When did you tell your toddler you were pregnant?

[newbymom05]

Just curious--we haven't told our 28 m/o yet because I'm still in the first tri and I'm curious how/when other mamas have done it. This will be our second and I'm a little nervous about how His Lordship will handle it! :lol

[lilgsmommy]

We started telling them in the begining...due to the fact I was sick, and even though they are still young (22 months right now), they are begining to understand a little more each day.

I was worried about telling them, specially due to my history but I needed them to know why I was sick, and why mommy was having a hard time.

[Emmalina]

We started pretty much at the beginning. When our ds was trying to bounce on my tummy dp said 'No darling, extra gentle mummy has a baby in her tummy now.' He poked my belly button as said "Shhhhh, baby sleeping, baby tired" and pulled my top down! Now I sometimes say "Who is living in mummy's tummy?" and he does the same thing (with a little prompting). To be honest I just think it is cute!

The hospital I will deliver in actually do prenatal classes for siblings from 2.5 up so when things are further along I will get him to do that. I'm also planning to get a baby doll for him to have a cuddle with.

Good luck!

[Emmalina]

Just to clarify 'He' is my ds not my dp!!

[staceyshoe]

We're going through this process right now with ds. We started just by noticing babies in stores and restaurants--talking about what babies are like (that they cry, nurse, wear diapers, can't talk, can't walk, etc). Then I got a few books at the library about babies and new babies in families. We read those and talked more about babies and how they grow in their mommy's tummy. Eventually we told him that there's a baby in my tummy. He's noticing my "big belly" now, and I need to dig out the photo album and show him pics of me when I was preg with him and pics of him as a newborn. I'll be curious what others do!

[Ackray]

We started telling the kids pretty early. But they really didn't care or comprehend that there's going to be a baby until I really looked PG. They are 6,5 and 4.

When I was PG with DD2, the older kids didn't give a hoot about a new baby or that my belly was getting big until we brought the baby home.

[misskerri]

I told my son within 5 minutes of getting the positive test. He was concerned about me because I was crying (joy and shock...it took us a painful year of trying). Of course, he was almost 3 1/2 at the time. He totally groks what's going on, at almost 4 years old.

[indeospero]

My 2yo was the first person I told! :lol I think she is really beginning to get the idea, now that my belly is growing round. I've wanted to keep her involved -- she's taken a great interest in babies and birth for quite a while, so it feels very natural to talk with her about the pregnancy. I couldn't really have waited, as I was very ill for months and needed lots of extra rest etc. I felt a need to be able to give her some kind of explanation. She's very excited, in her own way, and initiates conversations about it a lot. This is my first time being pregnant while having an older child, so I'm still feeling my way. HTH.

[newbymom05]

Thanks, all! :love

[jest]

Okay, it looks like I'm the only one who didn't tell their toddler really early about the baby. We still have not officially told him or talked to him about it yet, but I think he's starting to put some of the puzzle pieces together. He's 2.5 and I'm 23 weeks, btw. I probably won't officially tell him that we're having a baby join our family until about a month or so before my edd, unless he starts to ask specific questions about it.

[newbymom05]

Okay, it looks like I'm the only one who didn't tell their toddler really early about the baby. We still have not officially told him or talked to him about it yet, but I think he's starting to put some of the puzzle pieces together. He's 2.5 and I'm 23 weeks, btw. I probably won't officially tell him that we're having a baby join our family until about a month or so before my edd, unless he starts to ask specific questions about it.

I think we're going to end up handling it this way by default. I've been pointing out babies to ds, talking about their needs--like how they cry and nurse a lot! :lol The only reason I'm even thinking about telling him now at all is that as I get bigger people will mention it to me, and since we're always together...

[g&a]

DD was the first person we told after I found out. DH said, "Well, it's going to affect her most, we should tell her." It was so much fun. She was 3. She got to tell everyone else, and then was in the middle of all the excitement of everyone finding out.

I think she would have figured it out pretty quickly anyway, as it becomes a topic of conversation often. Unless you purposefully didn't want them to know, and made efforts to never talk about it around them.

She is part of the family, and this is a family thing, I don't understand why people wouldn't tell them, especially after the first 12 weeks.

g.

[47chromosomes]

My toddler is the first person I told! Although he is very young, and I don't think he understands in the same way that an older child would. I think for him, momma just doing something very special, and he has been very patient with me. IDK, I think it is going to hit him all at once when the baby comes; or, maybe he'll just know that the arrival of this baby is good and right, and means he's going to have a new best friend forever!

[rmzbm]

I told everyone I have ever come into contact with in my entire life the SECOND I found out. :loveeyes:

[Peony]

I didn't tell DD1 about DD2 until I was 17+ weeks or so. SHe was 3.5y at the time, it's not that I didn't want to involve her but that time passes so slowly for children. I didn't say anything until people started asking DD1 about a new sibling coming, then I started talking about the new baby. :o She is still just as bonded with DD2, she was so excited when she was born, and plays with DD2 all the time who is now 1.

[Mama Poot]

We already told our almost 28 month old. He doesn't care yet, doesn't talk about it. He does like to point to my belly and say "Baby!", he'll even lift DH's shirt and say "Baby!" :lol. Our 15 month old also "knows" and pats my belly when he's nursing...in fact he started doing that before I even took a test. He knows what babies are though and will say "baby" if he sees one.

[MonP'titBoudain]

My ds is still pretty young and I think he would have a hard time with the concept of "there's a baby coming... in 18 weeks". So we talk about the baby growing in mommy's belly and how to be gentle with mama (no jumping on the belly!!!), etc. When we get closer to our edd (and he is older) we'll start talking about when the baby is born and preparing him for the birth. Oh and right now, I'm also getting ready to borrow "A Child is Born" from my parents to show him pictures of a baby growing in the womb.

I started talking to him about the baby growing after I heard the heartbeat for the first time. The same time we made it public for everyone else, too. At 21 months, I didn't think he'd be able to understand the doubly vague concepts of an invisible baby that died should I have miscarried.

[Mama2 '05'06]

:wink Well, I told my kids right away. Dd 'gets' it more than ds does. She's all excited with seeing our friend's new baby and asks almost everyday when we'll get our baby.:lol Ds knows what babies are- every time he sees one he points it out. He's fascinated with my belly button that pokes out but he doesn't quite understand when dd pats my tummy and says 'baby'. I think once the baby is born, he's going to have a more difficult time sharing mama.:p

[lovingmommyhood]

We told them right away! Before we told anybody else. We felt it was their right, as a piece of our family, to know before others. They are 3 and 1. Both excited (3 more than 1) and they kiss my belly everyday. :)

DS1 can't wait for me to "push my sister out" (He's convinced it's a sister!)

[Jennisee]

My DD is 3.5, so she's on the older end of "toddler," but we told her shortly before we made the pregnancy public around 14 weeks. She's very verbal so there's no way we could hide the pregnancy from her now that people around us are talking about it.

So far, she's taken to the idea well. She's named the baby "Crispy" :lol , talks to my stomach, holds up things to show to my stomach, and tells me all about the things that the baby can use because she's a big girl who doesn't need them any more (like the high chair). She's excited to go to the ultrasound because I explained that it's a type of camera that will take pictures of the baby. She's also been very understanding about how tired I am and how I can't pick her up much any more.

[MonP'titBoudain]

She's excited to go to the ultrasound because I explained that it's a type of camera that will take pictures of the baby.

DS, was very curious to hear the heartbeat with the doppler. We see a hb midwife so out visits are more casual than an ob's. It's perfect for his age, he plays around in the room until the mw does the belly exam, then comes over and watches her intently (and tries to "touch the baby" at home, now too!). And when he first heard the hb, he looked out the big window right next to us and said, "hear twain!". When we told him it was the baby, he got very curious! And I love how he talks to the belly! It's pretty precious!

I think if you are anticipating trouble with the transition of a newborn in the house, it might be worth talking about the baby sooner than later. Even with a younger toddler (I'm convinced ds understands me WAY more than he let's on, anyway! :lol)

[Ahimsa]

I tod him when we started trying. I started asking him if he wanted a baby brother and sister, and said that we were trying for one. Then I told him there was a baby as soon as I got a positive.