Fear - welcoming a new child into the home

As I write these lines, I am 7 months pregnant. A little pink boy is warm in my belly. We will call him Émile. A little boy who enjoys moving gently in my belly, like a little caterpillar ready to hatch into a beautiful butterfly. Its little tickles that I call.

With the joy of being pregnant again, also comes the fear of welcoming a new member into the family. And the chaos that will come with it.

I must admit that carrying a pregnancy to term with a “toddler” at home is not easy. We take the moments of silence to relax a little and we try to go to bed early, we try.

Two months before welcoming our new little wonder, I must also admit that I greatly anticipate my oldest's reaction to the arrival of his brother. My little one who is anxious, clingy and oh so attached to his parents will have to face upheavals. He'll get used to it, you tell me. Yes, for sure, but in how long? I try to prepare myself mentally.

Although he is aware upon his arrival, of the fact that he will be small, that I will need his help and that his room will be next to his, I very much doubt that he will understand at this moment , the impact and the role it will have on his life. With good reason, he is only almost 3 years old.

One thing is certain, his subconscious speaks loudly to him. Night terrors have been a thing lately - I don't know if you've ever seen this phase, but wow, it's disturbing! And recently, the anxiety of seeing Mom leave has also become part of our daily lives: read here waking up 2 to 4 times during the night and coming to see me so that I can give her her blanket again. I'm scared, I have to admit.

There is also this fear of loving less. Will I love this second child as much? Will I love it more than my first? A lot of thoughts race through my head every day.

Our family is definitely not the first to go through this stage and we will find ways to adapt to these changes. It's obvious.

In the meantime, I look at my little one's room, we read books about having a new baby, and we try to stay calm as much as possible. I try.

One day at a time I'm told. Some will be better than others, and that's perfectly normal.

And how did you prepare for the arrival of a second child? What were your foolproof tips?