New baby due in November when DD will be 2.1. Should I try and potty-train her before then?

[WizzyWoo]

DD is currently 21 months old. Health visitor advised me to have DD potty trained by time baby comes along. I work 4 days a week and when I suggested potty training to nursery, they said that they'd go with anything I wanted to do but I got the impression that they didn't think it was a good idea as she's under 2.

I've tried over the last two weekends and Mondays when I'm off to leave DD's nappy off and although she'll happily sit on a potty, she only does so for 10 seconds before she's off somewhere else. She seems to hold the wee in for hours before suddenly I hear the dreaded "uh-oh, wee wee" and there's a puddle on the floor, despite having frequently asked her if she wants to do a wee. I'm worried that I'm confusing her by only being able to try this at weekends.

As I'm a newbie to potty training, any advice would be very gratefully received.

I would potty train her only when she is giving you cues that she is starting to get ready, if she knows when she is going to wee or poo for instance.

I think your h.v was a bit silly to advise you to pt before the new baby comes, she will potty train when she is ready and you may even find she may regress when the new baby arrives.

HTH

My DD was potty yrained at 20 months so it is very possible if they are ready. I am having my third baby in 16 days and DS is nowhere near potty training at 2.7. I don't really see what difference it makes, them being potty trained by the time the new baby comes.

Yeah, you'll have two in nappies- so what? I'm not arsed about that, are you?

I would leave it unless she is telling you that she is really ready. Nappies are actually easier and less stressful than having a recently potty-trained child around. You won't want to have to worry about rushing to find loos etc when you're out and about with the new baby and have enough other things to worry about.

And as 4andnotout says, lots of children regress. I've seen children who've been dry for months regress after the arrival of a sibling.

I found that having an older child in nappies is actually easier when you've got a newborn. No needing to run to a potty/toilet immediately and far less hassle. I did potty training with ds1 (at 2.9 yrs) when ds2 was 6 weeks old and although it was fairly straightforward it was definitely harder work.

x-posts Aranea!

I would leave well alone. When she's ready, you'll know and it'll take no time at all. (DD1 was 2.4 and trained in 3 days)

My sister tried to potty train her eldest DD at 19 months 'cos she had a new one on the way (born when eldest was 23 months). BAD idea!!

She wasn't ready, but for some reason my sis kept with it (mainly due to pressure from parents - saying it would be easier etc). My sis spent the last months of her pregnancy on her hands and knees cleaning up spills and playing 'hunt the poo'! Just as her DD seemed to get the hang of it, baby DD2 came along and DD1 started weeing/pooing all over the place again, and she had to start from the beginning.

All in all, it took over a YEAR to get DD1 potty trained. Second time around, she waited until DD2 was ready (about 2.5) and it was all over within a month....!

And I completely agree with those who say it is easier to keep the eldest in nappies when the new one comes along - why make life harder for yourself!

Thank you all so much for your advice. I feel so relieved, as I was itching to leave it but didn't want to just quit without asking the question first. I will happily wait until DD is good and ready and forget what the health visitor said.

think it would be easier to leave her in nappies, maybe even to waite and train her and the new baby together in a couple of years. will save stress and turn her into a roll model. potty training because of a new baby is traumatic especailly for the child who will get jelouse of the attention the new baby gets. hope thats a help