Introducing Baby to Sibling

I am at that stage right now when I am thinking about baby number 2 and I have quite a few friends who are already there or will be in the next year. I have to admit it makes me feel quite anxious. We are going through the stage with my boy right now when he is quite demanding of my attention and starting to assert his need for control of his little world and has no concept of later.

Experiencing the high needs of a toddler combined with the memories of how much energy is needed to bring home a newborn is leaving me quite overwhelmed. So I have done a little research on how other Mums have prepared and survived the introduction of a new baby to their current baby. Here are some of the ideas I have collated: 

Before the Baby Arrives

1. Make big changes early - if you need to get your first child ready with some steps towards independence, the advice is to do this earlier in the pregnancy so there aren't back to back major changes. Move them to their big kid bed or toilet train them at least three months or more before the baby arrives. If you plan to increase their child care days, do this with months to spare. The key is to not overwhelm them with too many changes at once. Utilise the full nine months if you can. 
2. Start talking about baby early - even if your little one has no real comprehension of what you are saying, at least some of the information will be sinking in. Talk about babies, point them out when you are out and about. When your bump starts to show, talk about who is inside and let them pat and talk to the bump. Start a tradition of singing to the baby that you can continue when they arrive. Talk about how they will be promoted to big brother/sister and what these changes mean. You can even get them a baby they can role play with. 
3. Buy some books to read - there are quite a few out there that talk about babies and what its like to be an older brother/sister. I have not read them myself, but have heard great things about the books by Joanna Cole - I'm a Big Brother or I'm a Big Sister. 
4. Involve them in the baby preparation - if you are shifting the house around to make room for the baby, ask your little one to help. Ask them to go through old clothes together and ask for their opinion on what the baby should wear. Have them create something for the nursery like a painting or drawing that can be framed. Buy them a t-shirt they can wear with pride saying they will be a big brother/sister. Encourage them to share the news with everyone they meet that they are being promoted soon. 
5. Do something special together before the baby arrives - this will really depend on your budget. The lavish end of the scale is to take a holiday together as a family when they can soak up as much Mummy time as possible. A more cheaper alternative is to have a date day where they get to do their favourite things. This could be a trip to the zoo, a ride on a train or a day at their favourite park. 

When Baby Arrives

1. The first introduction - There were a few experts who suggested planning for the baby to be out of the hospital room the first time your older child comes to visit. After they have had some quality time with just you, ask the midwife to bring the baby into the room for them to have their first cuddle. I love the idea of a big brother/sister basket that is a gift from the baby. This will include some activities they can do when visiting you in the hospital, like books, crayons and even a disposable camera so they can take their own photos of their baby brother or sister. 
2. When baby comes home - have a few special older sibling jobs set aside for them to do. This could be as simple as picking up the dummy when baby drops it, grabbing a new nappy out of the box when its change time or singing their favourite song to baby when he/she is crying. 
3. Keeping them occupied at feed times - create some routines of what happens when baby is feeding. Have a basket of toys that is specifically for feed times or let them watch their favourite TV show at this time only. If they have their own baby doll, tell them its time to feed the baby and set them up in their own feeding chair with a bottle. Another sweet idea is to use feeding time as story time and you can read to the older child as they cuddle in while your feeding. 
4. When baby is sleeping - to make up for the time they have to be self sufficient when you are feeding and changing the baby, make the first 20 minutes of each baby nap time their special time. Give it a name and announce when its time and then do their favourite activity. 
5. Help them understand babies needs - talk to them about when they were a baby and what they were like. Go through their baby album, pictures and videos and they will enjoy hearing about themselves and they can compare how different and grown up they are now. 
6. Be ready for some regression - despite all the planning and preparation, all the experts say you should expect some acting out from your older child. 

I hope these ideas help and I would love to hear any other tips experienced Mums can share with the newbies.