Handling Children Closely Spaced Together
Clothing will by no means be a dilemma if the expected child is the same sex as the first. Even if they are not, you still don’t have to rush to the nearest shopping mall to buy a whole new wardrobe for baby #2. Think back to the kinds of clothes you put on your first baby for the first few months of his or her life. It was sleepers, onesies, tee-shirts, and socks, right? Keep in mind, baby boys have no idea they are wearing pink. Likewise, baby girls couldn’t care less about wearing blue. A few nice outfits for events such as doctor’s appointments and such will do just fine.
You may want to hold off on buying two of some of the pricier items. A good example of this would be baby swings and bouncy chairs. Normally by the time baby #2 is ready for these, baby #1 has outgrown them. The high chair is a different story. You may want two of these. I bought a small table and chairs and my toddler went nuts over her ‘big girl table.’
Schedules. Try to set one as soon as possible. As far off as this may seem, this is probably your only hope of getting a breather. Mealtime for a newborn, as most of us know, is nearly impossible. They eat when they want to. Starting an eating schedule for your toddler while you are still pregnant is your best defense. Also, if baby #1 is already on a schedule for meals, it will mean he or she will feel less left out when baby #2 causes changes within the household. You want the transition to be as smooth as possible. One thing that worked for me was talking to my first child. I let her know a baby was growing in my tummy. Babies understand a lot more than we normally think and this a good way to get your child ready for their new sibling.
During my pregnancy, I napped when my daughter did. This worked out great, however, when her sister came along eleven months later, it was much harder to get the rest I needed. This is when you have to take advantage of your friends and family. I happily accepted offers from family members even if was just for an hour or so a day. Just to rest can help rejuvenate you. If you are able to sleep during the day, great. I personally can’t sleep during the day, but resting certainly helped.
You will learn to be very creative when it comes to showering if you are dealing with two babies. One thing I did was take baby #1 to the bathroom with me while baby #2 was sleeping. There are many ways to amuse a child while you are showering. Toys, bouncy chairs, and snacks are a few ideas. Unless you are the type who can handle days without a shower, trust me, you will find a way to work this out.
Expect some jealousy from the older child when the new baby comes along. This is perfectly natural. Letting your toddler help with the baby is a great way to bring them close to each other. Another thing I used to do is read and color pictures with my toddler while I was nursing the baby. Little things like that can really make all the difference in the world. Also, a great way to keep harmony in the household is to devote some one on one time to each child in addition to playing as a group. This worked very well for me.
Having children close in age can be a very wonderful experience. Eventually, when they are both toddlers, they will become best friends and will soon find ways to drive you crazy and tear up your home. I wouldn’t have it any other way. There will be those days when you wonder how much more you can take and then, you will look at those two smiling faces, covered in magic marker and realize….. These are the best days of my life.
