How did you adjust from 1 to 2 children

Tell me about the transition from 1 child to 2, how old was your 1st DC and how did they adjust? How did you adjust?

Re: How did you adjust from 1 to 2 children

I found it sooo much easier with dS2. I was use to bring independent and running out on a whim, traveling, etc. I knew I wanted children, but took time to adjust. With DS2 I fell in love faster bc I knew how to bring a child in the world and my life didn't change much more. Just got bigger.

They are 25 months apart. At 4 and 2 they're the best of friends and always have each other to plat with.

Message edited 3/6/2014 9:31:59 PM.

Re: How did you adjust from 1 to 2 children

My boys are 23 months apart. Adjusting to #2 was a breeze since I knew what bringing home & taking care of a newborn would entail & it wasn't such a shock. Going from 0 to #1 was much more difficult for me.

Since day 1, at home, it felt as if the baby had always been a part of the family- he fit right in. My oldest wasn't upset or jealous (as far as I could tell)

Re: How did you adjust from 1 to 2 children

I agree with the above posters. Having my first DS was shocking! My life completely changed. By the time I had DS 2 I knew what I was getting into.

Re: How did you adjust from 1 to 2 children

1 to 2 was actually not so bad for me. My older son had just turned 3 when DS#2 was born. He actually was fine and never showed any acting out or jealously towards his brother. And this is someone with a kind of difficult personality.

I had a way worse time going from none to one. I was miserable. Now I'm going 2 to 3 and I'm really scared and know it won't be easy.

I also fell in love with DS #2 as soon as he was born. It was an instant bond. DS#1 I knew I loved but the bond took awhile. I just cared for him as best I could and cried the rest of time. Ugh so sad to write this but so true for me.

Message edited 3/7/2014 3:03:55 AM.

Re: How did you adjust from 1 to 2 children

My boys are 24 months and 1 week apart, and to be honest with you it was a breeze for me to adjust to 1 and even easier with 2! The only thing that takes some getting used to was being able to get up and go. I would be able to change DS1 diaper, throw his water bottle and a snack in my bag and out we were. Now i have to figure out when DS2 should be fed, bring that damn diaper bag, extra bottles, etc...

Re: How did you adjust from 1 to 2 children

For me, having one was a piece of cake compared to having two. I didn't bat an eye when my DD was born but when my DS came along, it was more of an adjustment for sure.

My DD was 4.5yo when our DS was born which honestly, was a nice age for her to be with him arriving. She really understood what was going on , she was VERY excited to meet her little brother, and she felt a part of everything from doctor appointments to getting his room ready.......she was always included. So when he finally did arrive, she was great with him. There has NEVER been an ounce of jealously with her and she is just so kind and loving with him, always. She is a wonderful big sister.

When he was born, although GREAT with him, our DD did try and test us a little. She knew we were preoccupied so she tried to get away with things she never tried to before and that was a pain in the butt. But as soon as I was feeling better and recovered from my C-section things went back to normal because she knew I was on top of her again.

In terms of the day to day, it's more tiring juggling both. It helps she's in school but when she's home one of them ALWAYS needs something so you feel like you're running a mile minute all day long. It can feel like a long day sometimes. The hardest thing is dividing your time between them as equally as possible. It's a little easier now because our DS is turning 1 but in the beginning, when he needed SO much as a NB, she sometimes had to be a little more independent. She adjusted though, she had to.

Overall, you just figure it out and manage. We pretty quickly fell into a routine and that made it much easier because the kids knew what to expect every day and I was able to better get through the day with the two of them. I was fortunate that I had two great sleepers, both were STTN by 8 weeks, so that was a HUGE help for me. Being exhausted makes everything so much harder so I was happy to have had good sleep at night.

In the end, we all adjusted and adapted because you don't have a choice. Some days are still tiring, even a year in, but honestly..........I don't even remember what it was like to have just one. You get use to your new life very quickly.

You'll be fine, you will figure it all out. Good luck!!

How did you adjust from 1 to 2 children

My biggest struggle was dealing with DS1 once DS2 was born. DS1 is going to be 4 in June and DS2 is 4 months old. DS2 is a great baby (thankfully!) so that made it easier! But DS1 really struggled with the loss of my undivded attention (he adored the baby which was great) and he started acting out toward ME specifically because of it. DH tried to give him more attention because I was EBF the first month.

We're finally getting to a better place but it was really rocky for awhile. I'm just trying to make the time to spend with DS1 one-on-one now.

Also if your first has a routine now (daycare, activities etc) I wouldn't disrupt that too much once the baby comes. It definitely helped keeping DS1 in daycare (we did reduce it while I was on maternity leave though).