Whether your new little bundle of joy was planned or has come as a total surprise, the arrival of a new baby is a very exciting time. However, it is important to get yourself and any family members ready for what will come next. If your pregnancy was planned, you are probably already well on the way to becoming the long-awaited parent. But, if your pregnancy is more of a shock, then maybe you should take life a little easy.
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Getting yourself emotionally ready
The emotional rollercoaster that parents are faced with when they are expecting a baby is surprising to many who have not previously had babies, and it can be the same rollercoaster with each pregnancy, regardless of how many babies you have had.
There is the shock and excitement of finding out that there is a new life on the way, to the worry and anxiety of how the pregnancy will actually go. If the mother to be, finds out she suffers from morning sickness or fluid retention, it can be a nightmare experience, but this is nothing to the devastation that can be felt if there is a problem during the pregnancy.
If you are trying for a baby, you need to make sure that you are totally emotionally ready, and that you have a support network available to you. As any new mum will tell you when you are pregnant, you may start to suffer from a condition affectionately known as Baby Brain. This, unfortunately, can stay with you even after the baby is born. Baby brain refers to memory problems, poor concentration, and absent-mindedness.
Being physically fit
Making sure that you are at your best when you start trying for a baby can be beneficial to you as well as your baby. Ensuring that you are consuming a healthy, balanced diet and taking regular (though gentle) exercise is also recommended. You and your partner can also take a prescribed women and men’s prenatal vitamin to get a daily dose of nutrients you need. Be mindful to think post-birth as well and consider waist trainers or other natural birth recovery products.
If you have ante-natal classes available near to where you live, it is important to attend these as you can gain valuable insight into what to expect from your baby’s birth, as well as the social interaction with other parents to be.
However, if you overtax yourself or you are very unlucky, there could still end up being problems within your pregnancy no matter how carefully you look after yourself or your unborn child. Should you find that when your baby finally arrives, there are problems such as brain injury at birth, there are places you can turn to for help and guidance.
Ensuring that your world is ready for your new arrival
If you are lucky and have a reasonably easy pregnancy, you will be able to enjoy the feeling of having your little baby wriggling around in your womb, and your partner will enjoy the feeling of the kicks and punches when they visibly erupt from your tummy. You can then focus totally on an exciting day that you get to meet your new baby.
There is nothing like the feeling of walking into your baby’s nursery when it is all decorated, complete with crib and mobile, nappy-changing area, little outfits, and cuddly toys to get the excitement and anticipation going.
With this in mind, it is important to have an overnight bag packed with all your essentials, and do not forget to pack for your baby, too: a few babies grows of different sizes, vests, nappies, bibs, a hat, and scratch mittens. Remember to purchase a car seat for the journey home, and if it has a base that it clips into in the car, that base is fitted securely. If the car seat does not have a detachable base make sure you know how to secure your baby’s car seat into your car.
