Expecting a second baby - sleeping arrangement

[premama]

Hello,

I am pregnant with a second baby, and my first baby is now 20 months old (she'll be 28 months when the second arrives). We only have 2 bedrooms (ours and our baby's) right now, and wondering whether I should move our first baby into our bedroom to sleep with us (in her own bed) or whether we should arrange for the new baby to sleep with us and leave the first baby in her own room.

I would appreciate any helpful feedback on how people dealt with this kind of situation. Thanks!

 

[Buckeroo]

Congratulations!

If your first one is already sleeping well in her own room, I'd leave her there. For the first six months, the second one slept in a cot in our room with us. This made it easier for me, esp. when b'feeding in the night. We then moved them to sleep in the same room after we came back from a long holiday when the second one was 7 months.

BTW, our two children are also 27 months apart.

 

[MilkMonster]

Since our 16mth old was already used to sleeping in his own room, we moved our bed out into the living room (well it's kid of off to the side but with our flat, the set up worked for us so at night we would have our own space to hang out, watch tv, finish chores) we put the new baby into the 2nd bedroom to minimize the noise for our 1st child.

When my elder son turned 2yrs, we moved our bed back into his room (so we're all sleeping in the same room) because we needed the space in the living room, but since he is used to going to be on his own, we don't have to all go to bed at the same time but can wake up together every morning. Little baby who is now 10mth is still sleeping in the 2nd bedroom/playroom because he wakes up 30mins earlier than his brother and is a really loud talker. we let him talk until our wake up time.

ideally, we want the 2 boys in the same bedroom but we haven't gotten there yet.

we will probably move when our lease is up, to a 3 bedroom place with hopes that we will have a room, boys will share a room and have 1 playroom, but until then, this is what has worked for us.

we also set up the 2nd baby's crib 6 months before he was born so our elder son could get used to the idea of sharing and having limits. we would put toys and baby stuff into the crib and tell him we were saving it for his baby brother. when our 2nd was finally born, our first was so used to not being able to climb or touch anything in the crib that we didn't have any jealousy issues. he knew that stuff was all for his brother and had 6mths to get used to the idea without me telling him while holding a new baby. worked for us!!!

 

[carang]

our then 2 year old was used to being in his own room. we put the baby in our room for the first 6 months. then when we moved house, we put them together.

 

[sleicester]

Just had a baby 3 months ago and put my son and baby in the same room as I can't sleep if the baby is in our room. My son sleeps like a log so he is not bothered. He is almost 3. In the middle of the night when she cries, I get her immediately and nurse her in our room. Seems to work for now.

 

[carang]

my 2 year old still wakes at night. she had only ever woken her brother once. and she's LOUD!

 

[CherA]

Hi I am going to have my second baby by the time my first is turning 3. I am also thinking about sleeping arrangement. I have 3 bedrooms so I likely will have each kid sleep in a separate room. My question is: should I arrange them to sleep in the same room at some point? I assume that's better bonding between the two of them right? My first is a boy and I don't know the gender of the 2nd yet. If it's a girl is it also good for them to room together?

 

[Buckeroo]

Mine are a boy and a girl and they room together. While ideally, I would love each to have their own room, it's hard to give up the study... for now.

Right now, our arrangement works great for us. I don't know whether sharing a room has made for better bonding between the two, but they get along wonderfully.

The only time they wake each other up is in the morning and both would pitter-patter into our room and onto our bed for a snuggle before breakfast. Times when our daughter would wake in the night (night terrors) or if our son would need to go to the washroom, neither one has waken the other up.

 

[carang]

i have more than enough bedrooms for the kids to have one each (there are 5 bedrooms in our house) but i still choose to have the two (boy & girl) together. they are so young, it doesn't really matter. they LOVE sharing a room. often in the morning, they will play happily together for 30-45 minutes before anyone else is awake.

maybe when they get to 6+ years, i might change it, but not for now.

 

[CherA]

Thanks Buckeroo and Carang. Sounds like wonderful idea to have the kids room in with each other. I'll definitely consider that once #2 is older and won't need to wake up as often. I've been rooming in with my younger bro until I got married too. As far as I remember I so wanted to have my own room haha. But we did enjoy it when we were both kids.