Things you did/want to do differently with Baby #2?

Under.the.Rose

I've been thinking lots about this lately and there are definitely a few things that I want to do differently with Baby #2 and I'm wondering if you ladies plan to change the game plan a little bit for your next one too... or if your second one has already arrived, how you did things differently (or not). 

1. I was dead-set against bottle feeding... during the first few hormonal/sleep deprived months it made me feel inadequate (not to mention engorged) if I had to skip a feeding and try a bottle. ---> Later on when I NEEDED a break, DS wouldn't take a bottle/formula.

---> For this next baby I'm going to try doing maybe one or two bottles a day so I can get a bit of a break if there's someone here to help me and I won't feel bad about it at all!

2. DS either slept beside us in bed, in his swing or in his Rock n Play... ---> Now he's still needing all of those things to sleep at different points in the day (minus the RNP) and we can't get a decent night's sleep because night weaning just ain't happening when he's lying right next to the source and he's so used to nursing himself back to sleep at night.

---> I'm going to transition to the crib as early as possible now with Baby #2 (and give a bottle for one night feeding instead of nursing to see if that helps with the night weaning thing later on.)

mrsseguin

We had a lot of sleep issues with DS...caused by us I believe.  He was always in our bed, slept with us every night.  It was a nightmare getting him in his own bed.  Now, DH still lays with him till he's asleep (his choice, I don't lay with him), but at least he's in his own bed now, sleeping 12-13 hours.

When DD came along, I was dead set on her sleeping in her crib and being a better sleeper than DS.  She has been in her crib since day one.  We never went to her unless she was crying.  Now, we put her to bed awake after her bottle and she puts herself to sleep.  She is 100% different than DS, which I believe is from what DH and I do differently.  That's the main thing we've done differently between the 2 of them.

Under.the.Rose

mrsseguin:

We had a lot of sleep issues with DS...caused by us I believe.  He was always in our bed, slept with us every night.  It was a nightmare getting him in his own bed.  Now, DH still lays with him till he's asleep (his choice, I don't lay with him), but at least he's in his own bed now, sleeping 12-13 hours.

When DD came along, I was dead set on her sleeping in her crib and being a better sleeper than DS.  She has been in her crib since day one.  We never went to her unless she was crying.  Now, we put her to bed awake after her bottle and she puts herself to sleep.  She is 100% different than DS, which I believe is from what DH and I do differently.  That's the main thing we've done differently between the 2 of them.

What you describe your DD's sleep habits like would be my DREAM. haha

ludicrous

Lol, I am the opposite from you in terms of feeding. With DD I was so fixated on pumping and making sure she had bottles regularly, it was stressful trying to feel like I was pumping enough, would I give her formula; should I; and OMG I'm such a failure because my boobs don't make enough. This time I wouldn't give a crap if he never took a bottle. He has because we left him with a sitter but I'm not sweating giving him one every day, it's far easier to pop out the boob.

jessiej7428

- I didn't bf with my son. I want to this time or @ least pump.

- I agree with the sleeping that has been mentioned. Right now our son will only sleep with us, is waking 2-3 times a night and we're exhausted. These next couple months I want to work on getting him to sleep on his own. Our bed won't be big enough for my belly, my husband, the baby and our cat.  I'd like baby #2 to sleep in their bed from about 3 months (They'll be in a basinett until then, what will be their room is far away from our bedroom) and not sleep with us at all. 

- I'd like to work more with baby signs earlier. We're doing that with our son now (he gets very frustated because he can't tell us what he wants, he bites and hits to show us) and he's not too interested in it.

 

12bailey18

The biggest thing for me is NOT rocking DD to sleep. We were rocking DS to sleep until he was 18 month old....ugh. With DD, she just lays down in her crib. I'm dead set on no rocking...LOL.

SirSleepsALot

I've learned in my own experience that the kid tells you what you will do differently.  They are different people and therefore your strategy changes. I thought I would do more bottles too but it turns out I am WAY LESS stressed about less sleep and feedings b/c I knew what to expect going into it.  DS2 was a HORRIBLE sleeper the first 6-8 weeks - like up every 45 mins to an hour.  It wasn't too bad b/c I knew there was an end coming.  It's funny how experience changes things.  My only advice is don't go around telling peopel what you're going to do differently!  haha.  DS2 won't sleep anywhere except touching me and has been that way since the minute he was born.  DS1 would pass out anywhere and sleep in a cradle by himself all the time. 

Under.the.Rose

SirSleepsALot:

I've learned in my own experience that the kid tells you what you will do differently.  They are different people and therefore your strategy changes. I thought I would do more bottles too but it turns out I am WAY LESS stressed about less sleep and feedings b/c I knew what to expect going into it.  DS2 was a HORRIBLE sleeper the first 6-8 weeks - like up every 45 mins to an hour.  It wasn't too bad b/c I knew there was an end coming.  It's funny how experience changes things.  My only advice is don't go around telling peopel what you're going to do differently!  haha.  DS2 won't sleep anywhere except touching me and has been that way since the minute he was born.  DS1 would pass out anywhere and sleep in a cradle by himself all the time. 

All very good advice! Thanks

CBBB2010

I'm planning on having DH help out by giving the new baby one bottle each night after I go to bed to help me out.  He's a night owl and will be up anyway and it will help me get some rest instead of having me get up with the baby to nurse for each night feeding like I did with DS.

 I also want to try to not get into the habit of nursing to sleep.  I did with DS and it turned out to be easier than I thought to kick him of it when I weaned, but I know it is a bad habit that can be hard for some kids to stop and I don't want to tempt fate.

 

hoping4sticky

The one thing that I know that I will do differently is be willing to supplement in the very beginning. We had so many issues with feeding in the beginning and we wound up back in the hospital for jaundice.

goodgolly_mrsmolly

I will pump more so that DH can give #2 a bottle-  DS took a bottle a couple times until 3 months when DH deployed & I gave up pumping.  Then when my mom would visit DS would not take a bottle, and it was hard to get him used to drinking from a cup (we had to hold it for him until last week).

I'll also have #2 nap in their crib earlier on- DS napped in his RnP until 3 months and then it was a difficult transition to the crib for naps.  DS was a terrible sleeper though- short naps until 8 months, just started STTN at 12ish months.  I'm praying the next one is a better sleeper.

KRISTA555

I think in regard to STTN, I'm just going to expect that this baby won't until he's at least a year old. That way I'm not all upset when he doesn't at 3 months.

I think I knew going into it that DD could take a long time to STTN, but I was SO hopeful that she would be one of those babies who wouldn't. I was wrong. And I was so disappointed/frustrated.

I'm also going to ignore my mom and her unwanted advice. She really got under my skin last time.

Other than that, I honestly think we did a pretty dammn good job with DD. We aren't perfect, but I think we did ok.

Monsieur_et_Madame_Ha

Sleep training. I feel we waited too long with DD1 and that may be part of the reason why she never STTN.

 

JoannaJes

Ditto to PPs. We did some things differently with DD because she's a different kid. What we needed to do for DS is not what we needed to do for her.

I was the opposite...instead of being more proactive about habits, I was laid back. They grow out of everything eventually, DS is evidence of that. I didn't stress out about it.