What to buy for baby number two

You need to start planning for No2 well before they arrive and part of that involves getting your oldest child used to the idea that they’re going to have a baby brother or sister. One of the easiest ways to introduce this is through bedtime reading. Try Princess Polly’s I’m A New Big Sister or Pirate Pete’s I’m A New Big Brother. Alternatively, there’s the current Children’s Laureate Lauren Child’s take, The New Small Person, which tells of a new baby’s arrival with a combination of humour and beautiful illustrations.

Parent Paul said, "We bought this to help our adopted son prepare for the arrival of a new adopted sibling. Many books about new siblings begin with showing a baby in the mummy’s tummy, which is just not appropriate for adoptive families. Here, the narrative doesn’t linger on the ‘birth’ and ‘returning from hospital’ or any of that side of things. The new sibling arrives in a Moses basket and by the next page he is a toddler, so works well for adopters even if they’re not adopting a young baby.
"We also liked the fact that the parents are very much in the background of the story - you only see their arms or legs, never their heads - which means it works well for same-sex couples too. The focus is very much on the children’s relationship and how the older sibling grows to enjoy having a younger brother. Beautifully done!"

Bath-time with two little ones can be fun but it also presents a particular sort of challenge. From six months, you can use a bath seat and this one from Dreambaby has a non-slip seat and padding for comfort, and strong suction pads and a heat sensor for safety.

Mum Melissa said, "I love this bath seat, it seems comfortable for my son. He enjoys his bath times, even more so with the seat. He can move around comfortably without it losing suction. I think that might change as he gets bigger though but for now, it’s great."

One of the first practical things to contend with when your second arrives is getting around with two kids – especially if your first child isn’t up to walking long distances yet. The Out 'n' About Nipper Double is lightweight and practical, and with quick-release removable wheels and an easy fold, getting it into the boot of your car is a doddle. It won Gold for Best Multiple, Twin or Tandem Pushchair at the Mother&Baby Awards 2022, but if this isn't for you, take a look at the best double buggies as voted for by our Mother&Baby mums here.

Our mum tester Alexandra said, "This is a great double buggy, it is lightweight, easy to put up and down. It is also narrow enough to get through most doorways. Big wheels mean a comfortable ride for the little ones. It comes in nice colours, I particularly liked the Navy with two boys. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to put the seat pads on and off for easy washing/cleaning. I like that it is easy to adjust the height of the chair to whatever little person requests! My two-year-old enjoyed the footrest and thought this was a nice feature rather than feet just hanging. I also was pleasantly surprised by all the bits which are included with the pram including a bumper bar for the children to hold onto and a waterproof cover.
"This pram arrived and was very easy to set up, I used the instructions but probably could’ve got away without them as it is very intuitive to put together. Great that this pram can be used from birth to 4 years old meaning you only need one and not lots of additional pieces."

If you thought you carried around a lot of stuff when you had one child, just wait till you have two. The needs of a newborn and toddler are very different; one needs bottles, nappies, and dummies, the other spare knickers, colouring pens and healthy snacks. Instead of having one enormous bag where everything you need ends up at the bottom, invest in these nifty initialed shoppers and personalise the contents for each child.

A reviewer said, "Good quality, prices reasonable, love the personal touch you can put to items."

Toddlers are active little things and, whether you’re chasing after them or wiping a mucky face, it helps to have your hands free as much as possible. Many second-time parents find a baby carrier essential, and Ergobaby has recently introduced the Omni 360, which carries both newborns and toddlers up to a weight of 15kgs. Parents’ backs are spared thanks to a lumbar support waistband and crossover shoulder straps, and there’s a detachable pouch, handy for storage, or for some privacy when breastfeeding.

Mum Laura said, "I had another carrier and after an hour of use I had pain in my shoulders/ back. With this, I could wear my son for hours comfortably. The best carrier."

Colouring books will become your new best friend when you have a second baby. They entertain your toddler for a valuable five or ten minutes when you need to breastfeed in a coffee shop or stop the little one from screaming the place down. This one features dinosaurs doing ballet, scuba diving and flying planes and is bound to keep them quiet. At least for a bit.

A reviewer wrote, "Great fun and prompts good conversation too!"

Two kids means two possible people to keep you awake at night. So you know which of them is the night owl, invest in a baby monitor with two cameras. The BabySense Split Screen Video Baby Monitor allows you to connect two video cameras for the parent portal, meaning you can keep an eye on baby, whilst telling your three-year-old to get back to bed! Take a look at the best video baby monitors here.

Andy on Amazon said, "This is a great product. I switched from BT monitors as we had a new baby and needed a split screen monitor. The picture quality is excellent, sound is great as well. The movement area of the camera is far better then expected. Great range on the monitors and the aerial really boosts that from when you go out to the garden. The only slight issue I have is that the sound does not change automatically if a baby cries or makes noise but there is a sound mode that swaps sound between monitors every 10 seconds so it’s not a major issue.

"Would highly recommend these monitors. They are excellent value for the quality you get."

As a busy mum, it can feel like time is never on your side, and more often than not that delicious brew you made to help you find a moment of calm has gone cold. Never again! Get yourself a thermos and it'll stay hot for as long as you want it. This particular Aladdin travel mug is great for taking on-the-go too with a completely leak-proof design. That's one less mess to deal with.

This promising review said, "I've had so many travel mugs and they usually either leak, are difficult to clean or don't keep drinks warm for very long... this bad boy scores 10/10 on all these points!!! And it looks good too (I went with the plain black one). Doubt I'll need a new travel mug for quite some time. Highly recommended."

If your toddler or child insists on walking, why not convince them to hop on this BuggyBoard so you can keep a close eye on both your youngsters? The Universal Connector system makes it possible to fit the BuggyBoard to almost every kind of buggy and pushchair. The large non-slip surface, side protective frame, and solid comfortable platform ensure your child's safety and comfort while riding.

A parent reviewer wrote, "So pleased with this buggy board! Has made life so much easier when moving around with a 3 yr old (nearly) and a 9 month. Very easy to put together and very sturdy. The strap means that it can be lifted out of the way."

If both of your youngsters are in rear-facing car seats, you'll want two car mirrors so you can keep a close eye on both of them. This one is made from 100 per cent shatterproof plastic and the 360° rotation can be modified to fit your and your baby's needs.

One mum said, "Finding a baby car mirror is hard. I was looking for one that was large, easy to use and shatterproof. It took me ages to find one, but after reading the reviews on this one I decided to try it. It arrived quickly and was everything I needed. It's large (but not too large!) It's shatterproof, easy to use and with the additional bonus of being position adjustable! I can see my baby girl clearly which gives me peace of mind. I would definitely recommend this baby car mirror!"

When you're busy with your newborn, a playpen is handy for containing your toddler so you don't need to worry about them getting anywhere they shouldn't. This one comes with eight panels that slot together plus interlocking playmats so you can ensure they're comfy while they play.

One customer said, "Absolutely the best purchase I have made since baby was born. It's a great size, and variable. The big square is great for keeping baby contained when I'm busy, and I use it unfolded as a barrier covering things I want to keep baby away from.
"It's pretty sturdy, the panels clip into place well and it has sucker pads on the bottom. The foamy mats are perfect and wipe clean. This playpen was one of the more expensive ones I looked at, but I am so so glad I got it, rather than a fixed size one. Brilliant, very happy customer."

Anything to maximise efficiency is a must when you're dealing with a baby and a tot, and that's where a double breast pump comes to the rescue. You can get more milk in less time and with the Mother&Baby 2022 Award-winning Lansinoh Breast Pump 2-in-1 Double Electric Breast Pump, it'll take out the effort by doing the pumping for you. It has three pumping styles, eight suction levels, and is of excellent quality.

Our mum tester Suzanne said, "I would recommend this product over everything as it makes my life easier which is a huge bonus as a mum. It comes with everything you could need and more including the handy bag to store it all in. It’s very comfortable to use you really don’t feel like you have it on and is fairly quiet compared to others I have used previously."