Toddler and Newborn

[Tonicandgin]

I'm 5 wks pregnant and have a 19 month old. I can't get my head round how I'll cope with two.

Especially during cluster feeding fun and if they suffer from silent reflux like my last one.

I've always wanted a sibling for dd, so I'm very happy, but need someone to say that it's doable!

That's fine. Your eldest will be two and 1/2 before baby is born, almost half his current age again. That's a lot of time

Much smaller gap here. 14 months between ds1 and 2. It was fine and dare I say fairly easy tbh. Newborn just slept in sling and breastfed in sling, and I carried on my day as usual with ds1

I have a 17 month old and almost 5 month old. I'm not going to lie and say it's easy... But is having a baby every easy?! Ds (the eldest) has severe reflux and multiple allergies. Dd has silent reflux and cmpa but not as severe as Ds. I knew what I was doing this time around and found it easier to fight with the gp! Organisation is key and sleeping at all oportunities. Ds is finally only waking once a night if at all and dd is waking 2-3 times a night so it's got easier. It's so cute to see how much they love each other, especially now dd is responding more. So, in answer to your question, it is touch, but you do get used to it and each day is getting easier. congratulations

Marking my place. I'm 32 weeks and have a 17 month old ds. I'm sort of feeling bf won't be doable- I just sat for hours and hours with ds and can't imagine being able to do that even for a second. Feeding and sleep are the things I'm most worried about. I've been stashing away toys for a while now (just stuff I've got from nct sales and charity shops) so ds is going to have some new toys and books. We're moving house to somewhere with a garden (don't even have a window box now) so we're getting ds a sandpit and some outside toys and I'm hoping that will amuse him. I'm stacking up Bing Bunny episodes .
It'll be ok- it'll have to be!

Nicky - try getting a sling you can feed in. It was really helpful here as meant I could walk around prepping dinner/ could work from home/ could push ds1 on swings all whilst feeding baby who wants to feed lots.

I'm 12 weeks pregnant and have a 9 month old, so she'll be 26 months when DC2 arrives ... won't be BFing cos that was a short-lived nightmare with DD1, but still wondering how naps etc will go in a small apartment with a noisy toddler ...

Artandco can i ask what make of sling you had? We had a Mothercare baby carrier with ds and I hated it. I was going to wait until she's born and go to the sling library but have become a bit of a sling recommendations pest!

There's a huge difference between 19m and 27m. DD has just turned 2 and can entertain herself far more independently than even 6w ago. Find various parks / soft play etc that you can go to where dc1 can do everything without you needing to scramble after them!

Yes artandco what sling can you feed in? I have a moby and a bjorn. One week in here OP- my current advice to is to get any help possible!!

Look at the boba range. The boba 4g is good for out and about and good that newborn can go in but also toddler on back. So if you have baby in pram one day and toddler gets tired or won't walk you can quickly sling home. You adjust the strap slightly on one side to feed easier

However the boba wrap is comfier to use at home sitting down and you can have baby lying down to feed. Also good out and about but only until about 6-9 months before baby gets too heavy.

So I would say get both if you can afford to, but if not just get boba 4g as it has a lot more use as lasts newborn all through toddlerhood ( great for sleepy toddlers at airports!). And actually if you are travelling or going places with both parents often I would be tempted to get both as you can have baby in wrap to feed and dh can have toddler on back in places where prams are a pain ( trains/ tube/ airports/ fairs/ woods/ crowds etc)

OH and if you YouTube there will be people showing the various ways

Also look at the baby Ktan

Thanks art.

My due date is tomorrow and I have a DD who is 2 and a half. I've been kind of dreading it for the entire pregnancy, I remember being so incredibly exhausted during the newborn days with DD1 but at least I could sleep when she did. It won't be so easy this time round! I figured plenty of people manage with similar or even smaller age gaps so I'm sure I will too, I've heard the older they get the easier it becomes so fingers crossed for that lol.

I've invested in a Caboo baby carrier so I can carry/nurse baby whilst having my hands free to tend to DD and do household chores although I'm trying to keep my expectations low on the chores front and I'm hoping to not get to worked up if I can't manage to keep on top of things (even now it's a massive struggle). I know my OH will do his bit too even when his paternity leave finishes and he's back to work. I've also been freezing left overs when ever I can for the days where time runs away from me, even if it's just toddler sized portions for DD and me and OH end up getting a takeaway once she's in bed. I don't want her to miss out on having proper meals because of the new baby.

I have a 4 week old and 2.3 yo dds.

It has honestly been a total nightmare but not for the practical reasons. The reason it's been so awful for me is that dd1 has basically ignored me since dd2 arrived, tells me she doesn't want me, go away, etc etc, and started behaving badly to try to get attention. Don't think it helps that the 'terrible twos' just landed as dd2 born. All this might not happen for you (I really hope not) but I kind of wish I knew someone who would admit they'd had a bad time with no. 2 as it would make me feel less of a failure ! (Selfish I know)

Agree with the above about a sling, the only time we have anything approaching harmony is when dd2 is happily in the sling (I use a woven wrap, find it better for newborn but do use my boba 4g when I need a quick option but for shorter periods). If baby is feeding or i am holding her dd1 either does something potentially dangerous or goes to wrestle with baby etc.

In the last few days it has got a bit better as dd2 is increasingly feeding slightly less frequently and happy being put down more, and starting to be interested in toys, etc. so I think (hope) I'm coming out of the worst bit.

Dh is here at bedtime and he does dd1 bedtime while I have dd2 who goes into a feeding frenzy at 5-7 pm, as she gets more tired she cries so my original plan of feeding her calmly while reading to dd1 in bed didn't work out.

I hope it all goes well for you! I'm sure most people are more successful at this than me!