What Do We Need?

Thanks for posting this. I'm expecting my second boy soon, and my two sons will be 23 months apart, so it was good to read these entries. One thing I have on my list is to stock up on cool new toys and HIDE them, so that I can give them to my toddler incrementally after the new baby arrives. I'm hoping it will buy me some time by keeping him entertained and give him positive associations with the new baby. Good luck--we're gonna need it!

I have two that are 17 months apart. I did not double up on a crib, although you definitely may need to. By the time my youngest was ready to move into the crib, we moved the older one into a bed - twin mattress on the floor. I was also worried about getting a second high chair or booster, but my older one moved himself to the table around the same time that I needed the booster for the baby. Those were the two biggest worries that I had. If you need a double stroller, the Babytrend Sit-n-Stand LX has been my life saver. I put the car seat in the back seat, and my older one sits up front. Good Luck.

I just had my third child, and my second 2 are only 17 1/2 months apart. (I have an 11-year-old, a 21 month old, and a 3 month old) This was my basic list:

*Double stroller - I like graco.

*Clothing - even though I had all the baby stuff from the last one, the seasons were opposite so I found that my October baby couldn't share much with my late April baby.

*Second crib, dresser & changing table for new baby's room. This way I was able to do midnight feedings and changing without waking my toddler by going to use the changing table in his room. Check CraigsList, you can find nice stuff for good prices there.

*Pack & Play for the living room - my toddler likes to try to pick up baby, so the floor is now out of the question even for the baby gym, I put that IN the pack & play and used it there to protect the baby.

*baby bjeorn - I put the toddler in the grocery cart and carry the baby that way, not just at the grocery store, I use that thing a lot.

*bigger diaper bag - who wants to carry 2? make space for 2 babie's stuff in one bag.

*baby monitor for 2 rooms - sold at babys r us. I tried 2 different monitors but they interfered with eachother and I could never tell which child I was hearing.

Make sure that every baby seat/swing has seat belts that WORK and can adjust to fit your newborn, I found out the hard way when my toddler actually took the baby out of the bouncy seat and dropped him on the floor! (he was fine, just scared)

Sounds like we have a lot in common! Keep in touch and good luck!

My boys are also very close in age. We moved my eldest to a toddler bed at 15 months, he did great. The only thing we had get that I would not have done with out was a double stroller that accommodated an infant car seat. Get a front to back one, the side by sides are horrible to use! And make sure you get one that is easy to fold, some you practically have to dismantle to get them down. The one I found folded down with one hand and you could use it with any infant car seat.

My daughters are 15 months apart. Prepare yourself for a wild ride until the younger one is able to do some crawling and doesn't need so much holding and feeding time - but it is sooo worth it. My kids are best friends and I wouldn't have done it any other way.

About the crib, our solution was to put our 15 month old into a toddler bed and give the crib to the baby. That way we just bought a new mattress for the crib and then a small toddler bed for the BIG sister. I think it also helped her to adjust to the baby as she was getting something new and exciting.

With kids of the same gender, I found that we didn't need new clothes for a while for the baby. I got a few new bottle nipples, but other than that and the car seat and double stroller we were pretty much set.

The other thing I went through is that the whole bonding thing was different on my end. Not all moms react this way, but at first I felt like I didn't bond with my new one and didn't feel as attached to her as my older daughter. It passed as I got to know my baby and adjust. No matter how you react, it will be okay.

Oh, and trust me, you will learn to hold the baby with one arm, wrap another arm around the toddler and hold a book and turn it with your thumbs in one hand. You will gain all sorts of new skills - just because you need to. LOL

My girls are a year and 3 days apart. If I had it to do differently I would not have purchased a second crib. My youngest slept in her pack and play until she was around 6 months or so. My oldest was probably ready for a big girl bed long before I thought she was. Save the money, use a bassinet, cosleeper, pack-n-play, etc. until your oldest is ready for a big kid bed. If/when your oldest is ready to transition, think about using a twin mattress and/or box spring on the floor, that way if they do fall off they don't have far to go. My oldest did sleep in her converted crib, but when we moved and stayed with friends she slept on the mattress on the floor. Now that we are in our new home, she sleeps on a twin bed from Ikea that doesn't require box springs. She is not really any farther off the ground than she would be with box springs and she has underbed storage. I don't think you will need to double up on anything right away. You may need to buy an additional older infant car seat depending on the weight allowance of your first child's car seat, but that is at least a year down the road.

Good luck with 2 babies, if I can do it so can you.

I recommend getting a second crib. Our first was only 21 months old when our second one was born and not ready for a big-girl bed yet. Of course, she started climbing out of her crib consistently when our second was about 6 months old so we were able to put her in a bigger bed and get rid of our second crib at a second hand store. The crib and car seats were the only things we needed to get since ours were both girls. Whatever you do, don't go new on the second crib, way too much money for what little time you will use both cribs.

Your bed options depend on your kids. Does the crib you have convert to a toddler bed? To save money I would use the toddler bed for your older son while the youngest sleeps in a cosleeper or bassinet then maybe move your oldest to a twin bed with rails when the younger one needs the crib. Congrats on #2!

I would think that you would need a crib and make sure the clothes are for the right season.

S.,

I am a mom to twin boys. I would recommend the 2nd crib if you can do so. When one child is more active than the other, you do not want to take any chances of accidents. We have allowed our boys (now 2 yrs) to sleep together on the floor for naps, and play together in the play pen. However, when it comes to night sleep, I cannot be there to watch every move. It is actually a great idea to allow them separate spaces so they can stay independent and individual.

When it comes to the toys, you may have to play it by ear. The boys share great with some, but others I have found are not so easily shared. It is a guessing game that you will have to figure out depending on your children's temperments.

Good luck,
T.

My first two (I'm expecting #3 in a few weeks) are about 16 1/2 months apart, and we did end up getting a second crib once our younger one moved out of our room. We kept our oldest in his crib until almost 3, which I highly recommend. You don't need the added headache of a child getting out of bed repeatedly when you have a new baby, and most kids are perfectly happy in their cribs for that long.

For feeding, we bought a second booster chair and had them both in them for a while. Now they are both up to the table, but my 2 yr old daughter (who is quite small for her age) still sits buckled in a booster, while my son just kneels on a big chair.

We also have had occasion to need two pack n plays, when we vacationed last summer and the kids were 1 and 2 1/2 and both still in cribs. We were usually able to just borrow one from a friend, though.

We bought a double jogging stroller - I recommend the one we got, many of our friends with similarly spaced kids have the same one - the Schwinn Double Safari TT.

I think that was all we doubled up on! When my daughter was ready to move out of her infant carrier, we moved her into my son's Britax Roundabout and bought him the Marathon. That was about it. Well, we bought more pacifiers, they both used the same ones for quite a while, and of course you'll be in double duty diapers for a while. I would say you probably don't need to buy any of this immediately (except maybe the crib if you plan to put the newborn in it right away), and can just get things as the needs arise.

Good luck, it's busy, but it's so fun once they're old enough to start playing together!

children 2 3 and 4 are all 13 months apart.... its easy - really

the only thing I have found is that I have 2 strollers, one double stroller and a single stroller. I drive a mini van so I bought compact folding strollers so I could keep them both with me (Combi Twin Saavy and a Chicco umbrella) The twin savy holds an infant seat too. in the beginning we would use all 3 and my 6 yer old would push the umbrella - now I use one or the other depending on the situationhild #2 is 3yrs old now so he does not reqquire a stroller very often and sometimes, the baby is the only one who needs a stroller so we just use the umbrella

anyway - diapers are cheapest through amazon prime monthly delivery.

the younger 2 (2y and 11 months now) are in cribs still. so 2 cribs. moved #2 to a toddler bed before #4 arrived.

in the end though, i would not have done this anyother way - they last 3 kids are good friends and play well together so it alleviates the need for me to be constantly entertaining kids.

I have two 20 months apart. Lots of mattress pads for your cribs (three at the very least) and I love our Ergo Carrier. Our younger one was in it where ever we went and it made things so easy. I also used a sling for in and out of the car and back wich was easier for those short trips. A 2 seater stroller will is helpfull too but if you can get one you like that will grow with your kids. I can't think of anything else off the top of my head. Good luck. I love having two and am excited to see what three will be like, sometimes (due end of Aug).

Hi S., our girls are 17 months apart and I love it, althought that first year is very busy! I did have two cribs; the 2nd we got from a friend for free and was so glad we had it. My older daughter loved her crib and stayed in it until she was 3 and then moved into a toddler bed. It was nice that she couldn't get out of it at naps and bedtime, since I really needed her to stay in it. I also had a double stroller that could fit the carseat for my infant (it didn't clip in, but was safely cradled). We never did have a big high chair, just two booster seats for the table whick worked great. Best of luck! Enjoy your two!

My last two children are 26 months apart. You will definitely need a double stroller. I used one that has them both facing forward and I loved it. I could lay the front seat back down and make one big bed. It had a storage area underneath and a visor that covered both the seats. Also, I could still take it into a store because it was only as wide as a single stroller. I found it at toys r us. This was over 14 years ago and I am sure you could still find one of some sort. It saved my life so many times. I would have to take them grocery shopping and push the stroller and drag the shopping cart, but it worked. With a side by side stroller I couldn't have done it. Look for one with wheels that pivot easily as I would often have to back out of doors and going backwards was the easiest way to get through. At the time, the model I bought was only about $130.00. Good luck and congratulations!

There is very little you will need to double up on in terms of necessities. Your little one will certainly be big enough for a toddler bed, so save some money and space by transitioning your son to a "big boy" bed and then put the baby in the crib. Most beds have side rails if you are worried about him fallin out, or you can place the mattress on the floor so there is only a couple of inches for him to roll onto the floor.

Same thing with highchairs. By the time your baby is ready to sit in the highchair, your toddler will be refusing to sit in the highchair and you'll be using a booster seat anyway.

If you have a stroller, I would keep the one you have for now and get a Moby Wrap. You can carry the newborn while pushing your toddler in the stroller. You can decide if you need or want a double stroller in a year when your little is much bigger.

Congratulations Mama!
A.

Hi there, I have a 22 month old daughter and a 7 month old son. I haven't found much so far that we need to double up on except diapers and wipes! If you have a bassinet you plan to use for the baby for a few months, you might be able to hold off buying a second crib. I think it will all depend on your 15 month old and how soon you can get him into a big boy bed. We got lucky because our daughter refused to sleep in the crib we bought and has been sleeping in a pack-n-play since she was 4 months old. (We were living in an apartment while our house was being built and had no room for a crib.) So we had the crib ready for our youngest. I would say to prepare for your older child to want to get into EVERYTHING you have for the baby....swing, special chairs, you name it! I am preparing for the day that I will have to buy another car seat, but that is months away. I would say to put off buying stuff until you actually need to. You may be surprised how the timing may work out and will save you money in the long run!

About me...I work full time + from home. I get the best of both worlds. I am married to a great guy, who gets better with the kids as they get older :)

My first two are 15 months apart. When my first was around a year, I put him in a toddler bed, after MUCH exciting talk about what a big boy he was becoming. We also switched his room at that time, in preparation for the baby coming and keeping the nursery closest to our bedroom. In doing this a couple months prior to the newest addition, we avoided issues with that particular transition. When my third was born, approx 12 1/2 months after the second, we did a similar thing with the boys. Bumped the oldest to a twin mattress on the floor and put the one year old in the toddler bed. The boys got to share a room and they loved it then and even now have a hard time going to sleep if one of them is gone overnight. Again, we did this before the baby came. I figured I would say how I did this... we started with NAPS first. Then worked into bedtime. It seemed to make the transition smoother. I agree with the mom who posted to stock up on diapers and snacks for the older child! You will not want to just run to the store for these things. It's not as easy, but really, it's not THAT hard either. Congratulations! Your boys will LOVE playing together and you guys will get so much joy in watching them. Oh, one more thing.. I have posted this here before, but here it is - "Mommy's hands are busy" Get used to saying this and your son will be used to hearing it. When the new baby comes, it will help heed off jealousy issues. I still use this phrase and mine are now 4, 5, and 6. Instead of saying, Mommy needs to feed, change, fill in the blank, they hear a general statement that does not take Mommy away from them and to the baby, just that Mommy can't help them immediately. Good luck!

My girls are 15 1/2 months apart. Right now the 4 month old is still in the co-sleeper next to me at night and for naps, but she does have her own crib. I still have my 19 month old in her crib simply because she is one of those children who, if she could get out of bed, would just to play and talk all night. And believe me, she needs her rest. :) Another reason I have a crib for each is that I bought lifetime ones that convert to a toddler bed and then can be used as a headboard/footboard with full size mattress.
Other than that you really don't need duplicates of anything else. Just stock up on diapers now! It is a bit more difficult making it to the store with 2 little ones, so have enough diapers on hand for at least the first couple months. I would also suggest stocking up on snack foods, etc for your older one. It is a joy for me to have 2 girls so close together. I love it every day....granted I don't have any spare time, but I wouldn't trade it for anything! Good luck!

Congrats on your soon to be born second child! We moved our daughter into a twin bed when she was 13 months old in preparation for our sons birth so we didn't have to purchase a new crib. This worked great for us. Our daughter transistioned very well to her new bed. Now our 15 month old son is not ready for the freedom of a twin bed yet! He loves to much to get into things.

If you fear him getting into things or fear for any other reason...you could have the new baby sleep in a bassinet for the first few months and then in a pack n play for a while after that (until your older son is ready for a big boy bed)instead of buying a new expensive crib. Our daughter now 3 years sleeps in the pack n play for her naps in our bedroom while our son sleeps in his crib for naps in their room. So don't worry about it just being a pack n play it works just as good as a crib.

I hope you enjoy your little ones being close together in age. ours are 21 months apart and I absolutely love it. They play together and are into the same type of toys at the same time it is great! The first year is hard work but it gets a lot easier after that!