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Day 237 of 280 · 33 weeks + 6 days

The older child

Last reviewed · 3 min read · 7 sources · Plain-text version

Thirty-three weeks and six days. If there's already a child at home, today is about them: a book about a new baby, an honest conversation, and big changes timed well.

Size this week
about the size of a pineapple
Length this week
around 43.7 cm from head to heel
A South Asian woman with a full bump sitting cross-legged on a rug, reading a picture book with her three-year-old daughter on her lap, a lamp on in the late afternoon.

Thirty-three weeks and six days, the last day of week 33. If this is your first baby, the activity today won't apply, and For you is still for you. If there's a child at home already, they're about to have the biggest change of their life so far, and a few weeks of preparation helps.

Your baby

A single whole pineapple on a plain pale wooden table, soft window light.

Around now your baby is around 43.7cm long from head to heel, about the size of a pineapple (NHS). The brain and nervous system are fully developed, and the bones are hardening, except the skull (NHS).

Your body

The AAP's advice on siblings depends on age. Toddlers, ages 1 to 2, may not grasp what a new sibling means, but talking about the baby beforehand and reading books about newborns and siblings helps (AAP). With preschoolers, ages 2 to 4, be honest that the baby will cry, will need a lot of attention, and that they'll need to be gentle (AAP). Children 5 and up are usually less threatened but may resent the attention; give them a role (AAP).

Timing matters too. Finish big changes, like toilet training or moving from a crib to a bed, before the baby arrives, or put them off until the baby is settled (AAP). And expect your child to regress a little, with accidents or wanting a bottle; the AAP says to praise grown-up behavior rather than scold (AAP).

Try today

  1. The older-child talk

    Time: 15 minutes

    1. If there's no older child at home, skip to For you.

    2. Find one picture book about a new baby; reading books about newborns and siblings is on the AAP's list (AAP).

    3. Read it together, then say the true version in a few plain sentences: the baby will cry a lot, sleep a lot, and need gentle hands.

    4. Ask one question back: "What do you think you'll teach the baby?" Listen to the answer.

    5. Check the calendar for any big routine change you'd planned for the next two months, and decide: finish it now, or wait until the baby is settled (AAP).

    Make it work:

    One book and one honest sentence beat a long speech. Children come back to it in their own time.

Watch for

  • Normal

    earlier pregnancy symptoms coming back now and then (NHS).

    Call your provider

    right away for any bleeding; the NHS says to seek advice for any bleeding (NHS), and MedlinePlus says to always report bleeding late in pregnancy right away (MedlinePlus).

  • Normal

    a sniffle passed around the house.

    Call your provider

    as soon as you can for fever or chills (OWH). Washing your hands, and your children's hands, often can help prevent CMV, the most common infectious cause of birth defects (AAP).

  • Normal

    a sore back after picking up a small child; bend your knees rather than your waist when you lift (MedlinePlus).

    Call your provider

    if back pain doesn't get better (OWH).

For you

The AAP's sibling advice ends with the two of you: children whose parents have a strong, loving relationship tend to adjust better, so make time for your partner (AAP). That's true whether this is your first child or your fourth.

If you're the partner: plan one evening for the two of you before the birth. It doesn't need to be out. It needs to be on purpose.

Sources

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

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