Honestly, I’d avoid moving your firstborn around *too many times* in a short span 😅 At 18 months, they can understand routine changes enough to resist them, but not enough to fully process why everything suddenly changed. New baby + mummy recovering + changing sleep arrangements twice can be a lot.
If I were in your shoes, I’d do this:
**Month 1 (while confinement nanny is around):**
* You + newborn in master bedroom (easier for night feeds/recovery)
* Confinement nanny either sleeps with newborn *if that’s your arrangement* OR nearby depending on feeding setup
* Helper stays with firstborn in their current room so toddler’s routine stays stable
**After nanny leaves:**
Try to keep your firstborn where they already are (with helper) instead of moving them into your room temporarily and then moving again later. That “sleep with parents first, then move out again” transition may backfire because toddlers can get very attached to that arrangement fast.
**Longer-term options:**
* Keep helper + firstborn in current room, and newborn with you until baby sleeps longer stretches
**OR**
* Convert study into toddler room eventually (but I’d start introducing it *before* baby arrives if that’s the end goal—let her nap/play there first so it feels exciting, not like she’s being “replaced” by baby)
A few moms I know with similar age gaps said what helped most was:
✔ keeping toddler’s bedtime routine exactly the same
✔ avoiding making major changes right after birth (weaning, room changes, sleep training, potty training all at once = chaos)
✔ letting helper remain toddler’s “constant person” during postpartum recovery
And real talk: your firstborn may regress a little when baby arrives (wanting more cuddles, waking at night, clinginess). Very normal.
Your Plan B (study room) can work — just only if you gradually transition her *before* baby comes, not after. If not enough time, I’d stick with the current arrangement first and revisit after everyone survives newborn mode 😂
2 under 2 is intense but very doable. The goal isn’t a “perfect” setup — it’s the setup with the least disruption.
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