You have had your baby. Now the real fun begins! Bringing your baby home from the hospital is a big event. Your life will never be the same again. Hopefully, you have prepared for the baby’s arrival during your pregnancy. Now is the big day. What kinds of things can you do to make your transition go more smoothly?
Get as much sleep as you can. This means take a nap when the baby naps. Don’t try to catch up on housework, paying bills or doing the laundry. In order to take care of baby the way she deserves, you will need to feel as rested as possible.
If you cannot stand a slightly messy house, you have two choices. You can either hire a housekeeper or get used to things not being perfectly cleaned like they were before baby. It is extremely tempting to try and do all of your chores when the baby is asleep. If you find yourself doing this, please remember that you need to sleep as much as you can. Your main purpose in life at this moment is to care for your newborn.
Stock up on diapers before the baby is due. Diaper services, if you are using cloth diapers, deliver ahead of time you just need to let them know when you want a delivery. Make sure to have at least one bag of disposable diapers even if you are using cloth. If your baby is going to wear disposable diapers, having four bags at home will make life easier in the long run.
Another item to have on hand is baby formula. In the beginning, you may want to supplement your nursing with formula just until your milk gets established. Make sure you nurse and do formula; if you just feed formula, your milk will not come in adequately. Talk to a lactation consultant if you need assistance with nursing.
Have a basinette set up in your bedroom right next to your bed. This will make nursing in the middle of the night much easier. You can just get the baby out of the basinette and nurse right in your bed without having to wake up fully.
Baby’s safety is a huge concern for a new parent. It is important to hear what is going on in baby’s room. Is she asleep or awake? For your own piece of mind, the purchase of a dect baby monitor is wise. With a monitor you will be able to know all of the time whether the baby is asleep or awake. Bathing baby is another big safety concern. Buy a baby bath to use on the counter top or sink. You will have much better control over baby’s body in a small bathtub than you would trying to bathe her in the adult-size tub.
Lastly, take time to enjoy your new baby. Play with him, read to him and devote your attention to him. It will not be very long before baby is a grown man.