When I was pregnant with my older daughter, I spent tons of time reading articles on how to prepare for your baby’s arrival. I could tell anyone who asked how far along I was, down to the day. I had no idea what to expect, so naturally I tried to prepare as much as I could. Fast forward to my second pregnancy, and things were a bit different. To prepare for Baby #2, I did a lot less—and I focused on only the essential tasks to get ready.
The different approach at times made me feel lazy, but looking back, I realized the no stress baby prep was precisely what I needed.
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Why you should prepare less for Baby #2
Less nesting, shopping and fretting for your second baby doesn’t mean you love that bun in your oven any less. It just means you’re probably stretched way too thin taking care of your older child to color-code a newborn’s wardrobe. (See how I just called you thin?!)
Narrowing down your baby prep to-dos is a wonderful way to focus on priorities. And it’s great practice for when you have a newborn and a toddler, ’cause you won’t be able to do any would-like-to-dos; it’s all about must-dos when Baby #2 arrives.
Finally, if you’re like I was, you’ll want to soak up the remaining time you have with your older child being an only child. I cherished the moments I spent with Peeper during my pregnancy with Kiwi partly because I knew our lives were about to change drastically. I still believe that having a sister is the most wonderful gift I could have given Peeper, but I still felt some grief over changing her status as an only child.
No stress guide to prepare for Baby #2
Without further ado, here are my tips for a minimalist, must-do, essential tasks to prepare for Baby #2.
1. Draft a care plan
Know who will watch your toddler (as well as your pets). Write out your child’s routine, important information (like insurance numbers and doctor’s contact info) in case of emergency, and ensure your care person has access to your house. When your due date approaches, ask your care person to leave their phone on at night in case you need to head to the hospital in the pm.
2. Educate your older child
You definitely don’t want to worry about your toddler while you’re zipping off to the hospital, so prepare her for what’s going to happen when you’re ready to give birth. Talk through who will stay with her, where you’ll go and when she can meet the new baby.
A great way to talk through scenarios is to read. If you’re looking for ideas, see my post of the best children’s books about a new baby.
3. Focus on the first 4 weeks
Sure, you probably have years of hand-me-downs from your first child, but now is not the time to sort through all that stuff. Wash and put away baby clothes for only the first month: newborn and 0-3 month sizes only. You won’t need all the other gear until later. (In fact, you can put visiting family on this project if they need something to do.)
4. Stock up on essentials
It’s just as easy to buy or order a dozen packages of diapers than one, so you might as well do a bulk order of the baby supplies you know you’ll go through, especially diapers (size 1 and up, not newborn) and wipes. Think about other items your household burns through—toilet paper, boxed macaroni and cheese, squeezie pouches—and buy them in bulk. Making a quick trip to the store because you ran out of ketchup is not easy with a toddler and Baby #2, so stock up now—and thank yourself later.
When I was pregnant with Kiwi, I stored all our bulk supplies in a closet-like spot in the basement, which I nicknamed the Baby Survivalist Room. I was so glad I had a pile of diapers stockpiled downstairs—it was one less thing to think about.
5. Double check hand-me-downs
The baby swing might have worked when your first child used it, but make sure it—and anything else that’s been sitting in storage—still functions. Double-check your baby monitor, noise machine, bouncer or whatever else you’re reusing. You may just need to replace the batteries (hey! another item to stock up on!).
Then take a second look at items that may have expired. The infant car seat is an obvious one, but consider infant’s Tylenol, baby probiotics (we used this kind, which helped Kiwi’s colic immensely!) and anything else in the medicine cabinet.
6. Get a meal train
When you’re in your third trimester, ask a friend to set up a meal train for you. Even if you don’t have a baby shower—or a sprinkle—for Baby #2, you’ll still want friends and coworkers to bring you food. (If anything, making healthy meals is even harder with a second baby because you’re caring for your toddler, too!) Make sure to include details about food allergies/preferences for your toddler as well as you and your partner in the meal train instructions.
If you’re looking to share tips with the lovely folks bringing you food, here’s my post on bringing meals to new (or second time new!) moms.
7. Bond with child #1
You can always find more tasks to prepare for Baby #2, but you’ll never get this time back with your firstborn. So work in extra snuggle time, read her baby book together, look at photos of you pregnant with her, go on a special outing together and generally make her feel adored. (You can also remind her that even if things feel different once your second baby arrives, you won’t love her any less.)
How did you prepare for Baby #2? Was it any different than how you prepped for your first child?
These are wonderful tips! Meal Trains are amazing, and I like how you can now also sign up to donate a gift card for groceries or for grocery deliveries on Meal Train!
Yes! I love that you can do gift certificates—so even people who aren’t great in the kitchen can contribute, too. 🙂
I am glad to hear this – preparing for our first baby is so exciting, I’m glad there will be more, new things to do before the next one, too! Good ideas and I think stocking up on things will be so helpful – I haaaaate shopping for toilet paper and coffee filters as it is so I bet it will be even more annoying with a newborn to focus on too!
Coffee filters is another great one to add to the bulk shopping list!!! I’m so excited for you, Suzannah. <3
These are great tips, and I second (or third?) the Meal Train advice. I was lucky enough to be a member of a wonderful circle of friends when I was having babies (lots and lots of babies 👶🏻) and having those meals come in for a little while can make all the difference.
All the yes. Meal trains are crucial!
I don’t have kids and don’t plan to, so I have no experience in this area. It was a very interesting peek into a world I’m totally unfamiliar with! Thanks for sharing it with everyone, including us outsiders!
Absolutely, Meg!
How I wish I knew all this when I had my child. We had to ask and learn along the way. And every time we weren’t sure, it would be stressing because you didn’t know if you were doing the right thing or not.
Oh my gosh yes. So much of having #2 is about more confidence!
I prepared a lot when I had my first child. I still do not have a second one, but I think you are right, I would prepare less. Plus, I can still use some infant clothing my child used. Anyways, I love this article! So much appreciation for us moms. Cheers!
So glad it’s helpful, Kyla! I think we prepare less partly because we simply have less time!
Amazing tips.I am particular with the meal plans and hand downs,it is important to check them lest you find them broken when the baby needs them most
That’s such a good call to check all hand me downs! We received a baby monitor that didn’t work, which I didn’t discover until we tried to use it.
I have some quarry. I will be pleased if some one answer me.
we know, Baby skin problems include bluish skin.It is pretty normal for babies to have blue hands and feet, but this may not be a cause of concern. In some cases, newborns can also develop blueness around their mouth and tongue while crying. But the blueness goes away with time. My baby does not get her pink skin back Is it ok ?
Hi there, Honestly I’m not sure. I’m not a doctor or a medical professional, and you should definitely schedule a time to talk with your pediatrician sooner rather than later to be sure. Best of luck!
Exactly what i needed .Baby #2 on the way.
Congratulations on #2, Lydiah! And I’m so glad this post helped you. Best of luck—you’ll do great!
Well GOD blessed me with a baby boy last week and i am happy. Thank you for sharing with us your experience, Hope these tips can help me out from my children. …
Congratulations! Best of luck with your newborn! Hugs, mama.
Thank you for sharing, I want to see more of your always good articles and stories.
Thank you Monica! I’m so glad you stopped by to read. Anything in particular you’d like to read about?
A great piece of content! We’ll follow your blog for sure!
Thank you! So glad it’s helpful. Thanks for reading 🙂
This is some really good information about infant care. It is good to know that you should think about coming up with a care plan. It is good to know that you should think about who you will call if there is a problem. That does seem like a very smart thing to do if your infant is going to be in a daycare for a while.
You’re so right, Penelope. Many of us forget to come up with a care plan if something happened, and it’s good to have a copy of this plan with all daycare providers, caregivers and schools.
I Love This Post, Thank You Share With Us.
I’m glad you liked it!
Taking care of baby is one thing that every parent must take important, especially new parents. The baby is so fragile at this stage and the baby’s immune system is developing, so stay away from products with chemicals, fragrances, and dyes that may be present in clothing, detergents, and baby products. These things can lead to newborn skin irritation, dryness, chafing, and rashes.
Yes – babies’ skin is so sensitive, especially at the beginning! It’s a good idea to stay away from fragrances, dyes and artificial ingredients.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! I’m so glad to read this post…Excellent writing catherinemryan. Can you share with me a healthy diet plan for a pregnant woman?
A lot of things needs preparation. Having a baby and a good daycare to send them when the time is right is something you should think of too.
You’re right! In some areas – particularly metro areas – preschools have quite long waiting lists. Some parents may want to research and get on lists for preschool even when their kids are pre-preschool.