2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 03:30
Baby number 2 has finally arrived and it is with pleasure that you will discover this little being so different from his brother or sister. Take advantage of the experience, tips and advice of a knowledgeable mom.
What happiness! Another little one to cherish. Once again, this surge of unconditional love manifests itself. “Wow, I am able to love two children so much at the same time! »
At the hospital
It is better to make the most of the time you spend in the hospital to rest (even if it is sometimes very difficult to sleep there!). It's true that it's better at home, but tell yourself that you don't have your second child with you and that this time is dedicated to you to start discovering your new baby.
Also, the spouse can no longer spend so much time in the hospital since he has to take care of the other child. We can then ask a loved one to come and spend time at the hospital with us or babysit our first child.
Breastfeeding
At the second child, milk flow is much faster and you may need to ask for a breast pump or you can also plan ahead and bring your own in your suitcase for the hospital. We havealso much more confidence in our movements and to install baby in the different positions. We recognize the signs of hunger better, but we still have to learn to decode this little being that is brand new and so different from the first. For example, my son drank 20 minutes per breast every 3 hours, while my daughter only drank 5 minutes per breast every 6 hours. I never wondered if my son was drinking enough and yet I was worried about my daughter. I even thought at one point that sucking his thumb made him forget his hunger! So I went back to reading my books to remind myself that if she wet her diapers well and was developing normally, she was drinking enough.
Another thing, a child may love his pacifier while his brother or sister prefers his thumb or nothing at all. My sister had three sons: the first didn't need a pacifier, his second was addicted to his pacifier and the third chose his thumb!
Fortunately, with the second child, your breasts during breastfeeding will be less painful from the start and above all will make you suffer for less time. It must be said that we end up having a lot of things. I, who have very sensitive skin, have tried everything and here is a small list of some tips that I have received, tested and above all appreciated.
- Allow the nipple time to return to its normal size before putting the bra back on. (Honestly, it's the best thing I've had and literally made mesaved to my daughter. I owe it to a nurse at the hospital).
- Use a cream like Purelan or Lansinoh after each drink.
- Take an ice cream to give your nipple a little local anesthesia before drinking it. This makes it possible not to feel too much the pain of the first feedings. By being less tense, the milk flows more easily and baby's head is less strong.
- Make sure her breast isn't too hard, causing baby to pull even harder on the nipple (ouch!) to drink. Before drinking it, you can massage your breast, make hot water compresses with or without Epsom s alt or even extract a little milk.
- Use hydrogel (silicone type) compresses between feedings. You can put them in the fridge or freezer and then put them in your bra. If you have wounds, the compresses provide a moist environment that promotes optimal healing, protects against contamination and relieves pain.
- Make cold water compresses after drinking.
For the milky rise, my best thing is cabbage! You have surely heard of it, but like me, you are reluctant to try it? I swear to you, it's magic. You place cabbage leaves in your bra and the cabbage decreases engorgement.
The Return Home
With our child…When we got home with the new baby, our child was so happyto see us again and of course, he expects us to be at his complete disposal as before. This is the first shock for him. He must get used to being patient and especially to sharing his parents' attention.
Two little tips to make adaptation easier
Involve your child in the baby's routine and give them simple tasks to do to help you. So he won't feel left out. On the contrary, he will take his role as a great very seriously.
Introduce the activity of grown-ups!When baby is in bed at night, both parents do an activity with the child. It can be a board game (in which he will learn to wait his turn…!), a craft, read a book, etc. We must therefore emphasize the fact that we are all three, that the adults have the right to a special activity and to go to bed later than babies. We can also talk about it at dinner time and choose the activity in advance. This will allow your child to happily anticipate this special moment with you and perhaps make him wait a little better when you are giving the last drink and putting the baby to bed. After 16 months of hell following the arrival of his sister, this is the thing that solved a lot of the problems between my son and his sister. Just two weeks after starting the big business, my son stopped seeing his sister as a rival and started playing with her. Now they get along wonderfully and do all their bad tricks together. It was almost easier when they didn't get along!
With others…Despite the fact that your task will now be double with your baby and your child, you will notice that the people around you are less present. They may think that in the second, we now know everything. However, even if you know how to take care of a baby, you have to reinvent everything to take care of the other child at the same time. Not to mention the household chores that remain the same. We therefore need to ask for help more often instead of waiting for it to be offered. Your family and close friends will then be of great help to you.
With baby…Even if it is the second child, so we think our baby is small. Hey yes, we quickly forget! It will therefore be necessary to relearn all these gestures which had become natural to the first. Just to dress him up is very different from a child. The newborn cannot help us. You have to pass the delicate little head through the collar and get its little arms to pass them through the sleeves. The speed and vigor of our gestures must therefore be adapted to this fragile little being. The first time I changed my diaper daughter, I tugged on her legs so hard I almost lifted her whole. She was so light compared to her 26 pound brother!
Another thing that we realize quite quickly is that we can no longer leave baby alone in his little bench or lying on a blanket on the table. Despite all its goodintentions, his brother or sister risks knocking him down and injuring him. The playpen or his bed will become the safest places for him.
