[name]Hi[/name]. I’m 22 weeks pregant and have a three year old daughter who is having a hard time with my pregnancy. The first time I told her, she looked at me with a mixture of ‘I don’t understand’ and ‘I don’t like this idea’. Once she even said, “I don’t want it in your belly.” She is also adament about not wanting a baby brother. We haven’t found out the sex yet, but am wondering if I should to prepare her.
Everyone I have known has always said their older children were thrilled to be a big sister/brother. Has anyone experienced something similar? Any tips for me?
Thanks for listening, Berries.
My daughter was too young to really understand what was going on when my son was born (15 months), but I have heard stories from both sides: kids being enthusiastic or not about being a big brother/sister. I think that ideally you want to find ways to let your daughter experience having a baby around, even if it’s just a baby doll. I know that it helped my niece when she was going to be a big sister (at 2). As for the sex, well…I’m not sure there’s anything you can do about that beside be positive whatever the outcome. I wouldn’t focus on her negativity about the baby being a boy (if little one is), but focus on the joy of having a baby either gender. A friend just announced she’s having another boy and that’s just what big brother wanted. I was wondering up to the announcement how big brother would react if it was a girl. In the end, I doubt that the gender of the baby will matter much once the baby has been around for a while. Most kids are able to come to terms when things don’t go their way. You never really know, but I think the odds of her being happy in the end are in your favor. Good luck mamma and I hope some of these other ladies and gents can give you some better advice, or even firsthand experience!