2 UNDER 2 HOW DID YOU DO IT?!

[charlottexox]

I accidentally just posted a post which I hadn't finished 🤣 But, basically; I have a 17mo and have just found out I'm 4 weeks pregnant with baby #2 - big shock as was taking the combined pill!
Wondering if any ladies who had 2 under 2 managed to cope ok and what your strategies were? Also, how did you find having a double buggy and is it all about routine?

It is a friggin n'mare. The first thing my gynaecologist said when I realised I was Preg with no.2 when No1 was 7 months old was.... send the first one to fulltime nursery BEFORE this one is born.

And guess what, it was the best advice I ever had. You'll sometimes wonder if you'll ever see life after nappies again, but 8 years on, I can say I survived.

Other advice.... It is all a blur for a long time, but you will pull through. See friends and family alot to help you form going insane, I didn't, and I did ( go insane)...
Good routines and get out the house everyday.

The one MASSEEVVEE bonus is that they will grow up so close, and be like that for years to come. Sharing clothes! Toys!

Good luck x

Loads loads loads changes between 17m and 25/26months. Language, communication and responsiveness take a huge leap. You'll be fine.

I'm 3 months in and to be honest I feel like things have just got a lot easier the past week or two. The youngest is 3 months, the older is 16 months.

If you can, keep the older one in childcare for a day or two a week. It means you can get some time with the new baby (the older one usually takes most of my attention when I have both of them), go to a class with them, get out for a coffee, do some housework, or just make a coffee and put your feet up when the baby is napping.

I think an up and under double pram is better at this age. I also have a side by side double which I'll use later on, but it wouldn't work now as the older one would constantly be trying to poke the new baby in the eye!

If you don't do it already, order most of your groceries online. And get amazon prime.

Take whatever help anyone is willing to give you. At the start, I felt like I had to things myself as this was our decision, but now I'm happy to go and see a family member for an afternoon, and maybe ask them to keep the younger one for half an hour while I take the older one to a rhyme time class at the library, or ask them to play with the older one while I feed the baby. I find they're actually usually quite pleased to be asked to help!

Weather permitting, we get out for lots of walks. Usually stopping at the park so the older one can play on the swings.

I remember crying when my husband was going back to work after his 2 weeks paternity leave wondering how on earth I'd manage on my own. It does take some time to get into your own routine, but you'll get there, and you'll wonder how on earth you found it hard with just one!

I did find pregnancy a lot harder second time round, am very glad to not be pregnant any more.

Congratulations! It's lots of fun having 2 close together.

2 under 1 here, 10.5 months apart.

Routine is key, a good double pushchair and lots of fresh air.

Congratulations, You will be fine, stay positive.

You’ll have a 2 year old and a newborn. It shouldn’t be that hard

2 year old should be sleeping through the night, will be fully eating a solid diet and will be easy to entertain with iPad, telly, books, jigsaws etc

Make sure you work on the oldest child’s routine and sleep before new born comes.

I had 3 under 5 when my third arrived. My youngest turns 2 at the end of next month. I work FT and look a longer leave of six months. I'm careful to carve out time for each child. My schedule is hectic. Three days a week I'm out of the house at 8am and back at 9:30pm.

You have to get organized the night before. Shower at night and pack the diaper bag so leaving the house is easier. Get out as much as you. It helps to accept that you aren't going to save much money if any. Goal should be to not spend more than you make.

"2 year old should be sleeping through the night"

Mine wasn't- never been a good sleeper and having a new baby on the scene only set her back!

OP be prepared for the eldest to regress in the short term e.g. sleep, eating, potty training... try not to put too much pressure on them to be a "big girl/boy" (although I am definitely guilty of this) when it may seem to them like babies get all the attention. Dd1 adores her little sister but it is hard for her getting less 1:1 time with me.

Loved it. Went out every morning and they bith slept on the way home. Lovely 2 hour lunchtime to myself. No school run to worry about. Lots of time with no1 while he was still little. Didn't have a double buggy. I put the baby in a buggy and made ds1 walk on the way anywhere, baby in sling and ds1 in buggy to sleep in the way back. Once dd got too big to carry I got a buggy board. Good luck. It's fab!

DS is 2 in 2 weeks, DD is 5 weeks. We have a Mountain Buggy Duet which we git secondhand and is great on the bus. DS adores his sister and obsessively wants to cuddle her which is lovely but can be frustrating when she's trying to feed and I keep having to hoik him off her and talk about giving her space.

Sling is essential for me or DS would never eat and I'm breastfeeding so he is watching more tv than he used to.

DH is brilliant and if he wasn't totally bought into it as he is I would be struggling with exhaustion but as he is fully a parent as he should be it's manageable.

Next challenge I think is going to be when DD starts developing a nap schedule. DS still naps 2 hours and they will need to coordinate.

On another note I have toss I'm finding breastfeeding more of a chore this time. Not helping that we have oral/nipple thrush but it's less of a bonding experience and I'm hoping when DS goes back to nursery 2 days a week soon it will, help with that.

A few jumbled thoughts there. Been most of my thought process today!