Coming home with baby

Bringing home the baby might be the most surreal experience you will ever encounter. Months of trials, and the exhilarating ride of ups and downs all seems to make sense and feel like they are all worth it. Your baby is finally out in the world and you have a new addition in your family and you are filled with excitement and happiness. However, since you will be bringing a vulnerable and brand new life into your life, there are some things which you can do in advance to make the transition a bit more smooth and easy. You will have a lot on your plate already and doing these few things can give you a comfortable cushion to fall into after the childbirth and make the early parenting days a lot more easier. 

Meal Prep: Stock up your fridge with healthy food options so that you are not left scrambling for food when you return from the hospital. Cook extra food and store it in containers in advance so that when you are back from the hospital, you already have food options available to you. Chances are that you wouldn't be returning to the kitchen and doing any cooking anytime soon, so meal prepping well in advance is always a great idea. 

Ask for help: Don't put up a brave front, and shy away from help when it is readily available to you. Ask help from your spouse, mother or mother-in-law, because everybody's motherhood is not a breeze and sometimes, it just takes asking to get the help you need. Reach out to a support group if you need to, as some extra hands and minds could make you feel relaxed and help with your physical and mental health. Only if you are in the best place can you take care of your little one. 

Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding can be a hit or a miss. And you never know until the baby is born whether you will be successfully breast-feeding or not. In case you are struggling with breastfeeding, consult your doctor, a lactation consultant. No two mothers are the same, so be patient with yourself. If things don't work out, there are always other feeding options available to you.   

Get your place baby-ready: Whether it means painting the nursery or just setting up the crip, make sure that you are creating space for the baby to come and fit in comfortably in your life. Doing these little things will make you feel excited as well as ready for the little addition to your family to arrive. This way, when you come back from the hospital, you will fit right in and not have to get things ready for the baby.

Pets and older children: To make it a smooth transition, it is important that you have a talk with your older children and make them feel ready and excited to welcome the baby home too. Pets should also be handled carefully and gently initiated to having a baby around, before you bring in the new family member. Things might be bumpy initially, but will settle in. Try to make this transition as smooth as possible. 

After the first few days after bringing the baby home, it might be some time before the parents finally  start getting into the rhythm of things. However, preparing for the event in advance and attending to the required things weeks ahead can help in that taxing time. In the matter of a few weeks, you wget used to the new lifestyle and having a brand new life in your household. Congratulations!

References:

https://www.todaysparent.com/baby/baby-health/coming- home-first- weeks-with- your-baby/

https://www.livestrong.com/article/497391-what- does-a- newborn-baby- need-when- coming-

home-from- the-hospital/