made sandwiches in the evening for DC3 (DCs 1 & 2 are at school). I plan activities that keep DC3 occupied whilst I feed DC4, we look at books have lego out etc.... Cbeebies was watched far more often than I would have liked and I get out of the house, even if it's just to a shop, at least once a day.

My ds2 feeds roughly every 3 hours too. How did yours get used to the system and how did you work it around ds1? That's what I don't get. I get a bit stressed when I hear of all these babies that have routines and bedtimes and sleeping through at this tiny age!!

My first two dcs slept through my second two didn't. It's not the end of the world, give yourself a break. I take dc4 to montessori early so i have time to sit in the car and feed, if I was walking DC4 would sleep as long as I was moving. It's all trial and error.

I remember wondering the same! (DS is now 7, and DD now 5).

When I think about it, I think DS had to fit into DD's routine. I wasn't very routined with DS as a baby, but I put DD straight into quite a strict feeding and sleeping routine (generally based on Gina Ford - sorry, folks!) For me, this had the advantage that DS always had a guaranteed half hour or so with me in the mornings, and some time after lunch too (he dropped his lunchtime sleep on his 2nd b'day, pretty much the day DD was born!) I used to spend that time nodding off while he watched his Thomas DVDs. I sometimes read to him then, but my eyelids tended to droop uncontrollably!

I don't know how I'd have managed if we'd had to take DS to nursery or such like. It was definitely helpful to us that we never absolutely had to be anywhere, so DD's routine could take priority. I tended to fit walks in around her scheduled naps. If it looked as if she was going to fall asleep in the car at the 'wrong time', I'd open the windows in the hope of keeping her awake!

This will of course sound terribly un-baby-friendly to some, and it wasn't as strict as it sounds when I write it down. However, it worked for us: it gave DS some guaranteed time with me, and it helped to keep me sane. Good luck!

I have a 2.5yr old and an 8 week old. I find the 3 pre-school days the easiest. I wake DS around 7.30am if he is asleep so he is ready to sleep during the pre-school walk at 9am, then ideally awake again at 10.30am at latest so ready to sleep for midday to pick DD up from pre-school wake around 2.30, then baby has a shortish nap at 4pm either in sling or a trip to the park in the buggy. I try to keep to similar schedule other days - some days it all goes wrong.

I hate waking babies so I tend to take blankets off if etc. But I always demand feed no idea when I feed or how often.

My daytime schedule works like a dream but DS doesn't sleep long stretches at night, wakes 4 times a night, unlike my DD at this age.

with a 2 yr old and a newborn do you really need a routine?
as long as the 2 year old is fed roughly the same time each day , someties you have to let the baby yell for a bit if your in the middle of aking dinner for example
or do you have presch runs to contend with?
if so try to time feeding just before you have to go out so the baby sleeps on the presch run

Not so worried about the sleeping through. It doesn't effect what happens with ds1. Just don't get how to fit ds2 in around ds1 during the day..

We have almost the same gap.
Yes completely demand fed (felt like almost constantly at the time)-but actually much easier than worrying about times etc. Morning feed change bung in sling/buggy nursery run. Home then fit in another feed before 11 45 nursery pick up (same routine).
Baby in bouncy chair/sling depending on cling factor while prep (basic) lunch for older one. Then either out to park/library somewhere low key where one can breast feed usually with baby in sling in our case or if really vile day TV/DVDs/books on sofa-baby sleeps/feeds as necessary. Teatime-again don't hesitate to do what is easy time enough for Annabel Karmelish stuff when baby older.
bedtime-older one in bath first dunk baby, leave to kick on mat with no nappy while get older one out, pyjamas, give older one milk and stories while feeding baby-hopefully baby drops off and is put down. If not kiss older one goodnight and sling baby/hand over to partner as he walks in door.
We also co-slept after first night time wake up-just to get some sleep.DD is now 9 months and formula fed stopped breast feeding at 7 months and loves her solids-she sleeps through/settles herself/naps beautifully in her cot so don't worry about not having a routine at such a young age.

I often used to feed DD2 (then DD3) when they weren't obviously hungry but to tide them over when I wanted/needed to focus on the older ones eg meal time, school run, music group etc. So fed little and often. Also got to know when we would have explosive nappies and allowed extra time eg on school run. Tried never to need to rush (even if it meant we were late). But as others have said - little one esp no 3 just had to fit around the others.

There is 23 months between my 2 DS.

I am suprised at how many people have kids at pre-school prior to being 3 and a half - I thought that was the normal age they start ?

Anyway - at 7 weeks old we were certainly not in any sort of routine - I spent alot of time doing things 1 handed whilst holding/b/feeding etc. and my DS1 did alot of TV watching and going to the park. DS2 was a very tricky baby who I don't think I could even put down to sleep on his own until he was about 3 months old.

Not much help but I think you just have to go with the flo and get though the first few months the best you can and not stress too much.

shish, I am in similar situation, ds 2.7, dd 8 weeks.

We are getting into sanity now.

I am basically doing a fairly consistent 8 am to 8 pm routine with both of them. DS always had a 7 to 7 routine which got shifted later as he got older. I have to say 7 to 7 is better for babies but I have to have them on the same times to be able to survive!

The way I cope (if DH not around which he usually is in the mornings) is:

get DS up and dressed, porridge on, around 7.30
get dd up and breastfeed while DS eats
at 9 am DH minds DD while I take DS to nursery (if he didn't, I would have to start her day earlier as she would fall asleeo on the nursery run)
back at 9.30 am.
10-11 DD has a nap in her pram while I jog with her, or a nap in her cot while I conk out
11 am I wake her, feed her, play with her
1-3 more or less she has a sleep and so do I
3 pm I wake and feed her.
5 pm set off with her in sling, having pre prepared DS and my early supper. (I eat with him otherwise get very nazzy). also pop for groceries on way to nursery
5.30 pm back with both kids, she goes in bouncy chair while I serve tea and eat myself,
6 pm breastfeed on couch, while reading a few books with DS or pretending to be on a plane
6.40 or so, into bath with both. put him in first, then her, get her out first, dress her, leave her on changing table while get him out and dress him, make his bedtime milk.
7.20 he has bedtime milk while I bf her, read him a story, put him to bed, then take her into our room, offer a bit more milk, put her down hopefully both asleep by 8, then wake her at 11.30-12 ish for late feed. I also usually have a sleep in the evenings on the couch! as she's up again at 5 am on the dot, as if she's set an alarm!

all I can say is it is very, very hard, and I have it very easy, DH around a lot, nursery very near etc, and you will find your own rhythm, stay strong!