5 Ways You Can Prepare for Your Baby’s Arrival
Your baby’s due date is imminent, and excitement is in the air. But before the big day and bringing your baby home, it’s time to prep!
If this is your first baby, you might be shocked at how much goes into preparing for a newborn. However, if you already have older kids at home, you know there’s work to be done before you bring your baby home. Here are five ways that show you how to prepare for a baby’s arrival.
Prep the House for Baby
- Set Up Your Baby’s Gear: Take all the goodies you received from friends and family and prepare them. There are some must-have newborn items that you will need, like baby clothes and the baby’s nursery. Put the crib together, wash bedding and clothing, and stock your changing table with nappy essentials.
- Stock Up on Household Goods: Getting ready for the baby means ensuring you’re taken care of! Make and freeze meals, purchase lots of toilet paper, and have post-delivery necessities at home like perineal relief spray, disposable undies, and soothing bath salts.
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Clean your Home: The last thing you want to focus on with a newborn baby is cleaning, so try and deep clean ahead of time. Enlist help from friends and family or pay for a one-off clean if you're struggling.
Prep for Labour and Delivery
- Prepare for labour: Discuss with your partner how you envision your birthing experience. There are no guarantees, but ensure you’re on the same page. Prepare a birth plan detailing pain relief and if you’d like delayed clamping or skin-to-skin contact. Birth planning should be detailed yet flexible.
- Install the Car Seat: You'll need a safe and secure way to transport your precious newborn home from the hospital.
- Pack Your Hospital Bag: Our expert midwives recommend packing your hospital bag at least 4-weeks before your due date. Include essentials like My Expert Midwife’s Hospital Bag Set, fuzzy socks, toiletries, your birth ball, snacks, and your birth plan!
Prepare for Parenthood
- Read Up on Pregnancy and Parenting: If you’re not already devouring everything there is to know about pregnancy and parenting, start now. Of course, there is no foolproof way to prepare for parenthood, but once your baby arrives, you’ll be too tired or busy to read and research!
- Take Antenatal Classes: Antenatal classes are great for birth preparation. You will learn all about how to look after your baby, stay healthy during pregnancy and discuss your birth plans with professionals and other expectant parents.
- Discuss Parenting Expectations: You and your partner should discuss parenting, including where your baby sleeps, how you will handle discipline when the time comes, and expectations on whose responsibility it is for specific tasks.
- Prep Nursing or Feeding Supplies: If breastfeeding, purchase your breast pump before the baby is born. If you’re feeding your baby, stock up on bottles and nipples, and have at least two types at home if your baby has sensitivity.
Arrange for Help
Having a new baby is a lot of work. Talk with family members and arrange for extra help in the first few weeks or months. Support could mean coming over for an hour, taking a walk, providing meals, helping clean, or walking your dog.
Spend Time with your Partner and Older Kids
New babies take up a lot of time and energy. Carve out a particular time for you and your partner in the weeks following your baby’s arrival. If you have older kids, it is essential to make time for them. Older siblings often feel left out. Consider a memorable day out with them. Another idea is to purchase a gift for your new baby from their big sibling.
About the Author
My Expert Midwife was founded in 2017 to help with the physical recovery challenges that women face during pregnancy, childbirth and beyond. Working with in-house expert midwives, they have developed a range of award-winning products designed especially for new and expectant mums and new babies. Their midwife-developed products come glowingly recommended by thousands of mums.