Tag Archive: baby

Getting ready to have a baby

Having a baby

Baby deliveryThere is nothing in life like getting ready to have a baby, it literally turns your entire world upside down. Your home is changing, your relationship with your spouse is changing, your pets are acting strange, and your body is going through changes that no doctor could ever really prepare you for. You know that at the end of it, all of these changes will be well worth it because you will be bringing a new life into this world, one that is filled with new hopes dreams and possibilities. You understand that at some point all of the madness of getting ready to have a baby will settle down, but you also know that your life will never really be the same again.

First, getting ready to have a baby means getting ready for big changes in your marriage. A baby will make your marriage stronger than you ever thought possible. For many couples, they feel that a baby makes their family ‘official’. And if this is your first child, you will be amazed at how much love you have for this new little life, and how much deeper your love for your spouse will grow. However, a newborn also means that both you and your husband will have to work much harder to make the time that you have alone together count. Taking care of a new baby can bring you to a point of exhaustion that you never thought was possible. Your lack of sleep can make it much harder for you and your spouse to feel connected at a time when you both need each other more than ever. To keep your connection strong, try spending a lot of quality time together during the last few weeks of pregnancy and have a plan to start going on a date once a week after the baby is a month or so old.

Secondly, getting ready to have a baby means that your work and career will undergo some changes. You should be planning for your return to work long before your due date. A daycare center will typically fill up very quickly and it is likely that you will be put on a waiting list so that a spot can be held for your newborn. So you want to think about which daycare center you want to use, how close it is to your work, and if you will need to change your work schedule in order to accommodate the daycare center’s hours.

And of course, getting ready for a baby means big changes in your house. Not only is there an entire nursery that you are decorating, but you also have a lot of new furniture to put together before your little one arrives. Once the gifts start to come in, it is very easy to get overwhelmed by the number of baby items that are coming into your home. A good rule of thumb is to set aside a space in certain areas of the house for your baby’s things. For instance, have a spot your kitchen where you can wash and store your baby bottles so that they will be ready for you when you return from the hospital. Likewise, have a space in your laundry room where you will be able to put any new baby clothes that haven’t been washed yet. This way you can easily wash them and put them away when you are doing the rest of your laundry.

Getting ready to have a baby is an amazing time in your life, but if you aren’t prepared for all of the big changes that are happening you may find yourself feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Taking the time now to prepare for these changes will save you any undue stress later.

Having a baby hospital bag

 A baby hospital bag

You know that you need to pack all of your bags well before you go to the hospital, but have you considered having a baby hospital bag as well? Sure, the hospital will have all of the basics that your little one will need, but do you really want your baby to look like every other child in the nursery? Think about all of the adorable clothes that you have been accumulating over the past few months, what better time to use them than for your all of those hospital baby pictures you will be taking?

Hospital bagBut of course, a lot more goes into having a baby hospital bag then just cute clothes. You can also bring along some of your favorite baby toiletries from home. This is particularly important if you have a specific type of baby products that you want used on your baby’s skin.. For instance, if you want all natural, organic, or vegan baby products used on your baby’s sensitive skin then it is best that you pack it yourself and bring it to the hospital.
Having a baby hospital bag is also a great way for older siblings to start bonding with the baby sooner. Packing a baby bag can be a fun experience for an older brother or sister, especially if they feel like they have a say in what gets packed for the baby. If your older child has picked out a special toy for your newborn , then allowing them to pack it in the baby hospital bag will help them to feel like becoming an older sibling is a good thing. When it comes to older siblings, the sooner you can help then to start adjusting to the idea of a new baby in the house the better.

Lastly, having a baby hospital bag is a great if you have a long trip home from the hospital. If you live only a few miles away from your birthing center, then a diaper bag is not that big of a deal. But some people drive an hour or more so that they can have their birthing experience in the hospital of their choice. When that happens, having a baby hospital bag is a great place to store diapers, wipes, pacifiers, and an extra burp cloth for your baby in case they need anything on the long trip home.

Having a baby hospital bag is not a necessity when you give birth. For some parents, they feel that the less they have to keep track of at the hospital the easier their hospital stay will be, and that is okay. But if you have specific things that you want your child to have before they get back to your home, having a baby hospital bag – even if it is a small one – is a good idea.