Having Back-to-Back Kids
The following advice can be very helpful for those who have children in a row. Because it was written by a mother in this situation. It also includes advice for those who want and don’t want to have babies in a row.
Back-to-Back Babies
I had my girls back to back. As in, they are 10 1/2 months apart. The craziness is in full flow!!! Whether it’s on purpose or a total surprise (like my second was), it’s nice to have some sort of plan of action. So I’m offering my tips to any other mommies who have (or are having) kids extremely close together! HTH =)
1. Sign up for every diaper company website and baby food company website. They will send you coupons for diapers (trust me you’re gonna need all the help you can get saving money on those!! lol)
2. DON’T be a brand snob!! Infants don’t make big messes, so switch to the store brand of diapers and wipes! It will save you money. I switched to name-brand diapers at about size 3 or 4, depending on the size of the messes at that age.
3. Keep your baby clothes! If you find out you’re pregnant shortly after giving birth, you won’t know what the second baby is for a few months. Keep everything (and keep your fingers crossed that it’s a same-sex pregnancy as the first baby)!
4. If you don’t already do it, sleep when your baby is asleep! You’re pregnant—you’re already fatigued, and having a baby to tend to is tiresome as it is! A few months after baby #2 comes, when you’re starting to develop a routine, try to get your kids on a similar nap schedule, so that you don’t have to try to keep the older one quiet while baby sleeps, or vice versa.
5. Once they’re about 1 and 2, start buying two of every toy!!!! LOL! Otherwise, you will have so many screaming fits and fights because one has a toy that the other wants. (Trust me, you’re still gonna have fought over toys, but with multiples, you can just split the toys up!)
6. Your new baby will be in some type of bassinet for the first few months. At about 4 months you’ll want to move him/her to a crib. If your first is showing signs that he/she knows what naptime and bedtime mean, and he/she listens to you and can somewhat understand the word “no,” you should really think about moving your older child to a toddler bed!
7. If you don’t want another baby immediately after giving birth to your second, make sure to actually use your birth control. LOL.
