Adding a baby sibling into the mix is no small thing. Your #1 might be feeling anxious, excited, uncertain, or all of the above. You might be feeling some of these things, too! (Which, in our opinion, is totally okay.)

We asked our community of M+A moms for their best advice on how to prepare your entire family for a new addition. And naturally, they delivered.

Practice (On a Baby Doll) Makes Perfect

“Buy your little one a baby doll to “practice” beforehand. My son was 14-months-old when his brother came along and one of his first words was “baby” because of the doll he had grown to love so much in preparation. With a baby doll, we were also able to teach him to be gentle.” - @themantramom

Room makeovers for All

“During the nesting phase, I tried to include them in things like painting the nursery and hanging the decor. We made their rooms over too so they felt like it wasn’t just the baby who was getting a new room. They felt so involved that they were so proud to be the big brother and sister.” - @kalehp

Reconnect with Mom First

“If the new siblings do come to the hospital, take a minute to connect with them without the baby if possible. They have probably been missing mom and it’s a little scary to see you in a hospital gown and bed even they know you are “okay”. After a quick check-in they will be more prepared to meet the new baby.” - @katiemarrs

Let Them Make Their Mark

“Our 6-year-old daughter made the baby her first picture that’s going in a frame in the baby’s room.” - @mellaniestefan

Prepare Your Visitors

“I made sure to let everyone know to greet our oldest first then to see our youngest when they came to visit. We never wanted our oldest to get jealous of the new baby.” - @g4bbie86

Have a Gift Exchange

“We had our two-year-old daughter pick out a special present for her new baby sister. When she arrived to meet her, she was so excited to give her the special gift, but was even more excited to learn that her new baby sister had gifts for her too.” - @lindsayH

Take the Pressure Off

“Just go with it and don’t set any expectations. It will be beautiful and magical in its own way!” - @jes_frank