Guest article from lactationstationandmore.com
With a myriad of essential baby preparation tips all over the internet, it’s hard to determine which opinion is warranted. There is no reason bringing a new, little one into your family should make your head spin. In this discussion, we will come up with a short and easy to use list for the sake of simplicity.
Let’s face it; by the time you realize you are pregnant, at least a month has gone passed. Meaning, now you only have eight short months to prepare your family for a new addition. Actually, the first month or two after the pregnancy test is positive may leave you bewildered, giving you even less time to prepare.
Capitalism and Baby Preparation
Capitalism has us believing that we must have and do many things before the baby arrives. Still, in reality, it doesn’t take much. Think about it, what would happen if you found out yesterday you were pregnant and tomorrow your baby was born? Likely, you would just have a baby, and everything else would fall into place.
Depending on your personality type, you may wish to have everything a certain way before the progeny arrives. Still, nothing terrible would happen if you didn’t. Albeit someone would happily bring you whatever item you felt was necessary or fulfilled a task you wished had been done.
On the other hand, if you have the time, energy, and money to make arrangements, have at it. The critical things you’ll want to put your efforts into may surprise you. Buying baby gadgets, clothes, and the like will be last on the list.
The Essential Tips for Baby Prep
- Find quality care health care providers for you and baby.
- Explore different birth centers for preference.
- Purchase quality prenatal vitamins, eat well, stay hydrated, and exercise.
- Take quality childbirth, newborn & breastfeeding classes.
- Read a variety of genre regarding pregnancy, birth, babies, and feeding.
- Hire a doula and make a birth plan.
- Start a discussion with your employer if you are returning to work.
- Seek out daycare options now. Some require a waiting list.
- You and partner ideally will take a babymoon or reconnect and strengthen your relationship, however necessary.
- Start seeking out other mom friends with the same parenting philosophies–build a mom tribe!
- Prepare other family members for the new arrival.
- Keep your expectations flexible!
- Use maternal instinct in preparations–not social media.
- Make a postpartum visitor plan and let everyone know ahead of the baby.
- Double your favorite recipes and freeze half.
Notice that the ESSENTIAL baby preparation tips are focusing on you to help make for the transition into motherhood a little smoother. When you take the time to be well educated, in good physical and mental health and reinforce your relationship, you are set up for success.
Cleaning, painting, buying, decorating, and building stuff for the newborn is premature. You’ll rarely need more than diapers, clothes, blankets, and a place to put them to sleep safely in those first months. Notice how staggering it is after a baby shower–you’ll need an empty room to store all the gear.
Think like a minimalist. Talk to your seasoned mom friends about the true necessities needed before the baby gets here or in the first three months. Take a peek at the gadgets they still have in boxes or ask what they returned to the store. Those moms know all too well how much useless equipment collects dust, including a crib in many cases. Truthfully, you’ll always need diapers and milk that’s it!
Not a Party Pooper
There is nothing wrong with buying a few cute things or devising a plan for the newest addition to the family. It’s damn near impossible to pass up an adorable outfit that you can’t wait to see your baby sport. The key is not to cause yourself angst if the smallest-human-not-yet-born doesn’t have it all. Babies are simple creatures, and the best part is, they don’t JUDGE you!
So, when discussing your essential baby preparation tips with friends and family, be sure to alert them to keep it simple. If you feel strongly about creating a room for your mini-me, enlist the help from your fans and leave it at that. No matter when your munchkin is born, you will have the essential things needed, loving arms to rest in and breasts with nutrition.
Happy Parenting!
Sarah Glenn, IBCLC, CBE, CD, RYT is a wife, mom of 7 (9 if you count the dogs) and grandma of 6+ (and the grand puppies and kitties). In her spare time *chuckle*, she is an avid reader, budding herbalist, sun goddess, nature lover, and a wandering-soul-wanna-be. She has been helping families through the perinatal period of life for the past 3 decades! For more information check out her websites!