Preparing for Baby #2: A List of Things I'm Doing Differently This Time

1. Getting the House Ready Earlier

One of the biggest things I’m doing differently this time is getting our house ready for the baby much earlier. I know how quickly those last few months of pregnancy can sneak up on you, and this time I don’t want to be trying to organize baby clothes and set up bassinets when I’m already huge and uncomfortable!

The first thing I’m doing is pulling all of my daughter’s newborn and baby things out of the basement. I’m going through her old baby clothes, bassinet, Pack ’n Play, baby toys, and everything else we saved to take inventory of what we already have and what we’ll actually need for baby #2.

Since my daughter and the new baby will eventually be sharing a room, we’re also reorganizing the bedroom and closet to make it work for two kids. My husband is installing a second clothing rack in the closet. My daughter’s clothes will go on the lower rack so that as she gets older, she’ll be able to reach in and pick out her own clothes. The baby clothes will go on the upper rack. I love that we’re setting it up in a way that works for us now but can also grow with them.

We’re also getting our changing areas ready for two. I’m checking whether our current diaper caddies are big enough to hold diapers and essentials for both kids or if it makes more sense to have a separate caddy for each child. I want the things we reach for constantly to already have a home before the baby gets here.

Another thing I’m thinking about this time is making sure we have doubles of the things both kids may still need. Depending on the age of your older child, you might not be completely finished with some of those “baby” items yet. My daughter may still be drinking milk from her bottles when the new baby arrives, so I don’t want to suddenly realize I need twice as many. I’m making sure we have enough bottles, extra bibs, fresh pacifiers and anything else both kids might be using at the same time.

Obviously, what you need two of will depend on the ages of your children—and this is where that baby sprinkle comes in! Once I take inventory of everything we already have, I’ll have a much better idea of what we actually need for baby #2 and what I can add to my registry. Instead of starting from scratch like I did with my first baby, this time I can focus on filling in the gaps and getting the things that will actually make life with two little ones easier.

Our house is already baby-proofed because of our first, but if there are any new areas that need attention, I want to take care of them now. If your older child isn’t completely mobile yet, this is also a good time to finish baby-proofing. Once you’re caring for a newborn and your older child is suddenly into everything, you’ll be glad it’s already done!

Finally, we’re making sure our bassinets are still in good condition and setting them up where we actually use them. We keep one bassinet in our bedroom for nighttime sleep and another downstairs in our living room so that we always have a safe place to put the newborn down during the day.

This time around, my goal isn’t to have a picture-perfect house ready for a baby. I just want everything organized, safe and functional before those exhausting newborn days begin. If I can take a few things off my future plate now, I’m doing it!

2. Having My Sprinkle Earlier This Time

One thing I definitely want to do differently this time around is have my baby sprinkle earlier in my pregnancy. With my first baby, my mom really wanted me to wait until I was seven months pregnant to have my shower. By the time the day came, I felt huge and uncomfortable! I still had an amazing time, but I remember thinking I probably would have enjoyed it even more if I hadn’t been quite so far along.

So this time, Mom, we’re doing it my way! 😂 I’m planning to have my sprinkle a little earlier while I’m hopefully still feeling comfortable enough to really enjoy the day.

There’s a practical reason for doing it earlier, too. Once I’ve gone through everything we saved from my first baby, I can use my sprinkle registry to fill in the gaps—whether that means things we need doubles of, items that need replacing, or a few things I learned the first time around that would make life easier.

Having the sprinkle earlier also gives me plenty of time afterward to wash everything, organize it, set it up where it belongs, and buy anything we’re still missing. I’d much rather have those things checked off my list before I reach the final stretch of pregnancy.

Sometimes you don’t know what you’d do differently until you’ve done it once—and for me, having the celebration a little earlier is definitely one of those things!

3. Setting Up Baby Stations Where I Actually Need Them

With my first baby, figuring out the best setup and locations for changing the baby was definitely a trial-and-error process. I actually started out with a full changing table downstairs in our living room/playroom, but over time I realized I really didn’t need it.

What ended up working much better was having one actual changing station with a changing table in my daughter’s bedroom and then keeping smaller diaper caddies with changing pads in the other areas of the house where I needed them.

Downstairs in our living room/playroom, where I spend most of my time during the day, I keep a diaper caddy stocked with our everyday essentials along with a changing pad. It gives me everything I need for a quick diaper change without taking up the space of another changing table.

I also keep a diaper caddy and changing pad in our bedroom for nighttime changes. Having diapers, wipes and the other essentials right there makes those middle-of-the-night changes much easier without having to go into another room.

The actual changing table stays in my daughter’s bedroom. That’s where we have a dedicated changing area, and it’s also convenient for getting dressed since her clothes and everything else we need are already in the room.

This time around, I don’t have to go through that same trial-and-error period. I already know that we don’t need multiple changing tables throughout the house. For us, one dedicated changing station plus smaller diaper caddies and changing pads in the rooms where we spend the most time is plenty.

It’s a simpler setup, takes up less space, and still gives me everything I need within reach—which I have a feeling will be even more important when I’m juggling a newborn and a toddler!

4. Packing My Hospital Bag From Experience

One nice thing about packing a hospital bag for baby #2 is that I’ve already been through a hospital stay after having a baby. I know what I actually used, what I wished I had brought, and what I probably could have left at home.

This time, I’m using that experience to pack a little smarter. I’m thinking beyond the standard hospital bag checklist and remembering the small things that made me more comfortable, what my husband needed during our stay, and even what would have made packing everything up to go home a little easier.

If you’re preparing for baby #2 too, think back to your first hospital stay. Was there something you wished you had? Something you packed and never touched? Something your partner needed that you completely forgot about? Your own experience is probably the best hospital packing list you have this time around.

I’ve already put together a separate list of the less-obvious things I’m bringing this time in my blog post titled "Having a Baby? Here are the Hospital Bag Tips and Essentials You Might Be Forgetting."

Click to Read the Full Blog "Having a Baby? Here are the Hospital Bag Tips and Essentials You Might Be Forgetting"

I may not be able to predict exactly how this delivery will go, but at least this time I won’t be packing for an experience I’ve never had. I’m taking what I learned the first time and using it to make our second hospital stay a little easier.

5. Preparing My Toddler for Baby #2

This might be the part of preparing for baby #2 that I’m still figuring out the most. I can organize the house, pack a hospital bag and set up all the baby gear, but preparing a toddler to understand that she’s about to have a little sister is a whole different story!

For now, we’re starting simple. We’ve been talking to my daughter about the baby in Mommy’s belly and explaining that the baby is her little sister. I don’t know how much she completely understands yet, but I want the idea of having a new baby around to start feeling familiar to her before her sister actually arrives.

We’re also working more on sharing. Having a new sibling is going to mean sharing her home, some of her things and, most importantly, Mom and Dad’s attention. I know that’s going to be a big adjustment, so we’re trying to introduce and practice the idea of sharing now rather than expecting her to suddenly understand it once there’s a newborn in the house.

Her baby dolls have also become a fun way for us to talk about the new baby. We’re paying a little more attention to them lately and showing her how to feed her baby doll, take care of her and be gentle with her. I’m hoping that making “taking care of the baby” something fun she can participate in will help her get excited about becoming a big sister.

I know these small steps won't provide a completely smooth transition for my daughter so we have a lot to figure out along the way. Right now, my goal is simply to make the idea of her little sister as familiar and exciting as possible and give her plenty of time to adjust to the idea before baby #2 actually gets here.

6. Preparing for Postpartum With Two Kids

One of the biggest things I’m thinking about this time around isn’t actually preparing for the baby—it’s preparing for postpartum with two kids.

With my first baby, I could focus so much of my time and attention on her while I recovered and figured out life with a newborn. This time, I’ll still have a toddler who needs me, wants to play, has her own routine and isn’t going to suddenly understand that Mommy needs to sit down and rest!

I’m still figuring out exactly what our postpartum plan will look like, but one thing I’m considering is lining up some extra help with my daughter during those first few weeks. Maybe that means having a babysitter come for a few hours here and there, or leaning on family a little more so she can get some extra attention while I’m caring for the newborn and recovering.

I also don’t want her entire routine to suddenly change because there’s a new baby in the house. If someone can take her outside to play, do an activity with her or simply give her some one-on-one attention, I think that could make the transition easier for both of us.

And I’m reminding myself that postpartum preparation isn’t just about having diapers, bottles and baby supplies ready. I need to prepare for my own recovery, too. Having easy meals available, keeping the house stocked with the things we use all the time, accepting help when it’s offered and giving myself time to recover are all going to be important.

I don’t know exactly what life with a newborn and a toddler will look like, yet. This will be another first for me. But after having one baby, I do know how consuming those early newborn days can be. This time, I’m trying to think ahead not only about what my new baby will need, but about what my toddler and I will need, too.