The Need to Know Guide to Life With a Toddler and a Newborn: How to Prepare For and Cope With The Day to Day Challenge of Raising Two Young Children (Central YMCA Mums' Health Guides)

Learning to live with and look after your newborn baby is hard enough on its own, but when you combine it with the needs of an energetic, attention-loving toddler, the day-to-day challenge can seem immense. In this fascinating book from Central YMCA, one of the UK’s leading health and wellbeing charities, Nicola Cooper-Abbs, herself a mum of two, gives a brilliant insight into these often unforeseen challenges. Using her own experiences and those of other mums from across the UK, Nicola provides a wealth of insightful tips and advice on everything from explaining to your toddler that your new arrival is on its way, to techniques for getting out and about with your growing family. Designed as a guide for parents from pregnancy, through the early days following the birth of your second child and on through the first few months, this essential guide will prepare you for the adventures that lie ahead, with tips on buying the right double buggy, utilising community support services, establishing routines, keeping your toddler amused, finding time for yourself and a whole lot more. As Nicola herself says; “At the time I would have welcomed an easy-to-digest book with some top hints and tips on the areas I really struggled with – things I often felt too embarrassed to ask friends or the health visitor about. And this is how this book was born.” Central YMCA Guides: Trustworthy advice from those in the know.

My name is Nicola Cooper-Abbs and I was born in a small northern town in the 1970s. I'm fairly sure I came out clutching a pencil and pen and asking where the nearest library was. Predictably, I grew up to be writer, studying journalism at the University of Central Lancashire and then moving over to the world of marketing and PR. I spent a couple of years working in an agency, had a quick pit stop in New Zealand and taught English in the exotic location of Salford. Ten years ago I set up as a freelance writer and marketer.

I now spend my time writing about a variety of parenting topics combined with my role as Marketing Director of MumPanel, a specialist insight consultancy. But my most important job is being mum to my two chatty, hilarious and truly wonderful girls.