Fun Ways to Involve Your Child in Your Pregnancy Journey

Pregnancy is an immensely demanding time, both in terms of physical health and mental wellbeing. It can be difficult to balance the tasks you have to do with your energy levels and hormonal shifts, and also hard to find time to give your family the attention they need. This becomes especially difficult if you already have young children to look after, and even more so if it’s your second pregnancy and you have to deal with a child who has been used to having all their parents’ attention to themselves. But there are ways to share this time with your child, and get them involved in some of the more fun and interesting aspects of pregnancy. Let’s have a look at some ideas.

Help your child to understand

It’s difficult, particularly for younger children, to understand exactly what’s going on when their mother is pregnant, as well as having to get their head around the fact that another baby is actually on the way. Bear in mind that for younger children, nine months seems like a very long time, but it’s not too early to introduce the concept of a new baby brother or sister. Talking about the changes that are taking place to your body should be done in an age-appropriate way — for younger children saying ‘there’s a baby in Mummy’s tummy’ should suffice, but older kids might have more questions, so be ready to field the ‘where do babies come from?’ questions! You should also encourage children to touch the bump, especially when the baby is moving around. They can also talk or sing to it — babies in the womb can hear after about 23 weeks. 

Take children to ultrasound scans

There are numerous tests and checkups that pregnant women take — scans that ensure the wellbeing of the baby such as ultrasound. Now that technology is more developed than ever, it's possible to get a 3D or even 4D ultrasound image — this is useful for younger children, for whom the concept of a new baby brother or sister becomes ‘realer’ with pictures. As well as sharing the photos, you can also take the kids to the check ups, so they can see the baby moving around inside the womb. Bear in mind though, this can be tiring for younger children who will have to sit and wait for all the various other procedures to take place as well. 

In-bed activities

Pregnancy is an exhausting time, and expecting mothers require plenty of bedrest. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t find time for your children though, and there are many ways that you can bond, and prepare for the new baby either directly or indirectly. Reading stories together (to the bump) can be a relaxing and fun way to spend time, and some older children may want to give their mother a massage or put oil on the bump. You can watch TV together — find some child-friendly informative videos about getting a new baby brother or sister. You may have some stretching exercises your doctor has advised to keep you supple — you can do these together as well. 

Preparations

Now’s the time to prepare a nursery or an area of your bedroom to welcome a newcomer. Involving your children in the preparations and decorations for this space is a great way to spend time — let them pick out the colour scheme, or help with the painting. They can help choose a sweet mobile that will keep the new baby occupied in their cradle, or choose a toy that they will give to welcome their new brother or sister. When we had our second child we bought a present for our four-year-old from the baby, so now’s the time to choose something they’d like as well. You can even get your child involved in packing your hospital bag — as well as being a helpful shared activity, this also will give them a sense of your needs. And earlier on in your pregnancy it’s fun to get your children to help you brainstorm potential baby names. 

Nothing can fully prepare your children for the arrival of a new baby. But spending some time together with some of these activities will not only help them understand, it will also foster your bond.