Essential Items for the Transition from One Child to Two

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03/03/2021

About the author: Suhayla is one of the primary content creators and contributors for the MMM team. When she’s not writing for us, she’s busy being a Mama to two young children and also is a pharmacist in one of London’s NHS Trusts. She particularly enjoys writing about islamic parenting, promoting wellbeing for mums and is an advocate for breastfeeding, after a challenging journey with her first. Want to reach out? Send her an email: suhayla@mymodestmama.com.

First and foremost, congratulations on your pregnancy! Bringing another bubba into the world is such a blessing and InshAllah we hope that this transition from one to two goes smoothly for you. To help you along the way, we’ve put together our curated list of items which will be useful when baby number two comes along.

It’s worth noting that with number two, less is more. You will already have pretty much everything you need and for most of us, space is limited. Therefore we’ve listed the items which we feel are truly useful (even if they aren’t that exciting!).

DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS MEANING WE GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE VIA US. THIS IS DONE AT NO COST TO YOU. WE HAVE NOTED ANY AFFILIATE LINKS WITH AN ASTERISK (*). HERE IS OUR PRIVACY POLICY FOR MORE INFORMATION.

For the New Baby

1. A Transport System

If you’re a forward planner, you probably bought a pram which converts into a double. However, you will most likely need to purchase some additions to get it there in the way of adaptors, an extra seat and in some cases even an extra carrycot.

If you didn’t think ahead, then it’s worth investing in a double buggy. If you have a small(ish) age gap between your children (less than 3 years), we recommend the Baby Jogger Citi Tour 2 Double – it’s lightweight, narrow and can be used with a carrycot so it fits the bill for a double buggy from newborn onwards.

If your toddler is too old for (around 3 and half) or not keen on the stroller life – try a buggy board or Harness and reins. The Lascal Buggyboard Maxi comes highly recommended and is universal in that it fits almost all makes and models of strollers out there. It also comes in a mini size if you prefer a smaller fit.

Baby Jogger Double* | Buggy Board* | Stay Close Harness *

2. A Car Seat

Again, here it really depends what you already have from your first born – most mums invest in a seat which fits a baby from 0-12 months and then buy a second seat when their baby turns one. If this is the case for you, you probably don’t need anything as you can reuse the baby seat for the new arrival, as long as it’s in good condition and hasn’t been in any car accidents.

If not and your toddler is using the same seat they were using at birth, then you may just want to buy that seat again (you already know how to use it and as long as it’s in line with current safety standards it’s probably an easy pick). We love the Cybex Sirona for a multi-age seat as it’s swivel function is easy on the back when putting baby into the car.

Maxi Cosi Pebble Plus – Newborns* | Cybex Sirona S – multi-age car seat*

3. The Baby Carrier

Having your hands free is pretty essential when you have two children. Whether you need to change your toddler’s nappy, prep their lunch or even bathe them, your baby carrier will become your best friend. There are lots of carriers on the market and wraps too (these are often great at the beginning when the baby is a newborn). We’ve linked a wrap and carrier we love and have experience using.

Baby Bjorn Carrier* | Ergo Baby Aura Wrap*

4. A Bath Seat

Ever tried bathing two kids at the same time? Or even bathing a baby with a toddler running around – you need eyes everywhere and hands as free as can be. If you opted for a baby bath first time round, we highly recommend you switch that up for a secure bath seat to put your newborn in. It will make life so much easier.

We love the Angelcare care bath seat – it’s perfect for newborns all the way until baby can sit upright and unaided.

To buy the Angelcare Baby Seat, click here.*

Related: Newborn Baby Essentials

5. A (second) Baby Monitor

With two kids, there are now two people who can wake you up in the middle of the night – so knowing which room you will need to go to is definitely an essential. The options are unlimited for this one – you can opt to buy a second monitor with video, switch your eldest to a sound only or even upgrade your current monitor to one that allows for multiple cameras to be linked up.

This isn’t necessarily an essential purchase for the first few months as the newborn is likely to be sleeping in your room for the first 6 months, so take your time to mull over what will work best for you before deciding. We’ve selected our favourites for you.

BT 600 Monitor* | BT Audio Monitor 450* | VAVA Multiple Room Monitor* | VAVA Additional Camera*

6. Endless Qur’an or White Noise

All those efforts of putting baby down for a nap are easily thwarted if your eldest decides to scream their favourite nursery rhyme or have a meltdown. Having a machine playing white noise or Qur’an is useful in ensuring that baby stays asleep despite all the drama going on around them.

We say to buy two so that when baby wakes in the middle of the night, something drowning out their cries in your older child’s room will hopefully prevent them from waking up to their younger sibling.

My Baby White Noise Machine*| Quran Cube*

There will also be some other items you may need to repurchase:

Nursery furniture or a cot if your elder child is still using theirs
A new mattress for the baby for the Moses basket or crib to reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). The theory behind this is related to wear of mattresses with use making them less flat and firm which can increase the risk of SIDs
Nappies and wipes
Bottles, teats and dummies – better to buy these new if you’re planning to bottle feed
A second car mirror (if both kids are in rear facing car seats)

For your Older Child

1. Toddler Proofing

With one kid it’s pretty easy to keep an eye on them at all times, with two (or more) it’s time to get serious about safety. Make sure those safety gates are in – we love the babyDan ones for their sleek look when they’re open, the fact they don’t have a trip bar and that they can be adjusted to fit odd shapes or sized stairs.

Safety locks on cupboards containing anything dangerous are also a must – this will ensure you’re happy to give your toddler the freedom to run around the house creating some safe havoc whilst you change baby’s nappy or feed them without a worry they might get up to something they shouldn’t.

The Baby Dan Gate*

2. A Busy Box

This clever idea is one raved about by second time mums – before baby comes, put together a box with some activities and toys (either new or ones that may have been hiding from them for a while) for your older child. This busy box is one which you can pull out when you need something to keep them occupied for a few minutes so you can keep them close to you but entertained. It’s great for when you are nursing, but remember to save it for those times so that they don’t get bored.

A really great idea is to purchase your elder child a doll so they can look after ‘their baby’ whilst you attend to the real one! Books about the arrival of a baby are also great tools to prepare and remind your older one of how to look after their new sibling.

Baby Doll With Accessories *|“You’re The Biggest” Book *

For You

1. An Instant Pot

Hear us out on this one. We know it’s not exciting and definitely not your idea of being pampered at all, but anything that saves you time is a win and this gadget is great to make meals quick and easy. You can pretty much make anything in it from rice and curry to pasta and it even steams vegetables (great for when you start introducing solids).

To buy the Instant Pot, click here

2. Nursing Friendly Loungewear

If you decide to breastfeed, being comfortable and in some ways being able to cover up can be even more important second time round. With another child around, you’re often nursing all over the house rather than in a designated place and you may also have more people around to help with your eldest child. Investing in some comfy loungewear that works for you may be something you want to do.

We love Seraphine and Natal Active – both do really lovely high quality lounge and activewear. This set from Happy Mama is great value for money with 3 pieces included.

To buy from the Happy Mama range, click here.

3. A Backpack

If you didn’t opt for a backpack the first time around, this time it’s definitely considered an essential. It’s hard enough going anywhere with two kids in tow, so having a backpack means your hands will be free. They also usually are more roomy and we love the Jem & Bea styles for their convenience (multiple compartments so you can separate things as you need to) and style.

To buy the Jem and Bea Jamie Black Python backpack, click here.

That’s it folks, our second time Mama essentials list ready for your transition! Is there anything you would add? Any buys which helped your transition to two children?

Essential Items for the Transition from One Child to Two

DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS MEANING WE GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE VIA US. THIS IS DONE AT NO COST TO YOU. WE HAVE NOTED ANY AFFILIATE LINKS WITH AN ASTERISK (*). HERE IS OUR PRIVACY POLICY FOR MORE INFORMATION.