Half Pint Mama

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Going from one child to two is an exciting yet challenging transition. You’ve been through the baby stage before, so that part may feel familiar, but adding a second little one brings new dynamics, emotions, and adjustments. For me personally, I felt comfortable with the newborn phase—it was my first baby becoming a toddler that felt like uncharted territory. I wasn’t sure what to expect or how to balance both roles at once. While every family’s experience is unique, here are some things you might expect and a few tips that helped me make the transition smoother.

The Emotional Shift

You might worry about how your firstborn will react or whether you’ll have enough love to go around. Rest assured—your heart expands in ways you never imagined. That said, there may be feelings of guilt, especially when your attention shifts from your first child to a newborn who needs constant care. Acknowledge these feelings, but don’t let them overwhelm you. Your firstborn will adapt, and your love will grow in beautiful ways.

Preparing Your Firstborn

• Talk About the Baby Early: Read books about becoming a sibling and talk about what to expect. Reference the baby and get them excited about becoming a big brother or sister. My little boy would give the baby kisses and hugs on my ever growing bump.
• Involve Them in Preparations: Let them help pick out baby items or set up the nursery. Picking out an outfit or being apart of the nesting process.
• Keep Their Routine as Stable as Possible: One piece of advice I heard repeatedly was to avoid big changes for your firstborn around the time the baby arrives. Because of this, we decided to wait on potty training until after the baby was here. However, one thing I did that wasn’t typically recommended was transitioning my son from a crib to a toddler bed a few months before the baby was born. Thankfully, this worked out just fine for us, with no issues adjusting. I understand the reasoning behind waiting, but for our family, it was the right choice.
• Get Older Sibling a gift from the New Baby: For their first time meeting we had a gift for my older son in the hospital that was from his new sister. We emphasized that the gift was from her because she was so excited that he was her brother. This helped give some attention to our toddler during a time that all eyes were on the new baby!

Managing Time and Attention

• One-on-One Time: Instead of setting dedicated one-on-one time, I let our daily routine naturally create those moments. My youngest typically wakes up earlier than my oldest, so mornings become her special time with me. In the evening, she goes to bed a bit earlier, giving my son his own one-on-one time before his bedtime. Since my youngest also naps more throughout the day, my toddler gets additional individual attention during those naps.
• Incorporate Them into Baby Care: Ask them to bring diapers or throw them away (my son’s favorite thing to do), sing to the baby, or “help” in small ways. My son also loved helping burp his new sister. You can also get them involved in baby’s activities, such as tummy time. I would have my son show my daughter “how to do tummy time”, and he always got such a kick out of this.
• Encourage Independence: Teach your firstborn small tasks they can do on their own to foster confidence.

Handling the Logistics

• Mastering the Art of Baby-Wearing: A baby carrier allows you to tend to your toddler while keeping the baby close. I am one of those people who absolutely adore baby wearing.
  • Here are my favorites…
    • Solly Baby (wrap-great for newborn stage)
    • Konny Baby (mesh-great for hot weather and lightweight)
    • Sakura Bloom (most versatile, can wear on chest or back)
    • Infantino Carrier (most affordable)
• Using a Toddler Tower: If you are anything like me and spend a lot of time in the kitchen, using a toddler tower can be a life saver.
  • I wrote a blog post about which tower we have and why we love it!
  • Toddler Tower Link
• Adjusting to bath time: With my first we did sink baths until he outgrew them but I quickly realized that separate baths with 2 kids was not going to work. It was too time consuming and I felt like I needed to duplicate myself. We used a bath support that gave my youngest a safe space to lay down while my toddler sat next to her in the bath. I was able to tackle both bath simultaneously and it made bedtime routine smoother.
  • Bath support we love!
  • This is what we used once she could sit up on her own!
• Meal Prepping: Have easy meals ready! I was so grateful for my overly ambitious nesting phase, which led me to fill our freezer with prepped meals—it was a lifesaver!
• Adjusting Your Daily Routine: Be flexible, but try to maintain consistency with naps, meals, and bedtime. For example, I’m usually pretty strict about my toddler’s screen time, but during the newborn stage—when I felt like I was constantly breastfeeding—I relaxed that rule a bit.

Accepting the Chaos

Things won’t always go smoothly, and that’s okay. Some days will be overwhelming, and that’s normal. Give yourself grace and remember that everything comes in seasons.

Transitioning from one child to two is an adjustment, but it’s also a rewarding journey. The sibling bond that forms will make the challenges worth it, and in time, you’ll find your new rhythm. You got this mama!