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Preparing for a newborn involves mental preparation and setting up a safe sleeping environment, car seat, stroller, and changing area. It’s important to have a supply of diapers, clothes, and baby essentials. Consider buying clothes in the 3-6 month range to use longer. Clean the house and enlist help from friends and family. Take parenting and breastfeeding classes, and have a list of people to call for advice.
It can take a lot of thought and work to get ready for a newborn. If you’re new to parenting, it’s really helpful to have some good parenting books that can help you think about the needs your new baby will have. These include being mentally prepared to be a parent and also having things set up just right for when your baby comes home.
The basic things you should have on hand when you return from the hospital include a safe sleeping environment for your baby, a car seat, a stroller for babies, and a comfortable place to sit, such as a rocking chair. You’ll also need at least a two-week supply of diapers — cloth or disposable or both — clothes for a newborn, a changing pad, and plenty of puddle or spit pads to clean up baby messes. You may want to have diaper cream, a thermometer, baby wipes, a baby bathtub, a baby fever reducer, and baby shampoo on hand. Tweak your list as you consider your new baby’s needs.
There are a few things you should know about the pitfalls when preparing for a newborn. Most parents, when buying clothes, go straight to baby sizes. This isn’t always helpful, especially if you have a nine to ten pound (4-4.5 kg) newborn. You may want to purchase limited quantities of baby or toddler clothes and purchase more in the 3-6 month range. You’ll be able to use your baby’s clothes longer and won’t have to shop several weeks after the baby is born for bigger clothes. Likewise, you may want to choose a crib over a cradle, since babies will surely grow out of things designed for young children, in less time than you might imagine.
As you prepare for a newborn, you should plan to set up everything your baby will need about two to three weeks before your due date, or sooner if your doctor thinks your labor could be brought forward. Assemble the cribs, put together the changing table with supplies in convenient locations and be sure to wash all the things you will want to use on the baby such as clothes, washcloths, diapers, spit cloths and baby towels. If you’d like to prepare for a newborn by painting or stenciling in the baby’s room, you might plan to do this several months before the due date, rather than just a few weeks before the baby is born.
Another good way to prepare for a newborn is to clean the house thoroughly. If you’re short on time, enlist a helpful relative or friend, or put the dad-to-be to work. Cleaning the carpets, organizing the house and keeping everything spotless can help you when you return from the hospital. Another tip is to take offers from friends to cook you some meals, which you can freeze for a quick microwave during those hectic first few days of being a new parent.
If you are new to parenting, you can also prepare for a newborn by taking some parenting classes, and taking a breastfeeding class in particular can be very helpful for new mothers. Also interview a few pediatricians and decide what you like. If you plan to use a diaper service, you should contact that service a few weeks before your due date. They usually deliver your diapers right away so you have them on hand.
Have a list of friends and/or family you can call who can give you advice or help you during the first few days after you bring your baby home. You don’t need to call these people unless you have to, but it helps to know where everyone’s number is in case you feel stuck or are in desperate need of advice. Bringing a baby home is a wonderful but sometimes scary experience and many people need a little help at first. If you’ve been taking classes, stocking daycare, and getting assistance if you need it, you’ll experience less stress in the first few weeks of being a parent.
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