Obviously second pregnancy will be different from the first pregnancy. You may have thought that you had figured out the whole thing during your first pregnancy. But the second pregnancy is challenging as it doubles your responsibilities.
You may not have the same time to enjoy the second pregnancy that you had during the first. You might be worried about taking care of yourself while paying round the clock attention to your toddler. This article will provide tips on how to prepare for a new baby with a toddler.
This article discusses the things that you can do during the second pregnancy with the toddler.
How Does a Second Pregnancy Differ From the First Pregnancy?
The second pregnancy needs a different approach to have a pleasant experience. You may come across the different symptoms in your second pregnancy. Here are a few things to know about the second pregnancy.
- As your stomach muscles have been stretched earlier, your bump gets bigger sooner.
- You may experience the baby kicks and moves sooner
- You might encounter the things that you have not experienced during the first pregnancy like morning sickness, nausea, etc.
- Dealing with the toddler during the second pregnancy makes you feel tired sooner.
Challenges of the Second Child:
Here are the few challenges that you might come across after giving birth to your second child:
First Child Becomes Jealous:
Everything will be fine during the first few weeks of pregnancy with your partner, in-laws, and parents to help. You may get the chance to spend time with the first child a few weeks after the delivery as your newborn baby sleeps most of the day. But after a few weeks, you might have to run for the suddenly woke up baby, this might hurt the first child. You might feel like you don’t have enough time to prepare mothering for two children. You should be able to balance the physical and emotional needs of the two children.
The best choice to avoid this situation is to make your first child well prepared and adopt transition during your pregnancy.
Sleepless Nights:
A newborn baby’s sleeping times may not fit in with yours as they can not recognize the difference between day and night. Sleepless nights may make you more irritable, emotional, and hungrier than usual. You should make yourself ready to deal with sleepless nights before the arrival of your baby.
Getting Out the Door:
You need to get out the door for a grocery store with your toddler and newborn baby. At times it is difficult to handle your crying baby and your toddler running all around the store. You can manage this situation with the prior arrangements which will be discussed later in this article.
What Things You Can Do During Your Second Pregnancy:
The second pregnancy involves preparing the first child towards the new addition in your family while taking care of your health. Following a few tips will help in making your second pregnancy a hassle-free. Getting everything organized beforehand the baby is born is the best thing that you can do.
Here are the few things that you can do before having a second baby with a toddler.
1. Prepare Yourself to Split Energy Levels:
During the first pregnancy, you might have enough time to read books, browse online articles and blogs, and go to parenting classes. During your first pregnancy, you are about to be a mother. But, you are already a mother at your second pregnancy. This time you may not need the parenting research as you did during your first pregnancy.
You have to split your energy into two in order to look after both kids.
2. Share the News with your First Born:
Make your first child understand that a new baby is on the way to the home. Make your child aware that how rest is important to you. It gives them a sense of understanding that not to jump on you.
3. Put Big-Kid Toy Area:
If your kid has the habit of spreading the toys all over the home, It’s time to educate your children regarding the choking hazards that your new baby might encounter. Teach your child how to take some toys away from the baby. Help your kid to find out the big shelf to put the toys that are not to be given to the baby.
4. Arrange Baby Sitting For Your Toddler:
It is most important to arrange babysitting to make your kid away from the feeling of being ignored. When you are moving closer to the delivery, you need someplace to keep your baby, whether it be the middle of the night or any part of the day.
5. Tackle Your Toddler At The Early Stages:
Train your toddler on the things for which he/she may require your complete attention. Start training them from the initial stages of the pregnancy which will help in reducing your stress levels.
6. Plan To Keep Your Toddler Busy:
Keep your first kid’s favourite storybook or toy bin always available to them. This will help you to engage your kid in a busy activity while you are feeding or bathing the baby.
7. Make Your Partner Help The Toddler To Sleep:
If your child needs your presence to go to bed seek support from your partner to deal with this situation. If your partner succeeds in making the older one go to sleep without your presence, you will be free to focus on the new baby.
8. Take Family Member Support:
Ask any of your family members like in-laws and parents to spend their time with you during the first two to three weeks after the delivery. This will give you the time to adjust to the situations and improve your health.
9. Budget For Two:
Plan the budget or start your savings to raise your firstborn and the forthcoming baby. This will take you away from the financial stress in the future.
10. Balance The Attention:
The main thing that you should make yourself well trained is to tackle the attention that you pay to your toddler and the new baby. You should make sure that your toddler is not disappointed by the love that you show to the baby.
For example use the phrases with your baby like: “ Wait a minute baby, I will be back in one minute, I am going to help your brother/sister”
This will help in making the toddler feel more special.
11. Get Everything You Need From The Storage:
You can wash and reuse the unisex infant clothes, booties, and old sheets. Make sure that everything is clean and neat for your second baby.
12. Plan to Travel as Trio:
Plan ahead. Pack sufficient snacks for your toddler and enough milk for your toddler. Keep the stock of two sizes of diapers in the car or in the basket of the stroller. Plan to leave 15 minutes ahead of the schedule as you may have to account for the diaper explosions or tantrums.
13. Pack the Things For Your First Baby:
Depending on where you are keeping your first baby, it is a good idea to pack the things. Because you may not know the duration that you need to stay in the hospital. Pack your kid’s bag with a pair of day clothes, a pair of pajamas, diapers, wipes, a sipper bottle, etc.
14. Exercise with Your Kid:
Do small exercises and yoga poses with your first child. This may help to take care of yourself and increases the bonding and quality time spent with your first child.
15. Keep the Diaper Station Ready!
Pack the bag with newborn diapers, pacifiers, wipes, nursing covers, etc., weeks before the delivery to keep everything scheduled and organized.
16. Register for Anything You May Need:
Most of the things you have already which are brought during your first baby’s birth. Order the things which you feel that cannot be reused for your second child.
17. Stock Up On Essentials:
Maintain the stock of household essential or personal items in order to avoid frequent trips to the grocery store. It is a good idea if you do not wish to go to a grocery store carrying two kids or leaving them at home.
18. Sterilize Pacifiers and Bottles:
If your first baby’s bottles and pacifiers look fine, Boil and keep them ready for your second baby. If they look chewed or too old, get the new ones ready for your baby.
19. Plan for Special Gift That Your Older Toddler Can Give To Welcome The Baby:
This gifting activity makes your older toddler form bonding with the new baby. This may prevent your toddler from feeling jealousy. You can also involve your toddler in selecting the name for the new baby. Involve your toddler in new baby’s care.
20. Make your Toddler know his Role:
Teach your child that he or she is going to be the brother/sister for the new baby and help your child to enjoy the new role while playing with the baby. Prepare your older kid on welcoming the new baby with love.
21. Prepare Yourself..To Handle Two Kids:
You require a lot of energy levels and patience to handle both the kids at a time. Make yourself well prepared to tackle the situations gently without getting angry.
22. Build Confidence:
You might have coped well with the imbalances during the first pregnancy. It is a quite different story to become a second time mom.
Prepare to handle yourself both physically/mentally. You should be able to balance the mood swings which are very common during pregnancy due to hormonal changes. Use your energy levels in a smart way.
23. Give Yourself Time:
Hand over your toddler to your partner when they get back in the evening and spend an hour for yourself. Forget the household activities and have a pleasant walk in the park or do the relaxing exercises recommended by your midwife. Do not skip the essential medicines. You can set an alarm or you can involve your toddler in your medication schedule. Go to sleep early. It is very hard to have an early sleep once your newborn arrives.
24. Follow Healthy Tips:
Here are the few healthy tips for pregnancy second trimester:
- Switch from chemical cleaning products to natural ones.
- Protect your back by following posture tips
- Make sure to consume enough nutrients. Include food rich in iron, calcium, folate, Vitamin D, and fluids as a part of your diet.
- Moisturize your belly and breasts
- Remove the unwanted hair
25. Prepare for Easier/Harder Birth:
Mostly, second births are easier and shorter than the first births. As the muscles have been stretched earlier, it is very easy to deal with the contractions.
All deliveries and labors may not be the same. Don’t assume that your second delivery may be going to be the same as the first one. You should make yourself strong against any complications that may take place during the delivery. The joy of holding the baby in your arms can wipe away all the struggles that you encountered at the time of delivery.
26. Breastfeeding:
Even if your firstborn is not breastfed, it’s worth trying again. Consult your doctor regarding the things that you can do to breastfeed your second one successfully.
Having two kids is the most amazing experience. Some tips are necessary to make your firstborn to accept the newborn with love and form the everlasting sibling bond. The 25 tips mentioned in this article will help you to tackle the situations after the birth of your second baby.
