| | Oh, what a wonderful event! You are bringing your newborn baby home from the hospital. If this is your first baby, you may not be fully aware of what to expect when you bring baby home from the hospital.
Here are a few tips on making this exciting trip a little less stressful.
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Many moms-to-be have everything packed for the hospital a few weeks before their due date. If you know the gender of your baby, you can pack a few pieces of comfortable clothing for him or her. If you do not know the gender of your baby, you can pack non-gender specific clothing items. Alternately, someone can bring an outfit for baby the day you are due to go home.
Many times, new moms unknowingly over-dress their brand new baby in uncomfortable clothing. Dressing baby in simple clothing will be less stressful than trying to put an elaborate outfit on him/her. Reducing stress is important during this happy time.
Even if you wish to have “going home” pictures, it is advised to dress baby in very comfortable soft clothing. My favorite clothing for my daughter when she was a newborn was a soft long sleeved or short-sleeved baby gown. Another simple idea is to dress baby in just a soft t-shirt and diaper, and wrap him/her in a soft blanket. Add a knit baby hat for cuteness if you like.
Before you leave the hospital, make sure you talk to your nurse or doctor about any concerns or questions you may have regarding breast-feeding, bottle-feeding, sleeping, health concerns, etc.
For the trip home, it is vitally important that you have an infant safe car seat (for infants 20 lbs or less). Under no terms should you ever enter a moving vehicle with your baby without a proper car seat. That goes for a car, taxi, bus, airplane, etc. Infants should ride in the back seat in a rear-facing car seat until they are 20 lbs and a year old. The car seat should be properly buckled in – make sure the instructions are properly read and applied.
Unfortunately, many public buses do not offer seat belts. Having baby in a rear-facing car seat is still a good option.
Once you get home, you will probably be very tired. Hopefully, you will have help from an experienced friend or family member. They can help alleviate any worries you may have in taking care of baby until you become more familiar with having a new member in your household.
Your hormones will be fluctuating from the delivery, so expect to be a little weepy or moody. Also, be on the lookout for post partum depression (A feeling of deep depression, being afraid to touch your baby, or not wanting to touch your baby are some (not all) symptoms). If you suspect you may be experiencing post partum depression, call your doctor as soon as possible.
The first few days with your new baby at home may be a little difficult. Once you two get to know each other and once you learn baby's routine, everything should become easier for you.
More information is scheduled to be published soon, including:
- Teething
- Baby Development Milestones
- When to Introduce Solid Food
- And More!
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