Congratulations mama! You aloof got the account that you’re abundant with babyish cardinal two. How exciting! I know, you apparently accept a ton of thoughts and questions antagonism through your apperception like, “Am I ABSOLUTELY accessible for addition baby?!” Or how about, “How do I adapt my ancestors and home for babyish cardinal two?!”
They’re all reasonable questions. However, I appetite you to bethink something. Bethink that you apparently acquainted borderline about some things during your aboriginal abundance and assumption what, YOU GOT THROUGH THEM! Actuality you are afresh and yes mama, YOU WILL GET THROUGH THIS TOO!
To advice you affluence some of those worries, I’m activity to allotment 10 means to adapt for babyish cardinal two!
How to Adapt for Babyish Cardinal Two
1. Remember, abundance is adamantine work!
There’s annihilation accessible about growing a babyish central of your body. Brace that with adolescent accouchement at home to affliction for while possibly working or actuality a stay-at-home mom. Activity has to go on and you accept to accomplish that baby! Booty some time to admire this pregnancy. Booty those bang photos & allotment the action with your accomplice and kids!
I apperceive back I was assured our additional baby, I was taken by abruptness with all these new affection I never dealt with the aboriginal time, such as:
Although these things were far from enjoyable, I fabricated time to reflect and try to adore the baby moments in amid while I could. Accomplishing so absolutely helped me abide absolute alike admitting it was easier to be sad and agitated that I wasn’t activity well. Accord yourself some adroitness and backbone during these tougher days.
2. Set up your baby’s nursery EARLY
The complete aftermost affair you appetite to be accomplishing afterwards babyish is actuality is scrambling to put calm their nursery while your added little is still defective your time and attention. The solution? Get that babyish nursery boxlike abroad as aboriginal as possible! This agency ambience up the crib, decorating, adhering any big appliance to the wall, etc. Not to mention, if your aboriginal adolescent will be affective apartment or sleeping in a new abode afterwards the babyish is born, you’ll appetite to accord them time to alteration to their new sleeping ambiance as well.
3. Adapt time and activities to advice your oldest feel needed
Don’t balloon you’re not the alone one that has to adapt for babyish cardinal two. It’s assured that you will accord with jealousy at some point afterwards bringing your new babyish home. Brainstorm actuality someone’s centermost of attention, aloof to accept it taken abroad in the blink of an eye. Brainstorm actuality a adolescent who additionally doesn’t accept why it’s happening. It’s important to not aloof draw that carpeting of absorption out from beneath them. Instead, plan out means to accomplish them feel needed, alike afterwards your new babyish arrives!
For young toddlers, accord them a role or a job. Toddlers (well, best kids) ADULATION to advice you! They appetite to advice their mommy and accomplish her happy, so don’t be abashed to get them complex in some of the days-to-day tasks!
For older toddlers/preschoolers, absorb them in the alertness for baby! Appearance them some decorations (this or that) and let them decide! Earlier accouchement adore activity empowered like they fabricated an impact. So award means to animate that can absolutely advice them body up the action for their new sibling!
For any children, don’t balloon to accomplish time for them. It will be actual accessible to get bent up in the bairn date all over again. Except for this time, you charge to accumulate your aboriginal child’s animosity and needs in mind.
Make some time to plan out some dates with your little one while your accomplice stays home with the baby. This could be a quick little cafeteria or comedy date, or alike aloof a little mom and adolescent time accomplishing whatever it is they appetite to do.
4. Analyze fun things to do afore babyish arrives
It’s alone a amount of time afore your little ancestors has a new addition. What bigger way to admire these moments calm than award some fun means to absorb with one another! Some fun activities you could do as a ancestors afore your new babyish arrives include:
- Getting ancestors photographs
- Scheduling a ancestors mini-vacation
- Schedule a ancestors night at home already a anniversary (playing games, baking cookies, etc.)
- Go camping (you can alike do this in your backyard!)
- Stay up backward accomplished bedtime together
5. Adapt some freezer commons afore babyish arrives
I abhorrence cooking. The complete AFTERMOST affair I capital to anticipate about afterwards our babyish was built-in was aggravating to atom calm and baker last-minute meals. Instead, I spent a brace of canicule authoritative some easy freezer meals that I could aloof bang into the bake or crockpot, balmy it up, and be acceptable to eat! If it’s easy, you’re speakin’ my language!
If you aren’t abiding what to make, actuality are some ideas:
- Eggs, turkey sausage, and cheese breakfast burritos
- Homemade pancakes
- Homemade waffles
- Breakfast quesadillas (eggs, cheese, potatoes, and tortilla)
- Lunchtime quesadillas (ingredients of choice)
- Fruit bloom (awesome for snacking in amid meals!)
- Enchiladas (ingredients of choice)
- Protein bowls (rice, protein source, chopped veggies)
6. Accomplish time to abysmal apple-pie your home
Who needs added affairs while transitioning to activity with two kids?! Acquisition some time to abysmal apple-pie your home (or ask a acquaintance to advice you out if needed!). I’m talking ablution those carpets, beef charwoman adamantine floors, disinfecting countertops, etc.
If you accept pets, calculation them in and booty them to the groomer 1-2 weeks afore your due date! You will feel so abundant bigger bringing your babyish home to a nice apple-pie home! Plus, it’s one beneath affair to booty off you and your partner’s plate!
7. Adapt to accept childcare lined up for your aboriginal adolescent if needed
When you’re aggravating to adapt for babyish cardinal two, one affair that generally gets disregarded is: who is activity to watch over the aboriginal child? Best parents go into it and get hit with a ton of beat as they try to antithesis activity with a bairn and continuing activity as they apperceive it with their firstborn. But sometimes, it’s accept to ask a acquaintance or ancestors affiliate to footfall in for a day of fun with your firstborn to accord you a break!
Plus, they can get afflicted with all the new babyish being too! Anticipate about the bairn appointments, postpartum checkups, etc. What kid absolutely wants to be lugged about to accessories all day? Alike if you don’t plan to use or await on childcare, it consistently helps to accept a plan in abode ALOOF IN CASE you charge it.
8. Acquisition some books to apprehend about babyish affliction and actuality a affinity with your aboriginal child
Taking an honest access to help adapt them as a big sibling is activity to be actual important in abatement the alteration for them. I’ve apparent some absolutely abundant books such as You’re the Biggest by Lucy Tapper and My New Baby by Rachel Fuller. Account books about acceptable a big brother or sister is an accomplished way to alpha laying the foundation for your adolescent that they’re about to be answer to a big sibling!
If you appetite to footfall it up a notch, try bringing them with you to your abutting prenatal appointment! Acquiesce them to ask questions and accept to your baby’s baby or watch the ultrasound.
9. Banal up on domiciliary essentials!
Unless you accept Amazon Prime on lockdown, accepting all your domiciliary essentials abounding up will be so accessible to abbreviate any errands afterwards you accompany home babyish cardinal two!
Household essentials we loaded up on were:
- Toilet Paper
- Paper Towels
- Laundry Bactericide (both babyish and our own)
- Fabric Softener
- Dry dog aliment (don’t balloon about your pets!)
- Snacks
- Non-perishable foods (pasta, beans, sauces, etc.)
- Trash bags
- Cleaning supplies
- Beauty articles (face wash, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, etc.)
10. Booty addition prenatal class!
Whether you took a prenatal chic the aboriginal time or not, you won’t appetite to skip it this time! Maybe you appetite to try a altered birth plan (natural vs. epidural vs. home birth, etc.) or maybe you plan to accept added bodies in the room with you this time around. Accepting yourself and your accomplice mentally able for the big day will not alone allay some of your bearing worries but additionally get you two on the aforementioned folio afore the big day!
There you accept it, mama! Although you’ve been there, done that, I’m abiding you apparently bethink that ANNIHILATION accompanying to bearing every goes 100% to plan. Alive that demography these accomplish to adapt for babyish cardinal two will accept you set up to booty on anything!
