Q. My best friend has had real problems with her two-year-old girl since bringing home her new baby brother. I am six months pregnant, and have a two-year-old boy myself and am wondering what I can do to prevent my toddler from being jealous when the new baby arrives.

A. It's only natural that your first child will feel a little shocked when you bring a new bundle of joy home from the hospital. The new baby demands a lot of your time and attention. It's noisy and smelly and it won't join in any of your toddler's games.

The best way is to start preparing him for the new arrival is while you are pregnant. Make him one of the first people you share the happy news with.

There are lots of books out there about new babies entering a family that can be very useful when first broaching the subject.

Show him your scan photos and let him talk to the baby in your tummy. Share memories and photos of you with your siblings together as children. Let him feel the baby kicking.

If he is to stay at his Grandma's while you are having the baby, let him practice sleeping over beforehand so it won't be too strange.

When you return from the hospital, it's a good trick to bring a present from the baby for your toddler. Introduce the baby and then make a big fuss of your toddler (somebody else can look after the baby for a while – first impressions count!).

When you are feeding the new baby, see if you can all sit together with a book so your toddler doesn't resent missing out on the cuddles he can see you are enjoying with his new brother or sister.

If he expresses some negative feelings about the baby, acknowledge them. Don't forget to get him to 'help' as much as possible so that he feels included in the new family dynamics.

Was your toddler jealous when you brought home a new baby? How did you cope?