Making Plans Before Your New Baby Arrives

When others find out that you are pregnant then many people will gladly give you advice, even when not requested. Although many of the items are handy and work well, there are many that play upon your fears as a first time parent.

The following list tells you about the items that you will want to think about purchasing. To save money, you can even look at second hand stores for many of these items or ask friends with babies older than yours if you can borrow or purchase their items.

* A car seat is mandatory, as hospitals will not even let you leave with the baby until you show them that you know how to buckle the baby in the seat. Many times, they will also follow you to the car to make sure it is installed correctly in the car. Car seats will be outgrown at least twice before your child grows out of them by the age of eight. If you are considering a second-hand car seat, ensure that it meets safety requirements.

* A baby monitor is a great tool to be able to hear the baby from any room in the house. This way you do not have to stay close to their room all the time. At night, I recommend that you turn the monitor off because you will hear every moan and movement that the baby makes and this can keep you awake. You need to get your rest to take care of your baby.

* When you are choosing a crib, you need to look for one that has these features.

-*- Choose a good quality mattress that is firm.
-*- The mattress should fit the crib snugly on all four sides.
-*- The guardrail should be at least 26 inches above the top of the mattress.
-*- The crib slats space should be no more than 2.375”.
-*- The crib bumper will help keep the baby’s legs and arms out of the crib slats.

* A bouncy seat is a great place for you baby to be when it is not possible to hold him/her and is a great place to feed them their first meals of rice cereal. They cannot usually sit up well enough for a high chair when they begin cereals and the bouncy seat is a great answer to this problem.

* A playpen is a great way for you to get things like housework done and keep the baby safe. Around five months old is when a baby should be placed in it, unless it is used for a sleeping area when you are traveling.

The following is additional things that you need to make sure you have taken care of before your new baby arrives.

* Do you have your birth-plan detailed out and have you discussed it with your doctor or midwife and your husband?
* Is your suitcase ready to go or do you have the supplies that are need for a homebirth organized?
* Is your emergency contact list ready just in case you go into labor unexpectedly and at a time that your spouse or partner is not available or are at work?
* Do you have the nursery setup and ready for your new baby?
* Does your new baby have a family?

That last question may seem a little strange, but we plan so many other parts of our baby’s lives that sometimes we overlook the basic thing that your baby needs a family. I am not going to even get into the political battle of single moms having children, I am simply going to advocate for a family for your baby.

Your parenting goal is to build strong relationships for your child so that you will give them confidence in themselves. A weak marriage does not do this and it does not give children confidence. Good parenting flows out of a stable and good marriage. If you protect your relationship with your spouse, then your children will be happy and healthy too!

Many times when a new baby joins a family (remember that you and your husband are a family before children), the marriage is not taken care of. Many times this is because of exhaustion, lack of time, lack of energy, etc., but you need to keep your first love healthy.

Before you bring your new baby home, take the time to consider your marriage. If you need to work on your marriage, do it now. Babies respond to stress so you want to keep your home life as stress free as possible. Besides, you don’t want your baby to start out life being stressed, now do you? Keep your marriage healthy so that your family will be healthy as well. You will never regret the time that you put into it!