After seeing symptoms in the early months of pregnancy, your excitement must’ve known no bounds as you’re ready to bring a new life to this world, we’re happy and here for you.
If you’re expecting a baby, you know you’ll have some stressful times ahead. This is why you might need some guidance. Well, you’ve come to the right place as we’ll be running through the essentials you should know, making the delivery as well as life after pregnancy easier.
You may also have to deal with some lower back pain but here’s how to handle that.
1. Create A Pregnancy Plan
A pregnancy plan is one of the best things you can do as it’ll help you stay calm and focused to face the big day. After all, it’s a great occasion. It’s important that you are relaxed as stress can affect how well the delivery goes.
If you’re planning on giving birth in the hospital, the plan should include:
- What hospital you’re going to give birth in (after all, not all of them may accept your insurance so you’ll have to look for one that does)
- If you want a natural birth or C-section
- If it is a natural birth, whether you want pain medication or not
- The list of clothes and items you want to take with you to the hospital, via your hospital bag.
If you’re planning on giving birth at home, it should include:
- The name of the midwife that will deliver your child
- What type of delivery you want, whether it will be a water birth or on your bed.
- If you’re fine with skin-to-skin contact after the little one arrives.
- The plan should also include the contact information of several people that you may need around you, such as family and friends.
2. A Pregnancy Bag
As we’ve discussed how important it is for you to stay calm, you can take this further by having a pregnancy bag.
You should take the bag with you to the hospital to make your stay as comfortable as possible.
It should include things like your favorite blankets, pillows, some perfume, as well as important things like proof of insurance, hospital paperwork and as much cash as possible. You never know when you might need it.
3. You’re Not Wonder woman
Face it, you’re not a superhero. There’s no way you can handle the baby by yourself, especially if it’s your first child. Yes, your partner will help but it’ll be too much for him to handle as well. This is why you need someone to help you in the first few weeks, even months.
This someone could be a professional but if you’re not looking to spend too much, you don’t need to look any further as your family members can help.
You can make things easier by cleaning your home and attending to any chores or other things that need to be done when you get back.
4. Breast Feeding
Since we’re on the topic of getting things done in advance, you can have a breast pump on standby but unfortunately, one isn’t enough. You’ll need multiples as they could easily break. This will leave you in a pinch as you won’t be able to feed your baby.
Also, ensure you have the best breast pump as it would make the extraction as comfortable as possible.
5. Speak To Your Kids
Having a baby is a joyous occasion. If you have kids around already, having another baby might give them anxiety which is why you should talk with them.
As you can imagine, they may be disappointed that the affection you share with them will be divided with their new sibling. Such a thing is quite common and if you don’t attend to this, it can lead to the older kids resenting the younger one.
You should get your kids to interact with the baby growing in your stomach. This can be done by getting them to speak, sing and even listen to music with him. Doing so will allow them to create a bond with their younger sibling even before he or she is born.
Be sure to sit down with them and explain the situation. Tell them that they’ll have a younger sibling who they will have to care for and love from now on. Don’t forget to emphasize how much you love them all equally as this will help overcome any doubts.
6. Dog-Proof The Home
Like your kids, your furry little friends have to adjust to the little one too. They’re going to need to get used to your affection being divided as well.
Although they’re loving, dogs can be dangerous to have around newborns. After all, they have sharp teeth and claws.
You can get a doggy gate and lock the entry of the nursery. This will pet-proof the vicinity until your baby is a bit older and is able to interact with your furry friend.
Face it, your dog loves to get dirty so the muck he brings in could seriously affect your little one’s sensitive skin. This is the same for fur and any lice or ticks he may carry. The fence would prevent these things from affecting him.
7. Safety Proof The Nursery
You might think it isn’t much you can do to safety-proof the nursery. After all, a newborn can’t walk. However, you need to do this when cleaning his or her room. This especially includes the sheets and pillowcases of his crib.
This is a must as a baby’s skin is so sensitive.
Before you even think of cleaning, know you can’t use anything. You’ll need a biological detergent as this is the softest for his or her skin.
8. Speak To Experienced Parents
Before you give birth, it’s vital that you speak to other parents. Although you could find a bit of information online, nothing will be as informative as speaking to mothers who’ve raised multiple children.
You can either contact your mom, grandma, or any other female members of your family, even friends.
They’ll give you all the tips they’ve learned throughout the years, making your pregnancy journey a lot easier to handle. Most importantly, they’ll tell you everything you need to know about raising the little one. This will keep you prepared for the future as well.
