Last updated: 4th February 2019
We all know how exciting it is preparing for a baby to arrive. But of course, it can be exhausting and overwhelming too. If you’ve seen the movie What to Expect When You're Expecting, then you’ll know that everyone copes differently and there is no right or wrong.
But don't worry – we've got you covered on all the top things to do to prepare for baby.
To make your transition from hospital to home as smooth as possible, our newborn checklist has ten simple tips that apply to any expecting mum. From things to do before baby comes to how to prepare your home for when you return, we’re sure you’ll feel more relaxed after ticking this list off.
Things to do before baby arrives
1. Make sure baby’s room is ready
None of us like a disorganised bedroom and the same goes for your baby. Ensure you have enough bedding, sheets and a mattress protector. Do a test run with the baby monitor and safety check all electrical cords and smoke alarms in the room and house. Choose whether you’re going to go with biodegradable nappies or reusable ones and have a disposing system that’s efficient and eco-friendly.
2. Get the wheels moving
Train yourself up to be ready to use a stroller, baby car seat, baby carrier and baby wrap. It might feel silly at first, but will be less stressful when you do those quick trips to get your morning coffee or head to the shops.
3. Stock up on pantry staples
We can't stress enough how important it is to do a big grocery shop. You'll seriously thank yourself for this later. Or, if resting on the couch sounds more tempting, order online from your supermarket or your local grocer and get it delivered. Stock up on pantry staples and nutritional snacks you can easily grab or cook up when you feel hungry.
4. Ensure your baby’s wardrobe is ready
Make sure bub’s clothes are neatly organised and compartmentalised for quick and easy changes. Have plenty of soft and breathable base layers including baby singlets and bodysuits. Onesies are your best option to use as both pyjamas and for everyday wear, especially for the first few months. Our range of eco baby bamboo wear is thermo-regulating and hypoallergenic, so baby feels comfortable.
Swaddling baby in a stretchy wrap will help your bub feel secure and fall asleep faster.
During your stay at the hospital
5. Get loved ones to stock up
Ask Dad for a helpful hand by filling up the fridge and freezer for a week with fresh produce and lots of fruit and vegetables. You’re going to need as much nutritional energy as possible when you’re feeding and running on less sleep.
6. Get the house cleaned
Treat yourself to a cleaner or ask a super-helpful family member to come in and do a thorough house clean. From dusting and vacuuming to mopping and checking the nursery one last time, you'll sleep sounder knowing the house is tidy upon your return.
Things to do once you're home
7. Limit visits
Your phone will more than likely be beeping constantly with messages from family and friends who will want to visit. Send a message before the baby is born to all family and friends asking them to keep in mind the first few weeks will be busy and you will contact them when you’re ready for visits. If you have certain people that are extremely helpful and will want to cook and clean for you so you can spend more time with the baby, they’re the kind of people you will want around more often.
It’s also a good idea to spread out visits, set a timeframe and notify people before they come over. Kindly suggest something like "2 pm would be a great time to pop in before the baby goes to sleep at 3 pm". This way you’re not awkwardly asking people to leave.
8. Ask your friends and family for help
Some family and friends will want to dive straight in and help you – let them. Others will step back and wait for you to ask for their help, so don’t be afraid to speak up.
Anything from laundry, cooking, running to the shops, cleaning, looking after other siblings or simply just being there for you to have a chat. Remember, that’s what family and friends are for.
9. When baby sleeps, parents sleep too
Sleep is just as necessary for you and Dad as it is for the baby. Get the adequate rest you need so your bonding time is more special as a family. This is a handy excuse for when you need visitors to leave as well.
10. Plan a visit from a midwife
Book a visit from a midwife so they can assist you in the comfort and familiarity of your home. This enables you to ask any questions, have both you and bub checked up on for any medical symptoms and practise sleeping and eating techniques.
Bonus tips
When the baby cries, don’t panic. Adopt this quick checklist:
- Is your baby hungry?
- Is your baby’s nappy dirty?
- Is your baby having tummy pains or diarrhoea?
- Is your baby tired?
- Does your baby need a hug?
Whether it’s your first or fourth time, follow your instincts and remember — you’ve got this. For any last minute super soft and eco-friendly baby clothes, shop our bamboo babywear collection.
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How to repurpose your old baby clothes
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Maternity Clothing | The Ultimate Guide
Maternity clothing. It’s a challenge every soon-to-be-mum is faced with. When should you start buying them? How do they work? What should you wear and not wear while pregnant? Well, fear not. Our Ultimate Guide to Maternity Clothing has got all your questions answered. So you can sit back and enjoy the ride that is pregnancy! When should I start buying maternity clothes? The majority of women can wear their normal clothes for most of the first trimester (three months), but you might need to consider a larger bra or loose-fitting clothing for comfort. Once you reach the four or five-month mark, you’ll most likely have to start wearing larger pieces – also known as maternity clothes. What should you wear while pregnant? Luckily, we live in an age where there are plenty of stylish and practical pregnancy clothes that make the challenge of getting dressed when expecting far easier (and much more fun!). 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While there are plenty of options out there for what you should wear while pregnant, there are also some styles we’d suggest bypassing during those important nine months (and perhaps a few months beyond). Synthetic fabrics To be honest, synthetic fabrics are bad news all the time, whether you’re pregnant or not. But when you’re expecting, it’s even more crucial to steer clear of synthetic fabrics. Regulating body temperature, moisture absorption and the chemicals used in processing synthetic fabrics are all reasons to favour natural and organic materials instead. Tight-fitting clothing Pregnancy is different for every woman, but there’s pretty much one thing that’s guaranteed: your body will change. Sure, you might be one of the lucky ones who remains petite and doesn’t seem to swell at all. But even then, your body will be different from how it normally is, and the last thing you’ll want to be wearing is tight-fitting clothing. Avoid it at all costs! 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7 pregnancy and parenting tips for the holidays
Nadine Richardson, She Births® founder and doula, offers some hot holiday tips for pregnancy and parenting this festive season. Over to you, Nadine... The summer holidays are here, and this year you might have to do things a bit differently, especially if you’re living in Australia. Bushfires and higher temperatures mean that our time outside will most likely be limited. Time indoors combined with your in-laws and extended family, extra cooking and cleaning and the kids getting cabin fever could result in your holiday not being the downtime you planned on. So, here’s our top parenting and pregnancy tips for a healthy and happy holiday. We hope it helps to make your time together joyful. Pregnant over the holidays? There is one thing you really need if you are pregnant over the holidays: oxytocin, oxytocin, oxytocin. Oxytocin is the hormone for connection and the hormone of labour, so if it’s been a busy year, reconnect to your partner. 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Read more, stream less It can be so tempting to fall into the streaming rabbit hole with so many great shows to choose from these days. However, remember that reading trumps TV when it comes to relaxing your nervous system and getting you into a better sleep zone, which will only benefit your unborn baby in the long run. Reading also reduces your heart rate and builds empathy, which will support you when managing high holiday emotions. 3. Eat more stews Our bodies usually have a stronger digestive fire during summer, but with pregnancy, we can often become constipated, and during the postpartum period, we need to be eating grounding and nourishing foods and drinks that will replenish our depleted stores and give us our prenatal vitamins such as folic acid. Soups and stews are the best way to keep your digestive fire (Agni) strong while ensuring you feel good and have the most healthy pregnancy possible. They might also assist with the healthy development of bub’s neural tube and prevent birth defects (but always seek medical advice from your doctor). Make sure no more than 30% of your meal is cold. Here is our recipe for the Indian staple and super healing kitcheree – an essential for pregnant women. 4. Control your emotions Don’t take the arguments seriously. With the extra heat, tempers can rise a little faster. Make sure you have times just for you alone and spend time in nature, which is always relaxing and calming. And if you get cranky with each other, drink a big glass of water, then respond. Not only is this a great social skill, but will make you a good parent and role model to your children. Child behaviour is very influenced by parenting skills, so for positive discipline and positive parenting, take a calm and collected approach to your parenting style. Your children will thank you for it in the long run. One of the most common times people argue is when they are on holiday because as we relax stress releases from the nervous system, just the same principle in a very busy mind during meditation. Parenting over the holidays? The summer holiday period can come as a massive release for children. The built-up exhaustion from school and daycare or the daily routine (or lack thereof) with baby can wear us all down. And for adults, by the time we get the gifts bought and wrapped and the celebration meal cooked and the family over, it can feel like a marathon that we only just survived. So, when we finally sit down and shift into holiday mode, the lack of structure can be so freeing. There are more hands to tend to children and every day is filled with possibility for doing something or doing nothing. 5. Get lots of family time Family time has to be one of our number one top tips to parenting over the festive period. It seems obvious, but there is actually a lot going on when we spend time together, especially for children. Quality time is the first step to raising happy children – it bonds us together and gives children a sense of identity and belonging. The memories that we make are formative sacred moments, little pearls that string together and can be called on throughout life to reconnect, anchor and bring us joy. Family time can be spent in nature swimming or exploring rock platforms, playing games or watching cricket. It doesn’t matter too much what it is and if you think back to your childhood it’s usually the long lazy feel of holidays, the unremarkable moments and memories that are the ones we treasure. 6. Create your own traditions Many of us approach the holidays with traditions that stem from our own upbringing. Whether it’s the food we look forward to every year, the present opening or the influx of family in the house, it’s a time where it works best to meld the old with the new. Traditions can be very emotional and it is a time to ask what traditions you want to create for your children while respecting the traditions that have meaning for partners and their family. 7. Let yourself get bored You’ve been busy all year so don’t just let yourself do nothing, let yourself get bored. Boredom has been shown to boost creativity in adults and kids. This doesn’t mean you should ignore your children, just tolerate a bit of flopping and moaning and nudge them in the right direction. Allowing the mind to wander off develops initiative and helps to problem solve. It also lets the nervous system recover and take the foot off the accelerator. From our family to yours over this holiday period, we hope you have a wonderful and relaxing time with your nearest and dearest. May this pause be bonding and enriching, filled with experiences and moments of connection, rest and joy. --- Nadine Richardson, mother, yoga teacher, doula, Director of The Birthing Institute and Creator and Founder of the world’s only scientifically verified childbirth education program, She Births® and host of The She Births® Show (Podcast & YouTube). Nadine is an inspiration to all parents, female entrepreneurs and people passionate about making birth better. We are delighted to have her as an ambassador for Boody. Start your preparation for birth today by downloading the She Births® App, access lots of free resources and enjoy listening to The She Births® Show Podcast. We have a special gift for the Boody community – 10% off the Full Online Program with the code boody10. Follow She Births® on Instagram now!
