You may find yourself in a tricky situation if you’re expecting to have a baby when you’re already a mother. Your firstborn is used to being the only baby in your house. They get all your attention, love, care, and time, which may reduce drastically once you have a newborn. For most parents, welcoming a new baby is exciting, but it can be a little complicated when it’s their second or third child. Your kid has to be prepped for the arrival of their younger sibling, and you might feel overwhelmed thinking about how to do that.
Here are a few ways in which you can prepare your child for the separation while you birth the new baby:
1. Make Your Relationship Strong Now
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Your little one may be super excited to have another member in your family, but they might still have a hard time when you go to the hospital because they will have to stay away from you. Therefore, spend time with them to strengthen the bond you have with them while you can. The more you spend time with them, the less likely they are to feel ignored when you go to the hospital to have the newborn baby.
2. Make The Transition Smooth
When your new baby is born, your first child might not get enough attention. Assign someone you trust with the responsibility to take care of them and make the transition smooth. Allow your kid to spend time with this person while you’re around, even before the baby arrives.
3. Spend Time With Them
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If you think spending less time with them will make it easier for them to get used to your absence, you are wrong. Your kid might feel neglected and ignored if you choose to spend less time with them without a valid reason. They might even become clingy. Therefore, spend as much time with them as possible and ensure that they are around people they trust in your absence.
4. Your Child Should Feel Calm
The person you assign to take care of your child should be able to calm them down when they cry. Since you won’t be around to take care of them, make sure the designated person knows how to comfort your child. A child that is shown love and empathy will make it through anything.
5. Give Them Information
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Your little one might not fully understand what it means to have a younger sibling. But prepping them by talking to them about how their life may change is an excellent place to start. Tell them that they will have a sibling to look after and what it means to be older. Teach them to protect, care and love their baby sibling, and they will start looking forward to welcoming them.
6. Comfort Them And Help Them
Separation is not easy on your little one. When you’re closer to your due date, it becomes hard for your child to accept that you’ll be away for a few days. So, to make it a little better for them, you could give them a comfort blanket, stuffed toy, or a piece of your clothing to provide comfort and security. Kids associate these things with you, and they can cope with your absence better.
7. Try To Stay Positive
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It’s not easy for a mother to stay away from her child either. Apart from the pregnancy worries, you are likely to be tense about being away from your little one. Trust that you’ve done everything there is to do and try to stay positive. Even if your child cries when you are headed to the hospital, know that it will pass, and they will be okay.
Your love and attention mean the world to your child, but during the birth of the new baby, your firstborn has to get used to staying without you for a couple of days because it’s inevitable. It might be hard for you to entrust your little one into another person’s hands when you’re on the way to birth your newborn, but remember that they are safe in the hands of the trusted caregiver. You will be reunited with your child soon, so fret not.
