Christine says:
"My 19-month-old will be 2 years and 2 months old when my next baby is born. I am 12 weeks pregnant and was wondering if I should start her potty training now so that she will be done by the time the baby comes Also, should I try switching her to a toddler bed somewhere in this mix? Not all at the same time, but some time before the baby comes?"
Have you potty trained a toddler or made the switch to the big bed to make way for a new baby? How did you make it all work? Share your advice (or just commiserate) with Christine and other parents on the forum or leave a comment.
It depends if your child is ready. If not, it will be a big struggle and alot of hardship. And even if she IS ready…there is no guarantee she wont regress when the baby arrives. And moving into a toddler bed is a big deal, that could throw a wrench in the works too. Gosh, Potty training, new bed, new baby…it might be too much for a 2 yr old to handle. Again, it depends on the toddler. My girl did not train until she was 3.5 yrs old. Everyone is different, but no need to rush things. They are not small for long.
I had the exact same situation. My daughter was 2 years, 2 months when my son was born. We moved her into a “big girl” bed 4 months before he was born. She helped pick out her new bedding and decor and we made it totally unrelated to the baby, just that she was a big girl now. She was really excited and all settled in by the time he arrived. We started introducing the potty before the birth, but she wasn’t ready until about 2 1/2. Changing diapers for two kids wasn’t so bad for a few months. I wouldn’t push the potty training. FWIW, she had no adjustment issues and loved the whole new baby excitement! Good luck!
My older son was also 2 years, 2 months when his brother was born. I moved him to a toddler bed maybe 5 months before. It was a little challenging getting him to stay in it the first few weeks, but it helped that it was a fire truck bed. I didn’t really push potty training, because I wasn’t sure if he was truly ready and also because I didn’t have the mental and physical energy to do it (he insisted that I sit my big old pregnant self on the floor and read potty books every time he sat on the potty). Girls are often ready earlier than boys, so if you think she’s ready, give it a try. Don’t force it though or you’ll just make your life more difficult. At 3, my son still won’t poop in the potty, and I think I’ve pushed him too hard and just made the situation worse.