![]() If you need support during your pregnancy, either with weaning your toddler or questions about continuing to breastfeed, you can speak to one of our breastfeeding counsellors by calling our helpline on 03. Some decide to stop and some go on to breastfeed throughout pregnancy and then tandem feed, breastfeeding two children of different ages (Flower, 2003). Some mums find out they’re pregnant while still breastfeeding an older baby or toddler. ![]() ![]() And use the time to chat to them about any worries or questions they might have about getting a baby sibling too. ![]() You could also do the things that you two have always loved doing together that aren’t too taxing, such as puzzles. Why not try to plan a special day trip with them (before you get too big to enjoy it). But for a while, there won’t be as much time to dedicate purely to them. There will still be plenty of time for you and your eldest to bond when the baby comes. You could also choose a book over some rough and tumble play, especially in your first trimester. Tips from other parents to reduce flailing limbs include putting a pillow between you and their legs if you’re co-sleeping. But do speak to your midwife if you do feel any discomfort. But try not to let it, as your baby is well-protected in the womb. Toddlers are wriggly and even if they don’t mean to, they may fling a kick at your belly that will send you into a panic. Check first with your midwife whether your older child can come with you to appointments and scans. If they are interested, they may like to hear the baby’s heartbeat or see them wriggling on a scan. With the help of an extra adult, you could take your toddler to some of your antenatal appointments to learn more about your baby. Maybe try getting them a baby doll so they can look after their baby while you look after their sibling. Getting your child a present from the baby may go a long way to starting the bonding process. Whether it’s by giving them a nickname, sticking their stickers all over your bump or blowing raspberries to their new sibling through your belly button, your child will figure out their own way of making you being pregnant less an inconvenience and more of a fun game. They’ll soon start liking the independence anyway. Make it a fun game that they can climb the stairs (with you following closely behind) instead of being carried. When they reach for a cuddle, ask them to climb up onto the sofa and snuggle in with you there rather than you bending down. You could get your child to climb into their car seat rather than you lifting them. If you have any pregnancy conditions that mean heavy lifting is a no-no – or you’re just worried about lifting generally – use practical tips to avoid it. That way, they feel like they are in the loop. If your child is old enough, use those triggers as a way to start conversations about what’s going to be happening. You could also visit friends with babies so they can have a cuddle and practise helping you put on a nappy. You could get down to the library for some books on being a big brother or sister. If your mind is working overtime worrying how your child will deal with this new person in their life, take the lead with it. Then snuggle up in bed with a good book and a hot chocolate and make the most of the time you have to rest a bit more before the baby comes along. If your toddler is still napping, try to lay down and take a nap with them.Īccept it as help instead of criticism when your mother-in-law offers to vacuum the stairs. Doing the two together is very, very tiring. You might be juggling work, a child that wants to do a jigsaw puzzle in the middle of the night and the delights of pregnancy insomnia. You could be feeling anxious that your eldest child will feel abandoned when the baby comes along.Īlternatively, you might just be absolutely exhausted from juggling everything. You might be worried about the safety of carrying a tired two year-old that has become a staunch buggy refuser with a bump. But that doesn’t mean it’s an easy thing to go through. Being pregnant when your eldest child is a toddler has happened to a lot of women as it’s the most common age gap between siblings (WHO, 2005 Schummers et al, 2018).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |