24 WEEKS!! Just 16 weeks to go… okay, that still feels like it is way too far away! Can it just be Christmastime already?! Patience isn’t one of my strengths.
Let’s talk about a few baby things going on this week:
*The belly band use/love/need has begun!!! I am using this one and so far so good (I still love the one I had with Brooke the most but they stopped selling it)!! I mean it isn’t fun to add one more thing to the list of what I need to run each day (I feel so high maintenance ha) but it is so worth it to not feel any pain in my ligaments!
I use the belly band to help with the round ligament pain that can happen in the second trimester and it always really helps me!
*We are starting to get a few things for the baby!! We just got an amazing carrier from Boba. I can’t wait to start using it and Brooke got her own miniature version:) She has been carrying her little baby doll all over the place in her carrier!
*The baby now weighs around 1 1/3 lbs!!! She is also almost a foot long… AHHHH that makes me excited!
*I’ve been reading about how the baby can hear our voices now which makes me so happy. I’m positive that Brooke recognized my voice right away from the beginning! I love thinking about how they are learning already what we sound like (I have a really high voice so I’m hoping she is okay with that;).
*I hit 40.8 miles of running last week! 7.3 of those miles were at a trail race and I seriously loved running on dirt again! Why do I keep doing races while pregnant? I love being a part of the running community and the excitement of race day. I’ve got a few more that I have my eye on over the next few months too!
*The heartburn made a grand appearance into my life again earlier this week so that was really fun:) I’ve also had some waves of nausea again but it is nothing compared to the first trimester so I’m not complaining.
*I started to have a little bit of lower back pain… not bad but it usually shows up mostly in the mornings right when I wake up so I’m guessing it must have to do with how I am sleeping. I have the snoogle pillow… anything else that can help with this?
*I finally got around to finding maternity pants (I was sick of wearing the same three dresses on repeat haha)… I found THESE at H&M and I’m in love. They aren’t expensive, they are so comfortable and I think they are really cute too! I also got these long tanks to go under my tops and I’m loving them!
*What sounds good this week? To be honest, I’m not really sure (other than fruit). Fruit is always on my brain but other than that there have been a few things that have sounded good like fries, pancakes (obviously), cereal and milk. There are a lot of things that don’t sound good but once I start eating them they taste good (it’s not like the aversions that happened in the first trimester).
*One night I woke up to use the restroom and as soon as I got back in bed she started kicking like CRAZY so I got in a good amount of time reading in bed. I could not sleep through those kicks ha!
*I ate chocolate (Brooke’s bday cake this last Sunday) and I didn’t hate it like I would have the previous six months. It tasted somewhat good too. It’s a miracle.
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I would LOVE to hear your experience with this subject today (like always:)!
How do we prepare these two cuties of ours for a new baby in our home? The kids are very thrilled for this little girl that will be joining us soon, but I want to know if there are any things that you have done to help the older kids with the transition of having a new sibling. Brooke still has quite a lot of one-on-one time with me (not as much as before I met Andrew… but still a lot) so I wonder how this is going to effect her because there won’t be as much one-on-one time with her. I think Knox will adjust a bit easier because he is all about the MORE THE MERRIER and he loves big groups of people but we will see!
A few things we have been thinking about doing to help them with the transition:
*Something that we have done to help prepare the kids is talking about their roles about being a bigger brother or sister. I always asked them who is going to change the baby’s poopy diapers and Knox and Brooke look at each other and say, “ DADA!!!!” I think I’m going to have to agree with the kids on this one:)
*We have told them countless stories of things that our older brothers and sisters did for us when we were kids to also get them more excited.
*We talk to them a lot about their baby stories and all of the different things we did for them (feeding, bathing, rocking etc) and ask them what parts they want to be a part of.
*Something we have thought about doing is when it gets closer to having our baby we are going to each take our kids on some special dates for some one on one time. We know that it can be a whirlwind when labor starts and all the events in the hospital to the transition back to home with another human…. I get so excited when I think about it more and more. We also really want to make sure to plan special alone time with each kid after the baby is here.
*I’ve heard about some friends buying little presents for the older siblings to give to them a day or so after the baby is born. So that it is like the baby is giving the older siblings a present. Anyone try this? Any other ideas like this that you think helped?
I am ridiculously excited for some more family photos together once the baby is here!
Oh and in case you are wondering about Beretta… Andrew had Beretta before Knox was born and she did really well when he came home from the hospital. Maybe we will give her an extra dog treat each day to help her with the adjustment of having another little one taking up our time;)
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Those of you with a few kids… how did you prepare the older ones for a new little one coming home?
Anyone with dogs that brought a baby home… how did your dog react?
Maternity clothes—> what were some of your favorite places to shop?
Who is expecting right now… how far along are you?!
65 comments
Hollie
Even though I’m not a mom or pregnant, I do enjoy reading your pregnancy posts. I cannot believe how fast it’s been going. Although like you, patience is not a virtue I have either.
Second, those photos are amazing and I cannot wait to see more family photos.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh thank you Hollie! You are the sweetest! Hopefully, the next 16 weeks cruises by! I hope you are having an amazing day girl!
Alyssa
You know I don’t have kids but one of my good friends did the present thing when they brought home their second baby. But they made the present a gift from the baby to the older sibling, so it would create harmony between the siblings. Seemed to work pretty well! With how well the kids seemed to adjust to each other I have no doubt they’ll be awesome with the new baby! Soooo excited for all of you!! Xoxoxo
The Hungry Runner Girl
I seriously think it is such a fun idea and our kids will love it (TOYS ARE LIFE TO THEM)! Thank you Alyssa and I’m so excited for your MBA future:) You are amazing!
Alyssa
Thank you, friend! You’re so sweet :)
Bethany @LuluRuns
Funny story: I checked on your HRG baby page about 10 times yesterday, thinking it was Wednesday. I’ve got the #mombrain in full force over here ;) I’m currently not expecting, but I love reading about your pregnancy! Makes me have baby fever ;)
The Hungry Runner Girl
HAHAH okay, that makes me SO happy Bethany:) Thank you for checking in and mom brain is a real thing… it’s science! I hope you are having a beautiful day!
Anna
I am 28 weeks on Friday with my first baby girl!! Love reading your pregnancy posts- such a fun time!
The Hungry Runner Girl
AHHHH ANNA!!! I am so so excited for you:) Congrats! Will you please keep me updated with how you are doing!
Katie
I have only have twin boys and they are my first but a good friend has 3 kids close in age and she always makes sure to talk to the baby aloud like “you need to wait one minute while I help Brooke and Knox”! So even though the baby doesn’t understand the kids hear you and know that the baby is sharing attention as well! It seems to really work for her kids. Even when she is holding the baby she will say “okay baby and I need to go help Brooke with …. this is something we all can do together!”
I’m sure it will all go great! I love reading these updates I look forward to them all week! That baby carrier Brooke has is adorable!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Katie, I LOVE THIS IDEA. What an amazing way to help kids to adjust and see that we are all doing this together and everyone is getting attention. Thank you for sharing Katie, we will definitely incorporate this idea. I hope you have a great week with your twin boys!
Kathy
Never heard of that…but how cute and great idea!
Katrina
I had my oldest pick out a gift for the baby and vice versa. I took my oldest to build a bear and he did a voice recording to put in the bear with a message to his baby brother – I still love listening to it 12 years later and his sweet little voice melts my heart. 12 years later it isn’t as sweet as the tell more!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
I read this to Andrew and we are totally going to do this build a bear idea, we will put a little voice recording in each of the bear hands (one for Knox and one for Brooke:). Thank you for such a great idea that we will all love:) I hope you have an awesome day Katrina!
Joana
I’m 27 weeks with our first baby boy! So far loving it!
Love to read your posts too…
My mum gave me a baby doll when my sister was born so I had to take care of my baby as well :)
The Hungry Runner Girl
CONGRATS JOANA!!! I am so so excited for you. I hope you are feeling well and I love what your mum did. Such a great idea, Brooke especially will love that!
Martha
So excited for you guys! My kids are grown, with kids of their own! When we had each child after the first, we didn’t refer to the newest member as “the baby”, but their name. I think that helped set the tone for the older kids to realize they were just as important as the newest one, and kept them individual at the same time.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh I love that Martha… thank you! Such a great idea and I think that using the baby’s name will really help Knox and Brooke to remember they are ALL so important:) Thank you for sharing, I really appreciate this Martha and I hope you are having a great week so far.
Katie
The hospital we delivered at offered a “Big Sibling Class” where the kids got to learn all about babies…how to change a diaper, feed a baby, what toys are good for babies and just what to expect once the baby came home. It was wonderful and my 5 year old stepson learned a ton and was so excited to teach everyone else. At the hospital when the grandparents arrived his first words were, “you have to wash your hands and then ask Dad and Katie if it’s okay to touch Sebastian.” I’m so happy for you and your impending arrival!
The Hungry Runner Girl
A Big Sibling Class… that is AWESOME! I am going to see if they have any in our area. Thank you for sharing and that is awesome that the class was able to help your stepson so much, I hope I can find one! Thanks Katie!
Monica
Ahhh! It was SO MUCH fun watching my oldest daughter (Tessa) become a big sister when our second daughter (Abby) was born! She was younger than your kiddos (2 1/2) but some of the things we did that seemed to help SO much were:
1. Asking people to greet her before bee lining for the baby. This way Tessa was the one getting to show her favorite people “her baby.” It was beyond precious- she was so proud and excited ❤️
2. When Tessa came to see me in the delivery room after Abby was born, I had the midwife hold Abby so that when Tess walked in, it was just me and my husband with her on the bed at first and then the midwife brought Abby over to join us.
3. As much as possible, we gave Tessa “free access” to Abby in the early days….even if it meant extra work for us, if it was in any way feasible for Tessa to hold her when she asked, we let her. I let her snuggle with me while I nursed, burp Abby whenever she wanted, kiss/hold/touch her and tried my best to avoid the “Careful! Watch! No no!” talk as much as possible. It really seemed to strengthen their bond and was totally worth all of the “Oh my goodness, I don’t want to get her out of the bassinet one more time!!!” The suuuuuper fascination and constant holding was pretty much over by the time Abby was out of the newborn sleep-through-anything phase so that worked out well ?
Best wishes to you guys! It will make your heart explode a million times to see your babies hold your baby ❤️?❤️ Our girls are inseparable now at 4 and two and seeing them together is one of my favorite things!
The Hungry Runner Girl
YOUR THREE TIPS WERE AMAZING. Seriously, I just kept shaking my head ‘yes’ as I read through each one. These are all so helpful for our family… I love the idea of having people come to Knox and Brooke first before the baby so they see how excited others are to see them too! The ‘free access’ is perfect too and I love the idea of having someone bring the baby to us all on the hospital bed when they first meet her. Thank you for taking the time to comment and share this with me, all of these tips are exactly what we were looking for. I am so happy that your girls are so close! Sisters are the best!
Suzy
Your baby is so big already! I love it! So exciting. All the kicks are the BEST.
Soooooo. ha ha ha ha… well, YOU know that I’ve pretty much been in labour for 2 weeks straight now, (HA!) so I have already given Callum his present from the baby! Because he’s had to go to his grandparents house so many times, thinking that his baby brother was coming that day. He is SO EXCITED about his baby brother, and I couldn’t BEAR to disappoint him anymore, so I handed over his little gifts (one was a pink fidget spinner and the other one was a Paw Patrol garbage truck) and now I have to quickly get him something else before I have the baby for real!!!! I’ll probably just end up grabbing him some Oreos from the pantry on my way to the hospital…
Jenny Albertson
My mom bought the older kids a small present and then they got to have some special time with my parents while I was having my youngest. They got to go to the store and pick out the baby’s coming home outfit and stuff like that.
Katie
Hey Janae! When I was 2.5, my sister was born. My parents gave me a baby doll when I visited Mom+Sis at the hospital so that I had something to “care for” on my own. I still have the doll to this day and it reminds me of the happy time in my family! I wonder if something similar might be helpful with Brooke & Knox? I know they’re older (and Knox might not prefer a baby of his own…) but I hope this is helpful!
Leigh
I’m definitely a fan of the present idea. I took my two year old shopping so he could choose a present to give to baby and he helped me wrap it (and unwrap it, then rewrap it) and I told him when the baby was born he could give it too the baby but because the baby would be too little he might have to be a helpful big brother and help him open it. Seriously, this was the best ever. He was so excited by this and my mum said when she brought him to the hospital he held the present so carefully, didn’t try open it or anything and was super excited to meet the baby and give him the present. Makes me feel emotional thinking about it actually. He made me so proud that day. But after he gave the baby his present I told him the baby had a present to give him too so then he got his own special present from the baby and he just loved it. And for ages after wheneverhe played with his train he would say this is from baby brother, or baby brother got this for me. Also I read a book called coping with two and it has amazing tips for helping the transition with a new baby and has tips for if the older child is a toddler or if the child is older like 4-7 or something. Highly highly recommend!!
Love following your pregnancy updates!
Emily
To prep my kids for the arrival of siblings, we tried to create a new kids identity each time. When the second was born, we did the Build a Bear present for your baby and extra outings. When we went from 2 boys to 4 (thanks twins!), we called them the Avengers. We got bears in each one, we assigned each kid a color for their things (the older two got to pick for themselves and the twins) and we talked about how they would be the four boys forever. We have them an identity of kiddos instead of how they were a part of the relationship between my husband and me. They are absolutely crazy about their brothers and had very little difficulty in the transition. So much love for you and your little(ish) family!
Mary Lynne
I only have fur babies, ;) so for Beretta: Andrew can bring home a blanket the baby was wrapped in so she gets to know your baby’s scent before coming home. I was a NICU nurse and a lot of families did this to prepare their pups.
Have a good night!
Mary Lynne
The Hungry Runner Girl
GREAT IDEA Mary Lynne… thank you for sharing that. We are totally going to do this. Thank you for taking the time to share this with me, I really appreciate it!
Angie
We definitely did the present thing. My oldest picked out a jellycat brand stuffed animal (so soft) and Aden and Anais lovies that my oldest still uses. The baby gave him a kids go pro camera so he could take pictures and videos. It cheered him up because he was nervous when he first came to the hospital and it was a nice distraction. Of course, one on one time with the older kids is important. Sometimes it was just grocery shopping alone like we used too.
Kristin
I can’t speak for what works preparing kids for siblings… we’ve done it twice already but I don’t think we did anything “special” because our kids met their next sibling right at their second birthdays. Our oldest was able to take a big sister class at the hospital just before she turned 2; they phased out two year olds when our son was learning about being a big brother. All three kids (just turned 6, 4, and 2) will take one at the hospital together in the next couple of months.
In our family the baby gives his/her siblings a little something at the hospital when they meet for the first time. The siblings also spend time picking out a special lovey or something to bring the baby when they meet. That is always a highlight!
Sarah
I had my third three weeks ago so I am totally an expert on these topics ;) (not!)
I will share that I totally planned to get my 2 and 4 year old presents from the baby…and totally forgot! However, my big two kids got lots of presents from friends and family! The majority of people who got us a baby gift also sent some type of big brother gift for the older two so they did not miss out at all on gifts. We actually have had to hide a few gifts because we got to the point each day that my four year old would ask for his present each time the mail came ?
My kids have surprised me and not had any jealously issues yet but I will say that I make sure to tell the baby, “Your big brother needs me right now so you need to wait….” and both of my older kids get a proud little look on their face each time I do it so I know it makes them feel special.
The fact that you have all these concerns shows that oh will be a great and conscientious mom of three!
Bo
This may sound ridiculous, but Daniel Tiger has some great episodes about becoming a big brother. My kids are only two years apart so my eldest was still really little when number two came around but I remember sitting with him watching those episodes. He was into them and sort of got it and we really had no issues transitioning. I think it also helped that my husband was home for the summer (he’s a teacher) so my son still got a ton of one on one even if it wasn’t with me.
A side note, I wanted to get him a big brother book, but they all emphasize how a big kid can help including helping with feeding. I did not want my 2 year old to think it was a great idea to help feed an infant especially since I knew I would nurse. I could just picture walking into a room with my son shoving his sippy cup into my daughter’s face.
But seriously. Daniel Tiger I think season 4 on Amazon?
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you thank you thank you x a million. The kids love Daniel Tiger… they will LOVE these episodes. Thank you so much for sharing this with us… we will be using this idea!
Joy
We brought home our baby right before my oldest started kindergarten. It was nice because I was able to get some alone time with the baby (and nap!) while he was at school. I called him brother a lot and talked about what a good big brother he was. I let him help me with little things like getting a diaper, picking out outfits, making sure he was ok in the swing/bouncer/crib. I made sure he knew that he was not allowed to put anything in the crib because I am deathly afraid of suffocation. I also made sure he knew that he couldn’t pick up the baby and he needed to let me know if he wanted to hold his brother. Anytime he asked I would let him. Oh and also that his baby brother only needed milk that came from mommy for food and that he didn’t feed baby brother anything (unless it was a bottle). I tried to give my older one his own time at bedtime with just me so we could still have some time without baby brother. We talked about how much his baby brother loves him but as a baby he can’t show it yet. We talked a lot about how babies cry a lot because they don’t know how to talk. We read books geared to help them understand that the baby won’t be ready to play for a while and goes through stages before they can play (“I’m a Big Brother!” would be good for Knox). Your kids are at a great age where they understand a lot and can be very helpful. They can also (mostly) communicate their feelings which is helpful. I know it’s really scary to think about but they will be awesome older siblings. Just take it one day at a time :).
Jenny
I am! 30 weeks with my second. My son is really excited (he’s 3) but I can’t help but think he will be a bit disappointed?! I’m going to think it’s great watching her sleep- but I think he’ll be unimpressed haha! I am a bit worried about the initial transition, especially recovering from surgery. But he’s always so chill I think it’ll all work out :)
I have a question about post partum bands. I’ve seen them online and at Target. I dont think I even knew they existed a few years ago but am considering whether I should buy one. I don’t expect them to change my body- but do they help with diastasis recti? Do they just make you feel more comfortable, running or otherwise? (Saying “just” seems wrong- that’s a big deal to feel comfortable after having a baby)
Anyway, don’t know whether you used one, but figured many of the people reading this are moms and may have input :)
Jessica
39 weeks, 4 days over here! So excited for our girl to get here; the anticipation is driving me nuts!
I had great luck with maternity clothes from Pink Blush; I love wrap dresses, and a lot of their maternity wear works for nursing too, which is great. They also always have great discount codes, and their stuff is very reasonably priced. I also did really well with old navy for basic tanks, tees, workout tops, etc.
Susan
I’m a mom to two kiddos, but they are only 15 months apart so we didn’t do a ton to prepare our oldest for sisters arrival. However, we had our son give a present to the dog! She was a nervous pup but she loved her toys so we thought it would be a good way to introduce the two of them for the first time. We also brought his blanket home a day early so she could get his scent, which was great too. My dog and son were inseparable. Not sure if either idea helped out of they were bound to be fast friends, but thought I would share!
Sara
Seems to crazy its been 6 months already! I couldn’t believe today when I checked my little preggo app and saw it’s been 24 weeks! I can’t help with tips for preparing the kids, I have an almost 2 year old at home and she definitely doesn’t get it….but I’m looking forward to what people have to say on here! Our food like list is pretty much identical right now (thank you for adding grilled cheese into my life…mmmm…). I’ve been on a serious chex kick! They have tons of good flavors now and they’re a very packable snack. I’m definitely going to check out those jeans! I’m starting to think ahead to fall and need some jeans for sure. Size wise, did they run pretty true to size?
Amanda
You are so attentive and thoughtful! I think it’s so great how you and your family are coming together for the new baby. You’re an amazing Mama!
Hugs,
Amanda
Loribeth
I bet Beretta will do fine with a new baby. She will probably be protective of the baby even. And our friend just had a baby and their 2 1/2 year old is doing really well. It actually spurred on potty training because he wants to be the “big brother”. He doesn’t quite understand that the baby can’t play with him yet, but Brooke and Knox are older so that will probably be a bit easier to explain. The photos of them are so cute!
Lora
I think I made it through my entire pregnancy only buying a few Gap Maternity leggings. I always wore PIKO tops and dresses because they are super loose and flowy and comfy, so I could wear my same pre-pregnancy size. Plus I already was wearing them before I got pregnant and knew I’d wear them after, so it was a money saver!
Melissa
When my second and third children were born, I did get the older child(ren) presents from their new baby. I got them something they really wanted, something fun to play with, so that they would be really excited about the gift. I just thought it might help create good feelings and help the bond between them. I would also suggest trying to get in some good one on one time with each child daily, if possible. Let them choose what they would like to do with you (play outside, paint nails, snuggle). I also found that sometimes my older kids regressed and started acting like babies. My oldest was almost 5 when I had my second child, so I was a bit surprised to see him rolling on the floor, crying for a bottle and talking in a baby voice. I was completely unprepared as to how to deal with that, and I don’t remember what I did, but in retrospect I’m sure that’s pretty normal too. It’s all big changes and everyone needs time to adjust, and we’re not all going to adjust perfectly every time. You and Andrew make a great team, so I’m sure you guys will help the kids and Beretta adjust in a very loving way.
Jade
I totally forgot about the regression! My daughter wanted to get in the baby’s rock n play. I let her, rocked her, called her my baby and it seemed to meet that need! That phase didn’t last long.
Jade
My oldest was 2 when the baby was born. It is so hard to have my relationship with her change. I love my family the way it is now but I miss the way it was too. We are all adjusting and learning as we go. The first couple months were hard but we are hitting our stride now. I guess what I’m saying is give it time. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to have a perfect family life right off the bat. Things will be tough even as everyone is so excited and happy to welcome a new human into the household. But then it gets better than ever :)
Kathy
Alert: Funny stories from the older mom…..
I remember my two older girls being 6 and 4 when their brother was born….after the first few days they both kind of looked at my hubby and I and said something like, “He is so boring, he doesn’t do anything” and then they would go off and play. HA! No issues with that……
The other bad mom moment was when first daughter was 2 and 3 months when her sister was born. When the baby was about 2 weeks old I MISTAKENLY wrapped the babe in BIG SISTERS blanket and set her in the bouncy chair…now, this was 18 years ago mind you…..need less to say I went into the kitchen and immediately heard a thump. When I went to look my babe had been flipped out of the bouncy and there stood BIG SIS ~ very proud like ~ holding HER blanket!!
YES, I about DIED!!! Thinking of course, I would turn the babe over and she wouldn’t be breathing or something but, no…..every thing was fine!! WHEW! NEVER MADE THE BLANKET MISTAKE AGAIN! (Although, now that I think about it that baby (who was tossed to the ground aka fell) tends to trip and fall a lot…….we have been known to call her clumsy now and then….hmmmm, wonder if that is related??? hahaha!
Jess
My daughter was close to 3 when baby two arrived. We did a couple of things:
– When my daughter came to the hospital to meet her baby brother, we had him in the little bassinet beside the bed. That way, her first site walking into the room wasn’t of her mom and dad holding the baby – i.e. her role in our previous family of three. It also made for some really cute pictures – her peering into the bassinet to look at her brother with her mouth wide in awe
– We did the gift thing – while pregnant, my daughter picked out a couple small things for when the baby arrived – 1.5 years later, she can still pick out what gifts she gave him (and what gifts he ‘gave’ her)
– Once he was born, I did this thing where I made sure I was asking him to ‘wait’ to. Since nursing/diapers, etc can take a lot of time and I was constantly telling my daughter ‘just a second, I just have to x, y,z’, I started to say stuff like ‘Sorry baby, I’m just playing with your sister right now, you’ll just have to wait a few minutes and then I’ll change your diaper’. Made her feel like she wasn’t the only one having to wait for mom.
Michele at Everyday Snapshot
I think with other kids, it’s just super important to let them help (if possible) with the baby but also as you mentioned, make sure they still get one on one time with you/Andrew. Even if it’s short. Doesn’t even have to be a whole planned outing. Just maybe 10 solid minutes of your undivided attention while the baby is napping, or just content…to talk, color, snuggle, play, puzzles….whatever. Just a few minutes of solid lone time with them whenever possible. We had 2 dogs when we brought our daughter home. We kept her up high for a few weeks or in the bassinet. Just let the dogs smell her blankets and toes. After the first day they kind of thought she was no big deal anymore. Took many weeks for them to get used to the crying, since prior to that there was no kids, so crying was new. Once she crawled we just had to be a little careful because the dogs wanted her to ‘play’ but after she started pulling fur, they no longer wanted to play anyway. lol You guys sound like you have such a loving family, and always putting those kiddos first, I think it will all blend and mesh very well.
Mrs. B
How exciting! 24 weeks pregnant is like a dream! The 2nd trimester is a breeze in my opinion! :)
I have a 3.5 month old and already have baby fever. I think I have lost my mind! We are going to wait until next year to start trying again to give my body a break and to loose some extra lbs! :)
Food aversions are such a funny thing. The first trimester. I lived on tamales (for breakfast) and those dinosaur chicken nuggets. It was all I could eat without getting sick. I was so happy in the second trimester when all of a sudden I wanted all the fruit!
Mrs. B
OH! Forget this part. Look at ASOS for maternity clothes. SOOO cute and well priced. The shipping/returns are super painless as well.
Ashley
I have three girls and with each new baby I noticed that it is not right away that the older ones struggle but a few weeks/months after the initial excitement has worn off. That is when we make sure to take them on dates and spend extra time with them. And our chocolate lab has been through all three new babies and is totally unfazed by it. ?
Amanda
We did the gift when we had our daughter, our son was almost 3 and it was nice to give him so he had something to keep him busy in the hospital as well.
Carrie
I had my mother in law give my 3 year old (who will turn 10 in on 9/5!!!) a baby doll when my youngest was born. When I took care of the baby she would play along and do the same thing even if that was nursing. It helped and then she got bored with it. Celia loved and still loves her younger sibling. She was sort of oblivious at age 3 to what I needed to do with the baby and even oblivious if I was distracted with the baby. I honestly had times where the baby was screaming (as she did 24/7 for over a year) and Celia handed me dolls to play with her and she would just do the voices with me. That is just how she worked. One thing that we did change a month before Audrey was born was the bed time routine. Newborns infamously need extra care at night and I had been doing the bedtime routine primarily by myself per Celia’s request. We knew this would change when the baby came and my husband slowly took over and that made it easy.
We also involved Celia in almost all appointments but we used a Midwife facility in which that was highly encouraged. They let her work the doppler and really kept her informed at her age level. They were amazing.
Julie
1 on 1 time is key, even if it means splitting up sometimes so that everyone gets their needs met. Also – I think that it’s extremely important to let the kids share mixed feelings about having a new baby in the family without judging them, even if they say things that are hard for you to hear (e.g. I would encourage you to be okay with them saying they’re not getting as much attention, or that they are mad at the baby). You can then validate these feelings, while still putting emphasis on the good that the baby brings, and reminding them that they’ll adjust and feel better with time. Allowing them to express how they feel even if it’s hard for you to hear sets up healthy habits of you being okay with them telling you all kinds of stuff later in life. It also gives them space to have all of their feelings without worrying about upsetting you. A phrase that worked extremely well for my family which we said OVER AND OVER when the older kids were upset about the new baby was “it’s very hard to share your mom/dad.” Acknowledging this aloud was helpful for all of us. Good luck – adorable family!
Tracy
My kids are all teens & 20’s now. I remember bringing home #3 Vincent. Older sister Sophia 5 took it in stride. But Olivia was just 2 and when my mother-in-law asked how much she loved having her baby brother at home she said “I don’t need that baby, and I don’t want that baby”! *She’s actually very sweet, I promise. They’ve pretty much been best buddies since she got used to him and now even eat lunch together with their friends at high school. Just do what feels right, extra attention when you can – it’s an adjustment but nothing to stress about. You are a wonderful mom, beautiful family!
liz
One other idea is to have a few pictures of your older kids taped up in the hospital. When they come to meet their new sibling for the first time, they’ll see pictures of themselves. We explained to our daughter that we did this so that her younger sister could get to know her right away, and I think she enjoyed seeing herself in a prominent position there.
Jill
This was ages ago :) but my parents gave me a present when my little brother was born. I was 5 and was REALLY into horses, so they got me a horse play set as a present from my little brother (the horse had a magnet on its mouth and came with a bucket and apples and carrots that were magnetic so it could pick them up… funny the details you remember from childhood ;) ). I LOVED that thing and I remember it made me feel really special. I don’t have kids yet in life, so I can’t offer much other advice, but hopefully that helps :)
Lindsay
My favorite Maternity clothes were from H&M, Old Navy and Gap. I also got some really cute tops from Old Navy for nursing that I wore even after I finished breastfeeding.
A
I’ve been wanting to try H&M maternity stuff but wasn’t sure about sizing, since my size is so different at that store already. Did you get the same size you normally do at H&M?
ErikaMC
My son was 4 when I was pregnant with our daughter. Our hospital held a sibling class so I took him to that and he loved it. It was a really good class that covered a lot of things and they also gave a tour of the hospital so he’d know where I’d be and made the whole thing less scary. After the baby was born I had a sticker chart that he could earn sticker for things like helping me carrying things because my hands were full, getting me a diaper or something else for the baby, giving one of his old toys/books/blankets to the baby, helped around the house, helped soothe the baby when she was crying, etc. He was all about it and always looked for ways to help out and once the chart was full he got to pick an activity to do. We had a gift waiting for him at the hospital from his sister and he also got her one – it’s been over a year now and they are both still each others favorite things. Really though I think the best thing to do is just talk about it – kids can handle a lot more than we give them credit for sometimes :)
Kathy
When I was pregnant, I was working so I loved Ann Taylor Loft. I swear, there is almost always a 40% off coupon. Also, Gap maternity shirts were gold (how do they stretch like that?!). Athleta had some yoga pants that were not see through, stayed up, and stretched to 40 weeks. Bless them all.
Maggie Dee
I rarely comment, but I love these posts and am so happy for your family and the new little sister on the way! I’m not a mum yet, but my brother and his wife had their first kid 8 weeks ago and I’ve LOVED being an auntie! Babysitting the little guy and wearing him in the wrap while I do errands makes me so excited to have my own little ones. :)
As for the gifts for older siblings, my parents actually did it the other way around with us! I remember when my brother and sister were born (I’m the oldest), my dad would take me to the store on the way to the hospital to meet the new baby, and he’d let me pick out a toy or rattle or some small present for the baby. I was always excited because I loved babies and wanted more siblings, but getting to give the new baby a present made me even more excited! I’m sure Brooke and Knox (and Beretta) will do great with their new sister!
Erin
Currently 7.5 weeks with my second! My son will be just under two when this one is born, and I’m already thinking about how he’ll react to having another baby in the house.
Gemma
My daughter was 2 when my son was born, he “gave” her a jellycat dinosaur that was wrapped up in his bassinet when she arrived. We also did the same as some others have mentioned so that he was in the bassinet and my daughter could have a big cuddle with me rather than me holding him when she arrived.
He also “gave” her some activity presents like colouring books, little games etc so that she would have something to play with while I was in hospital and also in those first weeks at home when I was breastfeeding.
wow thinking about this special moment just brought tears to my eyes haha. I’m 12 weeks pregnant with my third though so maybe it’s just the hormones.
While I was pregnant I read my daughter a lot of books about being a big sister, my favourite was “there’s a house inside my mummy”.
Good luck, such a special time introducing siblings.
Rebecca
Life with two (or three) is hard in the beginning, everyone wants something and sometimes there aren’t enough hands to get everyone what they want when they want it (oy). I had always noticed that my friends (upon having their second) felt guilty for always saying “hold on the baby needs me” to their firstborn so when we had our second we decided to try something different. Of course the baby had to take priority more often than not BUT we also made sure to let our daughter hear us tell her baby brother “Sorry love you have to wait a minute, you sister needs my help”
We had minimal behaviors (jealousy, frustration) from her after we had him and I think her knowing that she wasn’t always second fiddle helped with that :)