Things to do differently with a second baby

Last Updated on April 15, 2024

Becoming a mum is a huge learning curve, and for many, myself included, there are things to do differently with a second baby that may make mum life easier the second, and subsequent times around.

I hope that by sharing the things I’ve learnt since becoming a mum, you may be encouraged to try things differently with your second baby if you feel like you want to, or if you’re a new mum, find some things that you may like to try.

Let sleep happen

Whenever my first baby made the slightest noise before falling asleep, even if he was just babbling, I’d immediately pick him up and hold him until he fell asleep.

This meant that overtime he would only fall asleep if I was holding him, which impacted my nights, as well as his.

So one of the first things I recommend doing differently with a second baby, is to let them fall asleep on their own, because for me this was a game changer.

Use a cot straight away

My second baby slept in a cot as soon as we bought him home from the hospital, instead of starting in a bassinet like my first baby.

This meant that we used the cot for a long period of time, and when it was time to transition to a toddler bed, it was easy because he was used to sleeping in a larger bed from the start.

Relax with routines

Another one of the things I did differently with a second baby was being more relaxed with the times he napped or ate, largely because he had to nap and eat around my oldest son’s school runs.

Being more relaxed with these things allowed me to get things done outside of the house if I needed to, and also removed a lot of the pressure associated with trying to do things at set times.

Use bottles from birth

Simply from the experience I had with my first baby, I knew that I had to bottle feed my second baby from birth, and not be so hard on myself about it.

Using a bottle to feed my second baby from the time we were still in the hospital was one of the best things I did differently as a second time mum, because I knew I was giving my baby the amount of food he needed, without feeling worried that I wasn’t.

Use a baby sling

Using a baby sling was an absolute lifesaver with my second baby.

It meant that I was able to still get things done, or even eat my lunch when he wanted to be carried, held to sleep during the day, or needed extra comfort.

Ignore what others think

Whenever my first baby cried in public, I worried about what other people thought.

With my second baby, I tried really hard not to worry about what other people thought about his tears, or my mum skills, and instead focused on calming him down, and meeting his needs.

No baby classes

The last thing I did differently with my second baby was not attending structured baby classes, such as baby yoga, music classes, or gym classes.

I did this a lot with my first baby, mainly as a way to make mum friends, but I found that I didn’t make any this way, and I also didn’t enjoy the classes or the pressure I felt in them.

Instead I took him to places where he could play independently, like soft play centres, or community playgroups.

There are so many things that can change between each of your babies, and as a mum you’ll change too, you may not want to do things the same way each time, and that’s totally fine.

The best thing you can do for yourself, and for your baby, is to do things at your own pace, and in ways that work for you, which may take some trial and error to work out, but you eventually will and you’ll feel much better for it.

Is there anything you’d do differently if you had the chance?