7 Things To Do To Prepare For The Arrival Of Your Baby

The time leading up to giving birth and bringing home your new baby can be bliss but also stressful. This is especially true for first-time mothers. It is overwhelming learning all you need to know and gathering everything before your baby arrives. Just know that it is normal to be scared and feel totally clueless. The best thing you can do to defeat these feelings is to educate yourself on how to care for your new baby and prepare everything you can before heading to the hospital to give birth. Here is a list of 7 helpful things to do to prepare for the arrival of your new baby.

1. Get All Needed Baby Supplies

Family members and friends are great resources for helping you gather all the supplies you need for your baby. It is easy to go overboard, but remember that your baby won’t need many of those fun items like a jumper until they are a bit older. Some required items you will need include:

• Car seat to bring the baby home
• Diapers
• Wipes
• Swaddles
• Crib, pack ‘n’ play, bassinet, or other safe sleeping space
• Clothing
• Stroller
• Breast pump or bottles and formula (depending on what your feeding preferences are)
• Postpartum pads

2. Install The Car Seat

The hospital will not let you leave with your baby without first checking to see if you have a car seat and it is correctly installed. It will save you time and reduce frustration if you install the car seat before going to the hospital.

3. Freeze Meals For Later

You are going to be busy and tired so cooking meals will probably not be a priority anymore. Making some homemade meals and freezing them for later will save you stress and time when all you want to do is concentrate on your baby or get some much-needed rest.

4. Stock Up

Stock up on whatever household essentials you could need. This could include toilet paper, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, snacks, pet food, medications, toothpaste, and much more. If you think you may need it, buy it now because you may not have time to run errands once the baby comes home.

5. Clean the House

Get your home in order before bringing the baby home. You are not going to want to come home from the hospital to a messy house and have laundry to do.

6. Pack Your Bag

Pack your bag to bring to the hospital ahead of time. You will be thankful that you packed early if you end up having to rush out the door or have an emergency.

7. Rest

Last but not least, make sure to take some time for yourself. You don’t want to be stressed out during your pregnancy. Remember that the most important thing is to get you and your baby home safe and healthy.