Q: How do I prepare my daughter for a new baby brother?

A: Your daughter will be curious about your changing body. A library will have books at her developmental level to explain how he is growing inside you. Show her ultrasounds and photos from your pregnancy with her. Help her make a “Big Sister” photo album from her birth to the present, with places where she will put photos with her brother. If she has to give up a crib or move to a different bedroom, then make all those changes a couple of months before his arrival so that these transitions aren’t associated with his birth. Let her pick out a special blanket for his homecoming. Have Dad hold the baby when you return from the hospital so you can scoop her into your arms. Baby brother can give her a doll when he arrives home; she can care for it when you are nursing and caring for him. Ask your pastor if she can be included in some special way at her brother’s baptism.