Hadley as a Big Sister: Advice I’ve Received

As I inch closer and closer to my due date, conversations with friends and family have primarily been focused on Hadley. Everyone seems to be curious how I think she’ll adjust, if we’re doing anything to make her feel special when she meets Sadie, how I plan to handle any jealousy, and more. The frequency of these conversations has caught me a little bit by surprise because, to be honest, I hadn’t given much thought until recently about specific plans for helping Hadley adjust.

There have been a few pieces of advice that I’ve received from mentors, family members, and girlfriends that instantly made a lot of sense and have stuck with me as I mentally prepare for what this next stage holds.

1.) Give Hadley some type of gift at the hospital to celebrate her “promotion” to a big sister.

One of my favorite suggestions was to have a bag of wrapped Dollar Store trinkets for Hadley to open one at a time when a new person comes to the hospital to visit Sadie and me. Another suggestion was to buy Hadley a disposable camera so that she can take her own pictures at the hospital and once we get home. Another friend suggested giving her a piece of “big sister” jewelry to wear and keep (I’m sentimental about jewelry, so I love this idea.)

2.) When Hadley comes to meet Sadie, make sure Sadie is either in her bassinet or in Jamie’s arms so that Hadley can come running into mine.

I like this idea and plan to do this, though I know when the moment actually happens our “plans” may go up in smoke and we’ll have to just go with the flow. 🙂

3.) Check out a slew of books from the library about babies and being a big sister, and be intentional about reading them with Hadley every day.

Hadley loves few things more than sitting in one’s lap and reading, so I definitely plan to hit the library in the next few days!

4.) Create an area that holds diapers and wipes for Hadley to grab from when she wants to “help” with changing diapers.

This will make her feel included and like a big helper to Mommy.

5.) Try to set aside the same time every single day that’s just devoted to Hadley and Mommy time.

One of my girlfriends who also has two children about two years apart said that every night at the same time she and her two year old daughter would take a bath together, and that her daughter loved it because that was 20 minutes of totally uninterrupted time that she could look forward to every day where the baby wasn’t around.

6.) Let people help you.

Once we leave the hospital, Jamie will only be home with us for about five days, so I’m planning on doing my best to graciously accept help from my parents and then from my MIL once we get back to Kansas mid-May.

Let’s chat!

You know I’d love to hear your suggestions and feedback! I don’t know what I don’t know, so feel free to chime in with your tips for helping my big girl adjust. 🙂 Thanks in advance!