What did you do differently with baby #2 (or #3...)?

[yunnage]

I have a 21 month old and a 1 month old and even though my older child was a baby less than 2 years ago I feel like I've forgotten a lot. Of course, I don't want to make the same 'mistakes' twice.

I'm just curious to know what changes people made, for better or worse, with their subsequent children.

For instance, with child #1 we would rock him vigorously for over 30 minutes before he'd fall asleep, to the point that we'd have to stop from our own sweat! With this child I'd like to try to not get to that point.

Of course, I did swear baby #2 would be in the crib right away... but that has yet to happen...

[AnnaBanana]

why put your baby in a crib right away? they're SUPPOSED to be close to their mom and dad! that's where they're happiest!

as for what i did differently between #1, 2 and 3... well, a lot, but not because i felt i did things 'wrong' with 1 and 2, but because they are all different. there is no point in saying that you rocked the first one a lot and that you won't this one. if he / she needs to be rocked, or loves being close to you to fall asleep, then why not? anyway, just my two cents...

and i was never paranoid about germs with #1, so that was different for my others either (but i know lots of other parents who say it did make a big difference).

[tkl]

We worried less and didn't jump in the first chance to help the child. We let em figure things out on his own. We're also going to start toilet training a lot earlier for # 2 as he had examples from watching his brother who is going through it.

Unfortunately, we couldn't sleep train the 2nd kid either so no sleep is the only constant for now.

[nalababe]

We definately kept with some of the basics from the first kid: cosleeping (arms reach cosleeper) until 9 months. Then crib in our room until about 18 months.

We found that we were not as uptight with the second kid...that could be with respect to testing for allergies (peanuts) or general germs and cleanliness.

Second child is definately easier!

[yunnage]

why put your baby in a crib right away? they're SUPPOSED to be close to their mom and dad! that's where they're happiest!

Sorry, I meant my remark more jokingly because baby #1 slept on me 24/7. As an avid baby wearer and a cosleeper, I understand the benefits of babies sleeping close.

[pimom]

With our first, we tried to follow what the books told us, and my stern MIL's advice. We tried crying it out, indepedant sleeping, solids at 6 months, etc. It was all horrendous. There was so much crying, from everybody. She had severe colic from a (then undiagnosed) digestive problem, and was (is) a very high-demand child.

For my second, I couldn't bear the thought of crying. I got a sling, co-slept, jealously guarded her naps, and basically never put her down for the first six months, even to let other people hold her. She only started solids at a year, although I would offer her some from time to time. I did not let myself feel guilty for not "sharing" her. When she was an infant, she rarely cried, gained weight well, never got sick. It was soooo much easier on everybody.