How to take care of toddler with prego belly?

[Jewels06]

Hello Mommas! I was hoping to get some advice on how to do things like rock your baby to sleep, bathe and so on and so forth when you have a large pregnant belly in the way. My DS is one and a half and I am almost 5 months pregnant and my belly is certainly starting to get in the way. When I have tried rocking him to sleep he just can't seem to get comfortable and when he finally does the baby starts kicking like it's uncomfortable. So how do you do it - how do you take care of a toddler and a prego belly at the same time? TIA!

[Peony]

I have to transition to other methods of getting them to sleep. We've always nursed to sleep until I get pg again, but then as time goes on, I can't do it anymore. DS would prefer to go to sleep on top of me, but the belly doesn't allow for that as well.  Now I lay next to him and hold his hands until he goes to sleep, that is what DD2 wanted as well when we had to do the same thing. 

[Jewels06]

I wish the holding hands worked - but unfortunately mine just wants to be held. I'm trying to figure out how to make that transition without killing my back or squishing the baby belly. Thanks though Peony! Anyone have any other ideas?

[~Amy~]

Well, I'm 40 weeks and 4 days pregnant at the moment (but who's counting?) and am currently typing this reply on my phone while lying on my back in DS's bed after nursing him to sleep. In a minute, I'm going to attempt to extricate myself without waking him up...wish me luck. I don't have much advice, just commiseration. I've been lucky this pregnancy that I've had very little discomfort regardless of what position I've needed to be in to care for DS. Is there perhaps a different chair you could rock in that would provide more support and/or room for both toddler and belly? Can you scoot toddler off to the side a little while rocking so he's still in your arms but not as much pressure on your belly? I've had to gradually wean DS from actually falling asleep on me. Now he falls asleep kind of laying on the crook of my arm. If you're really uncomfortable some nights, can your partner take over bedtime duty? At some point after the baby arrives you'll like need him/her to so it might be good to start practicing that now at least occasionally so toddler doesn't feel displaced by baby so much.

[mt_gooseberry]

Unfortunately, this is just more commiseration.  I'm 6 months along with a 15mo, and she always wants to be held or in the sling.  My back hurts so bad sometimes I need to cry!  I've actually struggled with several episodes of regret that I've raised my daughter so AP that she expects to be in-arms all the time.  My mother warned me that I would regret not trying to instill independence in her via cio and not carrying her all the time, but I figured I knew best.  I still think I made the right decision most of the time, but sometimes I wish I would have done things differently!

[Jewels06]

Amy - How did you make the transition from your DS sleeping on you to sleeping on your arm instead? I'm hoping to make that kind of transition to where my DS eventually will be able to put himself to sleep. My DH does help most nights when he can to put my DS down b/c he also knows that I will be attending to the baby when he/she arrives. But on the nights I do it I'm trying to figure out some way to make it easier. We don't have another rocking chair, do they make them in bigger/wider sizes? mt_goosebury I think you made the right decision too - we are also going through that. I still was baby wearing before I got pregnant with #2 and sometimes I think DS wonders what happened to that. He does like to be held a lot and I have actually sprained my tailbone (probably from standing and rocking too much) so I feel your pain (literally) with the back hurting! Thanks for the sympathy! We will get through this!