Coping with Two: A Stress-Free Guide to Managing a New Baby When You Have Another Child

by Simone Cave, Caroline Fertleman

'Coping with Two' takes second time mums from pregnancy and birth to the first day on your own with your new baby and older child. It guides you through the weeks, months and years beyond, giving you all the practical advice and reassurance you'll need.

Genres: Parenting, Childrens, Nonfiction

242 pages, Paperback

First published August 6, 2012

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I ended up skimming this book because my initial approach to reading it carefully left me bogged down in the details which apparently are only pertinent if you live the UK. From details about how many prenatal visits you have to stocking up on nappies and cotton wool, I found this book more interesting as a cultural artifact than as a resource that could help me prepare for life with two children.

I laughed out loud at the food items they suggested mothers stock up on since I don’t think I would ever consider buying these things to create a meal:

“If you stick up on the following you’ll be able to postpone your first post-baby shopping trip by a couple of days:

For the freezer: oven chips, vegetables, berries, bread

For the larder: eggs, baked beans, tins of minestrone soup, long-life milk

This will enable you to eat egg and chips, beans on toast, smoothies (long-life milk and frozen berries), and minestrone (a complete meal)....You can also buy plenty of tea and biscuits or wine and crisps for visitors. By offering a snack you’ll make it clear, should you want to, that you’re not going to be cooking them a meal even if they happen to turn up at lunchtime.”

I can understand tea and biscuits, but wine and crisps? I don’t drink, but that sounds like a gross combination to me, as does beans on toast. Also, what is a larder? A refrigerator? A pantry? Do people in the UK not refrigerate their eggs? That one section of the book left me with several questions, and as a result I decided that maybe there were too many cultural parenting practices espoused in this book that it wasn’t worth it for me to wade through it.

[Tim Corke · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I’ve finished reading ‘coping with two’ and for the most part contains great advice, provide assurance and guidance. I cannot help but think whether or not I cope or not will be the more appropriate review of this book. We shall see!

[Veronika S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent easy to read book. Wish I bought it before my second baby was born.

[Shelby Workman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very, very helpful!! I'll be purchasing this for other mamas in the future! A few recommendations are a little dated, but loved the practical tips!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Coping with Two by Simone Cave & Caroline Fertleman a very reassuring read during my second pregnancy (just what I needed!) It has practical tips that work to make things easier with just one child, let alone two. It outlines scenarios & offers simple solutions for dealing with these that don't expect you to be super-human. Things such as getting your toddler dressed when you change their first morning nappy- so simple I should have thought of it myself but now we are ready to leave the house in much quicker time. It covers managing two children whatever the age gap & breaks things down by your baby's age, eg- the first week, first 3 months etc. There are also whole chapters dedicated to bringing your baby home & your first day alone with 2- my friend recommended the book based solely on these chapters. I have yet to test the content with two children, the birth of my second still being 3 weeks away, but I will be keeping this book by my bedside as a reference guide during those night-time feeds.

[Rebecca Ormond · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a cute little book. (It's written in 'Australian' - that alone is entertaining.) I wish I had found this when I was pregnant. It would have really helped in the first few months, however there was still plenty to draw from. The best part of reading this book is gaining a sense that it's ok to genuinely feel like you can't cope, like you're not going to make it through another day (I feel that way at least once a day). These thoughts/feelings are normal and many? most? dare I say ALL? parents feel that way from time to time. Like everything else this too shall pass.

[Rachel Miller]

Some good advice to cherry pick from.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good practical tips for day-to-day life, but a lot of the content didn't quite sit right with my parenting style.

[Neysa Radmilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Simone divided the section based on children age.
Very useful for mother of 2 like me

[✿ ♥ Heather ♥ ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good information - lots of great tips

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

With chapters organised by age of baby, this book was easy to dip in and out of for time appropriate advice. Some pretty obvious stuff but also some useful reminders and novel suggestions for me. Definitely a book I'll be referring to again in the future.