What To Prepare For Newborn Baby

After The First Trimester

Start telling people youre having a baby. Most couples choose to start telling people the big news after the first trimester, when pregnancy risk is lower and you or your partner will be more obviously pregnancy.

Start to research daycare. Some daycares have waiting lists that are months long. So, even if youre not sending your baby to daycare right away, it may be time to consider and research options, otherwise you may find yourself ready for daycare but not have one available.

Start to research what to buy. Theres some gear youll want before the baby is born. Dont worry, weve got a whole section on that below, keep reading.

Prepare Area In The Bathroom

You should maintain a baby tub, baby shampoo/soap, towels, and wash cloths in your bathroom for when the baby needs to be cleaned. When the baby becomes older, he or she will need something to do in the bath, so keep some bath toys on hand. A kitchen or bathroom sink can be used as a baby bathtub as an alternative to a baby bathtub. It simply lacks the necessary backing.

Get Yourpostpartum Essentials Ready

Those first few weeks after giving birth are brutal on your body, whether you had a vaginal birth or c-section. I didnt do much research about anything postpartum related before I had my daughter and I really wish I did. There are so many things you can get or do to make sure those postpartum weeks are as comfortable as possible. Here is a post on must have postpartum essentials that I think is really helpful if need some direction on how exactly to prepare.

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Bedding And Sleep Needs

Whatever bed you choose for your newborn , it is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics that your baby sleep in the same room with you for the first 6-12 months of life. In addition, bumpers, blankets, pillows, and soft toys are no longer recommended in baby beds. Talk about going minimalistic!

Although the AAP doesnt recommend sharing a bed with your baby, most breastfeeding mothers will fall asleep with their baby in their bed at some point, so its wise to keep a checklist of safe bedsharing guidelines on hand.

Prepare Area In The Garage

Another area to think about while preparing your home for a baby is the space required in a garage, porch or patio, or outside storage facility. Again, you may not have all of these goods right away, but they will be available soon. Strollers, small cars, toys, bikes, and a wagon will all require transportation.

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Let Your Baby Cry It Out

One crying-it-out type of sleep training is the well-known Ferber Method, also known as Progressive Watching or Graduated Extinction. The goal is to teach your baby how to sleep on their own and put themselves back to sleep if they wake up during the night. Richard Ferber, MD, director of the Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders at Childrens Hospital Boston, developed this method. He advises parents not to start this training until their baby is at least 5 or 6 months old. Heres an overview of how its done:

• Put your baby in their crib drowsy, but awake. Once youve finished their bedtime routine, leave the room.
• If your baby cries, wait a few minutes before you check on them. The amount of time you wait depends on you and your baby. You might start waiting somewhere between 1 and 5 minutes.
• When you re-enter your babys room, try to console them. But do not pick them up and do not stay for more than 2 or 3 minutes, even if they are still crying when you leave. Seeing your face will be enough to assure your baby that you are close by so they can eventually fall asleep on their own.
• If they continue crying, gradually increase the amount of time you wait before going in to check on them again. For instance, if you wait 3 minutes the first time, wait 5 minutes the second time, and 10 minutes each time after that.
• The next night, wait 5 minutes the first time, 10 minutes the second time, and 12 minutes each time after that.

Take Childbirth And Infant

Contractions and breastfeeding and swaddling, oh my! A childbirth education class will teach you everything you need to know about labor and childbirth and help you approach the big day with confidence. Infant care classes cover everything from breastfeeding and bathing to swaddling and settling. You might also want to take an infant CPR class. Ask your doctor or do an online search for classes near you.

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When Should You Start Preparing For Your New Babys Arrival

There are quite a few things that need to be done before your new baby arrives and youre going to want as much time as possible to get everything ready. My suggestion is to take it easy for the first 3-4 months of your pregnancy and then hit the ground running! After youve entered the safe zone of your pregnancy around 14 weeks and youve made the exciting announcement to your family and friends, theres no reason you cant start crossing things off your new baby checklist.

Pack Your Hospital Bag

Follow moms hospital checklist and pack your hospital bag. Also, pack for the baby and the father/partner should pack their bag as well. There may be a couple items like toiletry items you may not be able to pack until you are ready to go to the hospital. Get this and other hospital checklists and much more in the Ultimate Baby Planning Toolkit.

Before Leaving for the Hospital

Furthermore, right before you leave for the hospital you may be a little frantic with the excitement and nerves of the baby coming. There are a few things you should do to make coming home from the hospital easier. Entering a house with a new baby that is decluttered, clean, and stocked up is refreshing after a crazy few days in the hospital. Grab the What to Do Before You Leave For the Hospital checklist which is part of the Ultimate Baby Planning Toolkit HERE.

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How To Prepare Your Toddler For A New Baby In The Family

Your growing family doesnt have to come with growing painslearn how to prepare your toddler for the new baby in the family with these simple tips. Getting your toddler ready for a new baby brother or sister helps your growing family start out on the right foot.

Bringing home a new member of the family is a joyous, exciting time. But if your household already includes a toddlerespecially a toddler who until now has been an only childyou may find yourself wondering how your little one will take to their new sibling. Weve gathered some tips for how to prepare your toddler for a new baby, how to introduce your little ones, and how to keep both of them happy and healthy after you bring your newborn home.

Choosing Furniture And Furnishings For Your Newborn With Care

Safety is an important issue when choosing your baby’s new furniture, especially for the bed and bed linens. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission offers the following recommendations:

• Crib. Baby cribs must meet federal safety standards which include:

• Slats should be spaced no more than 2-3/8 inches apart.

• All slats should be intact, not missing, or cracked.

• Mattress should fit snuglyless than the width of two fingers between the edge of the mattress and the side of the crib.

• Mattress support should be securely attached to the head and footboards.

• Corner posts should be no higher than 1/16 inch to prevent entanglement of clothing or other objects worn by child.

• The head and footboards should have no cutouts, which would allow for head entrapment.

• Drop-side rail cribs are no longer considered safe.

• All screws or bolts, which secure components of crib, should be present and tight.

• The CPSC recommends against placing a crib near draperies or blinds where a child could become entangled and strangle on the cords. When the child reaches 35 inches in height, or can climb and/or fall over the sides, the crib should be replaced with a bed.

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At Night: Newborn Sleep And Waking

In the first few months, newborns usually wake several times a night for feeds.

Between one and three months, your baby might start waking less often and have a longer period of sleep at night.

By the time your baby is around three months old, they might regularly be having a longer sleep at night for example, around 4-5 hours. But you can expect that your baby will still wake at least once each night.

If your baby is premature or low birth weight, your paediatrician or child and family health nurse might recommend that you let your baby sleep for only a certain amount of time at night before you wake them for a feed.

How To Set Up A Baby Nursery

From decorating and buying the furniture, to putting in those cosy final touches, setting up a nursery in your home is one of the most special parts of preparing for your newborn coming home, giving them their own little space in your home.

Its best to get started well before your due date, before it gets too difficult to paint, which means planning and purchasing everything well in advance. Here are our top tips for setting up your home nursery:

• Choose a room thats close to yours. For the first six months, its recommended that your baby sleeps in your bedroom. But once they move into their own room, those middle of the night wakeups mean being close to them makes life a little easier.
• Start decorating a month or two before baby arrives. You dont want to leave it until youre too far along in your pregnancy to move things around or paint. Begin creating your nursery early on and get help from friends and family to make it a special time for everyone.
• Use calming colours. Soft greys, creams and neutral colours tend to work best in a nursery, with most baby furniture and clothes blending in seamlessly. Discuss colours with your partner first to find a scheme you both like.

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Best For Use In Showers: Summer Foldaway Baby Bath

• Needs to be inflated

No tub? No problem! This baby bathtub can be filled in the shower for your little one to use for bathtime. The liner needs to be inflated, but provides a soft cushion for baby to stay comfortable while staying safe with skid-resistant vinyl.

The tub can also fold in half, making it perfectly compact, especially if you only have a shower to work with. You can store it under the bathroom sink or take it with you while on the go.

Dimensions: 5.4 x 15.4 x 17.7 inches | Weight Limit: Not Listed | Product Weight: 3.8 pounds | Material: Plastic and vinyl

Decide How Youll Share The News Of Babys Arrival With Family And Friends

Another important thing to do before the baby arrives is to decide how youll share the news of their arrival with family and friends. Will you send group texts, call people one by one, set up a phone chain, designate a specific person to do the calling, etc. Who will you call when you go into labor and who will you call after the baby is born?

It may seem silly to figure out details like that, but during the chaos of giving birth, its so easy for things to slip through the cracks. Just make your lists and plans ahead of time and youll be grateful when no family member or friend gets accidentally forgotten.

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Prepare For Quick Changes

Hunting for a fresh crib sheet after your baby soaks his diaper or spits up is miserable in the middle of the night, and turning on the lights can wake him up more fully, meaning getting him back to sleep can take an eternity. Instead, double layer ahead of time: Use a regular crib sheet, then a disposable waterproof pad, then another sheet on top. That way, you can just peel away the top layer and pad, throw the sheet in the hamper, and toss the waterproof pad. Also be sure to keep a one-piece, a swaddle, or a sleep sack nearbywhatever it is your baby needs to continue the night comfortablyso youre not hunting through drawers every time your babys diaper leaks. Aimi Palmer, a sleep consultant and cofounder of AB Child Solutions, in London

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Get A Diaper Bag Ready

Every baby needs a fully stocked diaper bag for when you leave the house. This bag will be used regularly even if you do not plan on going out much. The babys first check up is a couple days after birth so you will need it almost right away.

It is up to you what style of bag you want to use as long as it can hold the necessities. The bag should include diapers, wipes, diaper cream, burp cloth, blanket, emergency sheet, and anything else your baby may need.

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Organize And Clean Your Home

Now that you have all of your baby stuff set up and ready throughout the house, give it a thorough cleaning before the baby arrives. With a new baby, you wont have the opportunity to do this for a long. Clean up any messes or heaps and return everything to its proper location.

Then, restock on toiletries, paper goods, and other home things as needed. Be sure to stock up on diapers, wipes, and diaper cream with the arrival of your kid.

Preparing your home for baby in advance will make things simpler for yourself during this period. Do not put off getting ready, because he or she might arrive sooner than expected. Rather than panicking near the end of your pregnancy, be prepared and feel in command before the baby takes over.

Bianka Andrews is a financial professional at Instant Loan Online who enjoys writing and photography. Besides creating educational content on her personal financial blog, Bianka is a mother of two who likes to share her experience and challenges of daily parenting life.

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