Shifts or working together?

jas9210

#2 is due in February. DS will be 13.5 months old. In the first month or two (if your SO was able to help) did you take shifts where one would sleep and the other would tend to the kids or did you work together and both tend to the kids and help each other out and sleep when you could? Taking shifts would make it easier to get some sleep I'm sure, but I'm not sure I could if I will be able to tend to both a toddler and a newborn while DH slept and vice versa!

kagl08

My DH was back to work within a week after #2 was born, but because he spent 11 days in the NICU, I never had him home helping me with both kids diring the week. By the time my DS came home my DH had to be back at work. So there was no tag teaming during the day. I took care of the kids all day, then when he got home he had 1 and I had 1 and we just helped each other. At night DH would get up with DS until 2am so I slept from like 9-2am straight, then I'd have the rest of the night. I really liked it this way! Imam very lucky to have a very helpful DH who is always very helpful with the kids.  

My kids are 13.5 months apart and in those first few months my toddler AND my infant were waking at night often. In those cases, DH would get 1 kid and I would get the other.  

kcisthebombdotcom

We did shifts and I find it easier that way. There weren't many instances were both kids were melting down at nighttime at the exact same time.

jf198400

I am EBFing DS, so I get up with him at night.  DH gets up if older DD wakes at night.  On weekends during the day we tend to trade off, one of us watches the kids while the other gets chores done.  Back in the newborn days, DH would frequently take DD out to the park or something while I'd just chill at home with DS.

lindsay.lou

I'm EBFing, so I'm on night duty 100% with DS2 (DS1 never gets up at night). During the day, if they're both melting down together DH usually takes DS1 and I take DS2 (only b/c usually DS2 needs to nurse to calm down).

MammaBear81

DH has always gone back to work right away, but when he was home (nights and weekends) we did a semi-shift.  Our older ones were STTN by the time the baby was born, so it was really just tending to him/her at night.  I EBF so when it was time to eat I got up, but after nursing and changing, I'd hand off to DH.  Generally the baby would go right back down, but if not he stayed up until next feeding, I would then take over an nurse again, he would go back to sleep.  LO never stayed awake that much in the beginning, if I wasn't too tired I'd stay up and let DH sleep. During the day he would stay awake all day, and I would help out when I could, but he was always happy to let me nap (since he got "a break" when he went to work and I didn't). 

My friends did nightly shifts, so each parent was never more than one night away from a good nights sleep.  It worked for them, but I could never do it!  You'll find something that works for you!

Candace52309

I EBF #1 and I plan to do the same with #2 so shifts were not an option for us, however DH would get up and change DD. I would feed her. He often stayed up with me or would grab me a snack or water.

Now the first week was difficuly since she had her days & nights mixed up. So we took shifts other than me feeding her. I fed her around 930 and he kept her while I slept til about 3, only waking me to feed her if she was hungry, then he slept 3-8 before he had 2 go to work.