2 under 2!

Letting the older one "help". I have 3 all 3 and under (baby will be 1 in just under 2 weeks time), middle is 2 years 4 months and my eldest is 4 in december. All babies were formula fed and letting them help make bottles (shake the formula), theyve been known for feeding milk. Helping choose outfits for baby. Putting them before baby when she was a baby. So if they needed something like a drink or food but baby needs feeding. Sorting them out first. Baby wont remember waiting extra time for food while you sort toddler. When baby is sleeping spending time with toddler. Making sure they still matter. Even if it just watching a movie and having a good cuddle

Lots of couch and tv time. Either for me or for my toddler. That first month my newborn had a diary allergy we didn’t know about so there was lots of screaming. So we did lots of sitting and resting on the couch so my toddler could be next to me and I could still feed and hold my baby. My son loves firetrucks and emergency vehicles and all that so I watched tv shows that had those things. They were my shows but he liked them. Or he’d play. Then we would sometimes do his little shows or videos or whatever. But we did a lot of that and then also got out of the house and went to different stores and what not to help us just get out of the house

my boys are 18 months apart :). baby is now 7 months and older just turned two in august. include the toddler as much as you can! ask them to come ‘help’ change a diaper or make a bottle. if you breast feed always invite them to sit with you and read a book. over explain to your toddler: ‘baby is sad, mommy needs to give him a hug, just like i give you a hug when you’re sad, let’s try and make baby happy’. talk to your baby about your toddler in from of them: ‘you’re so lucky you have such an amazing older brother/sister’. get out of the house as much as you can! even if it’s just to walk about the grocery store. get them both on a really good schedule. and baby wear as much as you can! baby gets contact naps, you’re not nap trapped, and toddler gets both hands :)

get a good baby carrier I have a few of the ergo baby carriers and I love them!
while they’re awake try go for small walks even if it is around the garden find games to play with your eldest outside.
while both are awake when little one needs a nap have a portable bassinet so that you can bring her around in her bassinet while you play with your eldest and that if baby wakes up you have both of them close to you. If your eldest naps try and get them on a similar nap schedule too! Get a large playpen put a mattress in it or a floorbed for the nights that are exhausting if you decide breastfeed and cosleep. Read to both of them and find games to play that your eldest will associate having her new sibling around is so much fun!

I set zero expectations for myself

I just let the days unfold no pressure

Some days I just existed some days we achieved things

You cannot be productive and present- so choose one each day

Let people come over and help, whether that’s playing with a toddler, bring you coffee or a snack or holding baby whilst you shower - take the help. ( i struggled to let people first time round but told myself to say YES anytime I had an offer)

- use the tv where needed for the first few months; you just got to figure it out at first pressure off

- have chairs for baby in different rooms like bathroom etc

- have a space you can put toddler/ baby in safely if needed to whilst you left room