AW- another Sept baby!

[junewife]

Hi ladies! I've been pretty quiet on this board for the past month or two but wanted to share that my S13 DS became a big brother last week to my S15 DS2. He is absolutely smitten with "his" baby and they look so much alike it's crazy.

Kind of a traumatic labor/delivery but everyone is healthy and doing well at home.

I'd love advice from BTDT moms on how to best help DS1 with the transition!

[lilqt3929]

Hi! I'm glad you came to update us all . Congratulations!!!

[sugarkissed]

Yay, congratulations!!

Glad to hear that DS1 is loving his brother! The transition was a tough one for us, and I don't really know what we could have done differently. DD1 just needed time to get used to being a big sister and now everything is great!

[Deleted]

Congrats!

[carli]

Congratulations!

[Unknown]

Glad everybody is doing well. Congratulations!!!!!

[fiveohfive]

Congratulations junewife! Sorry to hear your delivery was a rough one.

Play dough with cookie cutters and paint with water books helped us a lot in the first few weeks. I would sit DD2 in her high chair and bring out the "crafts" when I needed to nurse or rock the baby. It's definitely a big transition, but the more you involve your oldest the more they seem to like the baby.

Eta timing nursing with breakfast/snacks etc also helped since two year olds don't want your help anyways most the time

[redfraggle]

Congratulations! I'm sorry it was a traumatic situation, but I'm so glad everyone is doing well!

Mine are about 2 years apart. I found it really helpful to read some books about having a new baby in the household (just asked the children's librarian for recs.), keeping snacks and lunch ready for DS so I could get him eating around normal times even if I was nursing, making sure DS had a personal space he could go when he needed baby-free time, and asking DS to help with some baby care like putting PJs in the hamper. I also made a big point to spend at least 5 minutes of uninterrupted time with him a day, which meant that sometimes I told DD to wait while I played with DS, even though she didn't have any idea what I was saying at the time.

[joi922]

Congratulations!!

For us, we really played up how DS was a big brother now. Like redfraggle we got 2 books about being a big brother and read them right before and right after DD was born. And we talked about how he was a big boy and could help with the baby. He's clearly really proud when he brings her pacifier or tells me baby is crying and needs to eat, etc.

All that helped to an extent, but we still need to make sure to carve out 1 on 1 time with him every day. Otherwise he starts acting out more, probably because of jealousy but also a bit from boredom since we're stuck inside taking care of DD so much. It really hasn't been too bad a transition over all.

[salemkitty]

Congratulations on your new LO!! Sorry to hear your labor and delivery were traumatic but iamglad you are all well now.

[mommabakes]

Congrats!!!