Child Routine: The early age 0 to 3 months
Knowing how to take care of a baby from 0 to 3 months and a child at the same time is a big challenge! Here are some tips for changing diapers and drinking.
We often talk about the importance of preparing your child for the arrival of a new baby. However, I believe that despite all our good intentions and all our efforts, the child will still suffer a shock and he will have to adapt. In fact, it's simple, we wonder ourselves how the coming of a second child will change our lives and we do not know it as long as it happened. So how can we expect our child to know him?
An adaptation for everyone
It is only when the baby arrives that you, your spouse and your child will discover what has changed and must change. Since humans are very adaptable, you will certainly be able to cope with all these changes. It takes a little time and all the elements will be placed to recreate a new family dynamic, at four this time. You will soon realize that at 4, it is harmony. With one child, we would always like mom and dad to take care of each other as much as the child. With two children, the problem is solved since each adult takes care of a child!
However, things get tough when you are alone during the day. Sincerely, adapting to giving attention and caring for two children at the same time is as difficult as the first. Yes, you know how to change a diaper, but with a child who is doing bad things behind you or throwing diapers everywhere, it's a lot different and a lot less zen! So, here are some of my discoveries to facilitate this period of adaptation and to make your child feel that he is not neglected by his mother whom he loves so much!
Changing diapers
Ask your child to come with you to change the baby's diaper. You could put him in charge of wetting the washcloth and giving you a clean diaper. In this way, diaper changes will become a fun activity for him instead of another time mom is busy with the baby. This worked very well with my son who loves "big jobs". Moreover, from that moment, he wanted more and more to take care of his sister. On my side, my daughter began to become aware of the presence of her brother. As soon as she saw him appear above her, she smiled at him. They started to form links.
Have "diaper changing stations" at different locations in the house. As your child will certainly not want to participate in all diaper changes (up to 10 per day early!), It's convenient not to have to go to the baby room every time. If you can change the diaper of your baby in the kitchen, playroom or living room, it is ideal because your child will not have to interrupt his activities to follow you. And if you have a child who needs your constant attention, it's best to keep an eye on him at all times.In the space of 5 minutes, during a diaper change, my son has already emptied a whole box of cereals on the kitchen floor, then emptied the whole bag of raisins into a bowl and finally eaten 6 cubes of chicken broth thinking it was chocolate!
Another little thing. The changing tables open at the bottom are pretty, but with a child who loves to take all the wet wipes out of their box or unfold all the pajamas to watch them, it becomes less fun! You will have to mourn your beautiful little tidy baskets and put most things out of reach.
Drinking Time
How to take 20 minutes to breastfeed while your child wants to play with you? And especially up to 10 times a day? Here are 8 tips for 8 drinks!
- If your child is able to remain quiet for 20 minutes, you can offer him to just come and watch the baby drink.
- Make a puzzle. Choose an easy-to-do puzzle that does not require your presence too much. Put your child on the living room table and sit on the couch close enough to direct him if he needs your help.
- Make towers or houses with blocks. Still on the living room table, you can arrange the blocks and encourage your child to make the biggest possible turn.
- If your child is older, you can introduce him to games like LeapPad. He can then sit next to you to play. You can guide, encourage and even congratulate him on his achievements.
- Watch a TV show. OK, here, no sense of guilt to put his child in front of the TV. It is only for 20 minutes during a whole day, you can well grant you this little respite! Plus, you can sit with him to share this moment.
- Listen to music. He will be able to dance and you will sing!
- Read a book. Choose a book with your child, sit next to him and ask him to turn the pages for you. Or he could also choose to tell you the story himself!
- Go to bed and listen to a song sung by mom. Before my son's nap, I liked to bring him with me to my daughter's room. I closed the curtains, I settled in the rocking chair and I was nursing my daughter. At the same time, I was singing a song. My son was going to get his favorite pillow and dog and lay on the floor to listen to the song. (Yes, on the floor, bad mother that I am! He has always loved lying down on the ground despite my reluctance, sometimes you have to let go). Once the song was over, it was nap time for everyone.
To finish with drinking, you may remember that babies always seem to be due for drinking at supper time or at dinner time. If you can get help from your spouse at this time, that's good! Otherwise, plan the shot and prepare your dinner between 2 drinks during the day.
Following on the routine of 0 to 3 months in a future article. I will then give you my secrets for bedtime and for the night.
Would you like to have tips on taking a shower or taking a nap with a baby under three months old and a child? Read this!
The period of 0 to 3 months is without a doubt the most difficult. The baby drinks often, takes a lot of our time and wakes up at night. During this time, take the time to take small naps, because you will need it to replenish your energy. Forget the housekeeping and all the rest. You will have plenty of time when the baby is older and has learned to play alone.
In addition, it is very difficult to get a routine since it changes often. Aside from drinking every two or three hours, baby does not really have a schedule! It is therefore normal to feel disorganized, disoriented and unable to do anything in the house. Forget all that and give yourself time to discover your new baby and tame it. It's not because we already have a child that we have become the bionic woman! So here are some tips to not lose your head completely.
Bedtime
The bedtime becomes a little more complicated with two children since often the oldest will have been accustomed to a dodo routine with both parents. To continue this tradition, I propose two solutions. The first is to breastfeed baby in her room while dad tells a story and sings a song, then give baby to dad to be able to spend a few minutes with your child too. The second is to go to sleep baby in bed during the routine of the dodo of your child. Otherwise, we can also alternate between mom and dad every night. This allows the child to have a special moment with each parent and allows us to do some dishes at the same time ...!
The night
When baby wakes up at night, we are always afraid, at first, that he will not wake his brother or sister. We get up much faster so we do not let him cry too long. Do not worry, you will find that the sleep of young children is very deep and it often takes more than crying to wake them up.
Moreover, the night has always been for me, a privileged moment with my baby. In the second, we sometimes feel that we can not enjoy it during the day, and we are almost happy that he wakes up often at night. Everything is quiet in the house and you can finally take your time ...
Naps for mom
As long as your baby does not sleep, it is important to take a moment during the day to take a nap. This allows to be more fit, but also more patient. However, depending on the age of our child, this can be difficult. Hence the need, in my opinion, to send his child to the daycare about 3 days a week at the very beginning to help us recover . Believe me, I learned it at my expense! My son only went to daycare once a week when I had my daughter. After only a month, I was exhausted.
And if baby does not want to sleep with your child, try sleeping with you. My children have always slept with me when they were less than 6 months old. It's like they feel like it's time to sleep. When I opened my eyes, I saw them looking at me, seeing that I was asleep, and going back to sleep immediately!
It is also important to ask regular help from your family and friends, to be able to breathe a little. Down with the fashion of the "superwoman"! My grandmother told me that her mother-in-law came to live with her for two months when she had her second child. So why should we do everything alone? For my part, my mother-in-law came to get my son to bring him to the daycare. This help was very valuable because I did not have to get dressed and dress my daughter to go back. I could stay in my pajamas and go back to bed as soon as he was gone!
I need a shower!
Showering is often a challenge when you are alone with your baby and your child. I give you three choices here:
- Put baby in bed and bring the child with you into the bathroom (or in the shower!). If your child is able to open the doors, I suggest you put a barrier in front of the nursery door.
- Put the child in his room with a game or a toy he likes and bring baby with you. In this case, if the child can open the doors, you can put the gate in front of his door or in front of the bathroom door.
- Wait for dad's arrival!
My baby is sick!
In addition to a rather busy schedule with a second child, you will soon see the ease with which microbes are transmitted. Whether baby is born in winter or in summer, it will not escape the bacteria that will report his brother or sister daycare. It is therefore normal that baby catches the cold a few times, not to say all the time! (And to say that doctors assure us that breastfed babies are not sick before 6 months ... sometimes I wonder if they have children.) At least, in the second, we already have experience. Nasal pear and Salinex have almost become our best friends.
All the same, I advise you to wash your child's hands as soon as he comes back from the daycare. Having myself had the experience of my daughter's gastroenteritis at only two months, which earned her 10 days of hospitalization in Ste-Justine and 1 kilogram less, I can tell you that if I had been able to would have given my son a bath every time he came back from the daycare!