[mama-mukti]

We are all getting excited about the upcoming homebirth of DS - but almost three year old DD has become almost impossible! I know most of her personality changes are related to the age she is at - but some must be related to the arrival of a new sibling. She throws fits almost every day now, is night-waking with nightmares and leg cramps, she has trouble being put to sleep, she is just a different child altogether these days. I have read all the books and we are not putting any pressure on her - but - here is the thing - I am concerned that she will choose labor and birthing as a time to just throw a full-on fit and it will just be too distracting! We have people to come and get her, etc. but it just makes me sad to think that she might have a negative association with the birth. I guess if I am smart I will have her go play at a friends house when she is happy - at the beginning of labor - rather than waiting until later. Oh, well. Anyone else dealing with this issue?

 

[Graceoc]

OMG! My DD is acting the *same* exact way....she is totally out of control lately and will just melt down at the drop of a hat. Here sleeping has gotton progressivly worse over the course of the last two months (she had been sleeping all night in her room for a good 6+months) and she is *incredibly* clingy and 'mommy-orientated'. I too am getting very worried with how she will be when I am in labor (due in 3 days!) Thankfully my IL's are staying with us and she ADORES them...so if I need her to be out of the house I think 'out of sight, out of mind' will work for her and she will be easily distracted by the bookstore or wherever they take her (at least I hope!) I would love to hear how things turned out for other moms who have BTDT....

 

[Hayliesmom]

My youngest is almost 4 and he's been acting different lately too. He's excited about the upcoming arrival but has been harder to put to bed and less apt to go play by himself. I think part of it might be the holidays and I'm hoping he'll get back to normal after Christmas. If not, well I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. My other two were younger when the next baby arrived so I don't think they really "got it".<br><br>
Stacey

 

[Vixenmama]

my dd is 2 today <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/birthday.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="birthday">: and exhibiting many of the behaviors listed above; bad sleeping, tantrum-like behavior (never done this before) crying for seemingly silly things (never done this before). I don't know if it's<br>
a developmental milestone or birth related.<br><br>
She's waking a lot at night wanting to nurse--which is borderline excruciating<br>
right now (she's only been nursing before naps and bed for the last 4-5 months). I'm afraid we haven't prepped her well. can't wait to hear from btdt moms.

 

[paloma]

I got my daughter a dolly and some clothes and diapers. She loved it! I told her that when she was a baby, I used to hold and burp her and there was one boobie for her and one for the baby now. When I changed the baby, she could change the dolly, or I could change the dolly, and she could change the baby.<br><br>
This might not be your problem, but my daughter had a much better temprament after I did this.

 

[mama-mukti]

We are doing quite a bit better these days. It seems that once we tried to incorporate naps a little more into our day most of the crabbiness went away. She has four or five dolls and we talk about how she can come and lay with Mommy on the bed while "we" all nap and she can bring her doll.