Getting Ready To Bring Your New Baby Home
There are a lot of things you need to do to get ready for your new baby. You will want to have the nursery set up well in advance of your due date in case the baby comes early so you don’t end up running to Walmart to buy a new crib on the way home from the hospital.
Obviously you will some sort of baby bed. You may or may not want to put your baby in a crib right away. Many new parents prefer to let the new baby sleep in their room. You can get a cradle or bassinet that will sit right next to your bed so you don’t have to go far to get the baby when he or she wakes up in the middle of the night.
Besides a bed for your new baby, you will need many other things. The hospital will provide enough diapers for you to use while you are there, but once you’re home you’re on your own. You should have at least one or two packages of diapers purchased ahead of time. Newborn babies go through around 12-15 daily diapers, so you should make sure you have enough on hand to last at least a couple of weeks. You may not feel like going out shopping right away after the baby is born.
Other things you will need are baby wipes, clothing and bath supplies, such as baby shampoo, baby bath, baby washcloths and towels. Of course you should have some diaper rash cream on hand, and it can’t hurt to go ahead and get some baby Tylenol. You may not need it right away, but you will definitely want to have some on hand before your baby gets his or her first shots.
One item you absolutely must have if you are breastfeeding is a good breast pump, such as the Avent breast pump. Having an electric breast pump with good suction is necessary to help you produce more milk so you will be able to keep breastfeeding your baby longer. A manual breast pump can be used in a pinch, but if you use it often your hands may start to ache from the repeated motion.
One of the most important things to get for your baby before he or she is born is a car seat. This should be your number one priority, because many hospitals check for car seats and will not let you leave the hospital with your baby until you have one.
Although some of the items your baby will need are not so important that you couldn’t live without them for a few days if baby comes earlier than anticipated, there are a few things you absolutely must have ahead of time: a car seat, diapers and a place for baby to sleep. If you have these three things, you can rest a little easier. The hospital will give you samples of just about everything else you need.
Mail this post
Tags: affordable, babies, baby bath, baby bed, bassinet, cradle, crib, diapers, parents