Bringing Home Baby - Guest Post

Recently I was contacted by Katie Moore to submit an article.  I hope you can use some of her fantastic information.

Bringing Baby Home

It ‘s exciting bringing home a new baby. And while excitement may reign, it can also be somewhat unnerving, as it seems that there are so many things to do before the baby arrives. By following a few guidelines, you can make sure bringing home your new baby will be the joyful and fun occasion it should be.

First and foremost, an expectant mother should focus on eating well and taking good care of her health. Making sure to receive the essential vitamins and nutrients throughout her pregnancy will help keep baby healthy in the womb. After the baby is born, it’s important for the mother to be aware of what she’s consuming because whatever the mother will be consuming, she will be providing through her breast milk as well.

Another thing an expectant mother should do as delivery day nears is getting as much sleep as possible! Once the baby arrives, there won't be a lot of sleeping for the first few months. Babies take some time to adjust to their sleep schedule and will wake up every three to four hours throughout the night and early morning hours. A mother should try to catch up on her zzz's so that they will be ready to take on the early morning wake-up calls. Sleeping has also been shown to reduce stress and anxiety levels – both good things to keep low as the big day approaches!

Having the hospital bag packed is a good way to ensure mom will be prepared to head to the hospital whenever labor decides to kick! ! Be sure to include comforts from home for mom such as slippers, a comfy pillow and comfortable PJs. Mom should also pack a couple of extra outfits in case she ends up staying at the hospital longer than planned. Both mom and baby will need an outfit to go home in, and ending on the season, a baby may need some socks or booties, a onesie, and a short or long sleeve outfit to wear on the trip home. Don’t forget toiletries for Mom to help feel refreshed throughout her say! 

Another important task to have completed before bringing home baby is to have his/her bedroom all set up. Have the changing table loaded with diapers, wipes, baby lotion and powder, receiving blankets and burp rags. The baby crib also must be free of any stuffed animals or other items that he/she can put into its mouth. Parents can also add a little mobile that is attached high enough so that the baby cannot reach it. Another useful item in the baby room is a chair for those late night feedings; a rocking chair is useful if it is available. Babies enjoy being rocked back and forth as they are soothed back to sleep.

Planning out medical details for delivery day and post-delivery is important as well. Attend a childbirth class to learn more about natural and medicinal options for helping with labor pains and optional procedures available like circumcision and cord blood banking. Circumcision can be done in a few ways so knowing more about what your facility does can help you decide what you’d like to do. In regards to cord blood banking, this is a process where the umbilical cord blood is collected from the baby post-delivery and is stored at a private facility for the family to be potentially used in the future treatment of a potential medical disease. A childbirth class can also teach a mother about the benefits of breastfeeding as well as formula feeding to help her make a decision as to how she will feed her new baby. 

Last of all, an expecting mother should have a maternity leave schedule worked out with her employers. Most women get six weeks off for maternity leave. Make sure that the maternity leave is set up months in advance so that there aren't any surprises after the baby is born.

Finally, with all of the important details worked out, a mother should remember to enjoy the moment! There is nothing better than bringing a new life into this world. New babies are a happy to time to embrace life. Raising a baby is exciting, educational and empowering.

"This article was written by Katie Moore. Katie is an active writer within the blogging community who discusses maternity, motherhood, prenatal health, childbirth and other topics within this niche.  If you have any questions or would like to connect with Katie please contact by visiting her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter @moorekm26."