Every time you expect a new baby, there is a lot of excitement and concern. For your first baby, you worry about doing everything right.
The proper diet, buying all the right products, reading everything about pregnancy, delivery, and babies, etc.
With your second, you worry about dividing your time.
You worry about how your firstborn will react to the new baby. Instead of reading product reviews, you’re reading articles about introducing the idea of a new baby and how to balance your attention and make sure everyone feels loved and attended to.
Right now, I am expecting #3, and it is a whole new can of worms. I already have a boy and a girl, so as far as products, I think I’m good regardless of gender. I have read as much as I care to read about pregnancy, babies, and preparing kids for a new baby. I’ve been through it before, and it seems to have gone well.
The third time around, my biggest concern is logistics.
I know how to carry a baby, love a baby, and make time for multiple kids with multiple interests. What worries me is getting through everyday life with three.
Like, when we cross the street, who is holding whose hands? When we’re getting into the car, who will watch the soon-to-be two-year-old when I’m putting in baby #3? Will my almost five-year-old fit in the middle seat with a car seat on either side? Will we have to get a minivan? I can’t get a minivan for my company car, so he will have to sit between them sometimes.
The other day, my 18-month-old tried to pick up a four-month-old like a baby doll. Will she think the new baby is her new toy? My son was already three when my daughter was born, so he understood more and was far less concerned with babies, so it wasn’t an issue.
The first time my son wanted a sister, he got one. This time, he says it’s going to be a boy. My husband wants it to be a boy as well. He keeps referring to the baby with male pronouns. How will they react if it turns out to be a girl? Will my son feel lied to? Cheated?
I think that these concerns are common to most moms expecting baby #3. I also believe many of them will resolve themselves as we go along.
