‘Surviving’ is pretty much the one word that I would use to explain the first couple months with two under 2. Even after spending my last few months of pregnancy researching the best ways to take care of two babies, I still struggled at times. The thought of being outnumbered with two under 2, who completely depend on me was naturally frightening. Until of course I would look around and see so many other Moms doing it and I thought, why can’t I? To my surprise, it is a lot more manageable than I thought. I’d like to share with you some tips to make those months run much smoother for you!
1. Don’t Make Any Drastic Changes Before Your Newborn Arrives
Keeping things fairly consistent for your first born will help them adapt to the one major change, their new sibling coming soon. For me because my kids are 22 months apart, I was contemplating taking my first born old out of his crib and moving him into a toddler bed before my daughter was born. The main reason for this was I didn’t want to have to buy another crib for such a short amount of time. I was advised not to do this and it was probably the best decision we made. Whether I needed a few more seconds to change the newborn’s diaper before getting my son out of his crib or just the peace of mind that my Toddler will stay in a safe place throughout the night while I hopefully slept a few hours. It was worth getting another crib for the time being.
2. Allow Your Toddler to Become Independent
Slowly start separating yourself from your toddler whenever possible and give him/her the space to learn how to do things on their own. Allow your toddler alone time while playing. You are not going to always be able to play when they want so having them understand this before the baby is born, is better. It will help alleviate any resentment towards the baby for taking mommy away. Preparing your toddler for this major change in their life is equally as important for them as it is for you! For tips on how to prepare your Toddler for their new sibling, click here for a previous article I wrote.
3. Have a Safe Place to Put Either Child While You Take Care of the Other One
You know that Pack n’ Play that was always in the way and you threw it in your attic? Well it’s now time to take it back out! It’s important to always have a safe place to put your child for whatever the reason.
I set ours up in the living room for two reasons. One, our living room is our common place where we are always hanging out. Having something close by is key. I can easily put my newborn in there if I need to leave the room to bring my toddler to the bathroom. Two, my Pack n’ Play also has a changing table attached on top for the newborn. Setting up a changing table with diapers and wipes nearby helps you keep an eye on your toddler. This will help with the multiple diaper changes you will need to do for your newborn.
4. Get a Backpack Diaper Bag
Trust me on this, you will need both hands at all times! Well actually, you will need 10 more hands but certainly you will need the two you already have. Getting a diaper bookbag allowed me to hold my newborn on my hip and hold my toddler’s hand simultaneously which definitely helped with two under 2.
5. Establish a Routine for Both Kids
For the first three months it will pretty much be on demand feeding and sleeping for your newborn. Your toddler however should stick to his or her normal schedule. Now more than ever routines are so important for your toddler. Having a schedule will help alleviate tantrums and help your toddler feel in control by knowing what’s happening next. Once possible, have their routines align. You can find sample schedules here from newborn to toddler.
6. Stock Up On Quick Go-to Snacks for Your Toddler and Easy Meals for Dinner
If your toddler is anything like mine, the moment you sit down to feed your newborn, that is when your toddler will need EVERYTHING! This is why I was grateful for the cabinet we designated for him with all of his snacks. He can help himself to it when he is hungry without disrupting my nursing session. Pre-packaged snacks are key so they can help themselves to an already approved snack.
Stock up on quick go to healthy snacks for your toddler and quick prepped dinners for yourself. The day will fly by and before you know it, its already time for dinner and they wanted it 20 minutes ago. Being prepared ahead of time will certainly help.
7. Lower Your Expectations of What You Aim to Accomplish In A Day… Then Lower It Again
For the first few weeks besides taking care of the kids my “To Do” list really wasn’t even being touched. Honestly as long as the kids were happy, clean and fed I considered myself accomplished. Forget about the rest or just set very basic tasks. Focus on your recovery and spending time with your little ones. You won’t get the quality snuggle time back and will always find time down the road to tackle your to do list.
Taking care of two under 2 can seem intimidating but trust me, YOU GOT THIS!
