Tips for preparing a 2 year old for a new sibling?

Hiya everyone - my second is due at the end of August and I have realised I probably haven't prepared my toddler enough for what's coming!

He knows he has a baby sister on the way and she lives in mummy's tummy. We do mention her in conversation but I'm now worried we haven't prepared him enough - any tips on activities or good books that will prepare him a little better?

I'm worried it will be a huge adjustment for him :(

Many thanks! X

in our community

Swaddling in a heatwave

My LO is 5 weeks old and will only settle if he is swaddled, i have stripped him down to just a nappy and using a cellular blanket to swaddle, i am keeping his legs uncovered and rhe bottom of his belly. Im so worried he is going to overheat. A muslin is too small and he just wriggles out of it. Any advice please x

Portable air con stay on?

If you have a portable air con unit in your babies nursery do you keep it on all night

how are we keeping out little ones cool in this heat?

my little boy is 2 weeks old and is inconsolably crying if he is put down but it overheating during contact naps and isnt sleeping very long and getting overtired as he is waking up too hot. he is constantly on the boob but im guessing thats for comfort as well as a drink as it is so warm and hes having masses of wet nappies so not worried hes dehydrated but i feel so bad about him being so warm and i have no way of cooling him to a comfortable temperature.

What should I do?

FTM here, my baby is 11 months old and I’m trying to decide if I should move her to her room or keep things as they are until I’m done breastfeeding. Right now she sleeps in my room, we co-sleep with a sidecar crib and I nurse her back to sleep every time she wakes up, usually every 1-2 hours maybe one or two 3-4 stretches at night. She takes naps in her room and likes her bed but the whole reason I started cosleeping was so I could stop getting out of bed every hour and actually get some sleep because it was really affecting my mental health. So I’m worried to start putting her in her room and half to start waking up/getting up and disrupting my sleep so much if she’s in her own room. I would like her to be able to sleep in her own room without waking up so much and I’m wondering if when I stop breastfeeding she’ll just go longer stretches without getting up. Also I’m not looking forward to night weaning and I feel like it’ll be easier to just stop breastfeeding than night wean and continue breastfeeding during the day. I want to stop when she’s a year so I don’t have long to wait if I decide to but what should I do? Advice?

I'm not in love with my baby's dad

So, I have an interesting predicament.
I'm not feeling how I use to with my babys dad. Our baby has DS and my bf works 4-6 days a week swingshift, 12 hour days. I'm a SAHM.

We rarely go out together, when we do its at a comedy club for people he mostly likes. The last time we went, the opener asked who has old family members. Like 2 people replied, I noticed he wasnt getting much interaction so I shouted an answer out. My partner turned, asked why I'm yelling and, me with my PPD, PPA, and PPR (postpartum depression, anxiety, and rage) along with being ADHD and bipolar, i got really emotional. I got up and left.

Its like anytime I'm in a good mood for multiple consecutive days, he questions it. Not like "I'm happy you're in a good mood" but "you're being really talkative and its bothering me." So I've mostly stopped trying to talk to him unless its related to the house or our son.

We've been together since 2022.
I dont know if i should get a secret part job, ask his parents to watch baby boy, put the money aside from an apartment and just leave one day before texting him I cant be in a relationship or fvcking what. But I'm at a loss.

I suggested couples therapy, he thought just us talking would be all we needed. I've told him my issues and he'll get better for a few days and go back into it.

Am I just being too sensitive? There's so much more but I feel its already so long.

Nursing bra help!

Does anyone know of any nursing bras available in the UK that have this option where you can open at the front, but it still leaves some material across the top part of your boobs so you are covered whilst feeding?

I bought one in my last pregnancy from Australia, but they have stopped doing it 😭

I have found the below, but it’s just a tank top so you can’t adjust the size at the back. And with how varied my boob size is during pregnancy, freshly postpartum, and as I went through breastfeeding, I really need an adjustable back!

I know some people say just have the confidence to feed, but I’m really after something that leaves me a bit covered as it gave me so much more confidence