Toddlers: 24 Months+
Lusterb5@gmail.com
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What did everyone do to prepare their little one for another baby?
Lusterb5@gmail.com
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I found out I'm 12 weeks pregnant and just wondering what other people have done to get their little ones prepared for another sibling. Thank you 
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Re: What did everyone do to prepare their little one for another baby?
I would point to my belly and then do sign language for baby. It was really cute because then he would say "baby" when he saw my belly.
It does feel a little more crazy once the new baby arrives. My son has a tendency to do ring around the rosy with me. And this felt a little crazy when he would do it in public with me pregnant in later 2nd trimester and 3rd trimester. I really needed help from my husband since I could not move very well.
But then when she was born, it was more that the new baby was in a baby carrier, and my son was doing ring around the rosy in public (and all of us looked crazy). It is like you realize you only have two hands-one for each child.
I bought a baby doll for my son. When my stomach got big enough, I pointed to my stomach and said "baby in my tummy". My kids are almost 3 years apart - I didn't know if he'd understand at that age - but soon enough, he would pick up the baby doll and put it on my stomach and say "mommy has baby in tummy".
He also started putting the baby doll in his stroller, the bouncer, etc. and taking care of it. I showed him how to hold the baby and showed him how to be gentle with it. By the time the baby arrived, he was calling the real baby "his" and putting the doll in the bouncer before I could put the real baby in the bouncer (to make sure it was safe for the real baby). I found the doll a really helpful way to help him understand how to treat a real baby. Because he felt the baby was his, I never had any jealousy issues - and he was so gentle with her...at least until she could walk over and take his toys! LOL.
I also let my son help choose the baby's name. We had about 4 names we were discussing and my son got fixated on Allison. He kept telling me we had to name her Allison. (He even told the grandparents it would be Allison before we had really decided- oops). If you discuss names, know that your LO probably won't be able to keep it a secret!
Lastly, I got him a big brother tee shirt and let him wear it starting a few weeks before dd was born. It got him so excited to be a big brother and made it a little more real for him.
Hope this helps! Congratulations and good luck!
IUI- BFN IVF #1 -BFP! Allie is our 2nd IVF baby. Born at 36 1/2 weeks after pre-e again
DD was really little when DS was born, but she loved to read... so we read a lot about new babies, played with baby dolls, and tried to have friends over with babies more frequently so DD could see mommy holding another baby and get used to be gentle with babies.
This time around the kids are older and understand more. I'm pretty much doing all the things I did before, but also we talk to the baby in my belly a lot and give kisses. Tons and tons of play dates and social settings to get them in tune with others needs and feelings.
My best advice is have everything set up early and practice with the doll
My DD wanted to "help" push the swing, rock the car seat when it was on the floor, sit in the bouncer,sit in the car seat, throw toys into the PnP, RnP, and crib. We also practiced being quiet and "shhh" when the baby room was shut.
It helped take the "newness" out of everything, let her explore everything before the baby came, and I could correct her before the panic of a new baby is in the PnP while balls are being thrown in from across the room.