Bringing Home Baby: A Checklist
As the countdown to your due-date begins to whiz by faster and faster, the list of things to do around the house in order to prepare for the arrival of your little bundle seems never ending. There are parenting courses, baby showers, birthing classes and shopping lists that resemble novels! Coupled with the stress of being pregnant and running around getting things ready, there’s the ever-present fear that you’ll forget something. It is something all new parents experience and in the hopes of reducing some of the stress, we’ve put together a checklist of all the elements that should be in place before baby arrives home. Good luck!
Ensuring You Are Emotionally Supported
Far more important than stocking up on the right brand of nappies or a year’s supply of wipes, it is vitally important that you have an emotional support network in place for when things become a bit overwhelming. The ability to ask for help and the confidence to know who to ask are the most important tools in a mother’s possession, so well before the need arises, make a list of trusted friends and family who you know will be willing to lend an ear, a shoulder or have a laugh with in this exciting and life changing time.
Ensure You Have Help Around The House
Taking care of a newborn can easily take up 110% of your time, and the added burden of housework and chores doesn’t need to contribute to the busy time that is new-parenthood. If you have friends and neighbours you can trust and rely on, why not ask if they’d mind lending a hand with doing some errands for you in those first few weeks? Things like having someone to run to the shops and pick up bread and milk, or wash the car while they’re doing theirs will really make a difference. If you don’t feel comfortable asking for help, why not hire a cleaner for the first month you’re home with your new baby, or make a load of meals and freeze them before your due date so you don’t have to think about dinners for a while?
Cleaning Your Home for a Newborn
With their tiny little developing bodies, a newborn’s immune system isn’t yet as robust as yours, which is why hygiene and cleanliness need to be top priorities in the weeks leading up to birth. Make sure your home is dust and mould-free, that your carpets have been cleaned (steam-cleaned if they haven’t been done in a while) and that your heating or air-conditioning vents have been disinfected. If you’re going to paint the baby’s nursery make sure it is done well in advance of coming home from the hospital and of course, make sure you use a child-friendly paint product.
One of the most exciting times in your life will be those first few weeks at home with your newborn. You can work on their development and the bond you share with everything from singing to your child to baby massage, but in order to be able to do these things you should be organised and prepared so you can give yourself the time and energy to enjoy it. Having said this, it is important to remember that nothing ever goes exactly according to the plans we make in our heads, and acknowledging that it is going to be a tiring time as well will put you in a good position to deal with deviations from those plans. All too often women are hard on themselves and expect that they’re at fault if things don’t go smoothly at first–your baby may have reflux, or may be difficult to settle–similarly, they may sleep for Australia! The point is to prepare as much as you can for what you can foresee, but be forgiving and flexible with all the things you can’t!