Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

If you’re a first-time parent and you’re terrified of what happens when you get home with that tiny little baby, you’re not alone.  I’m sure there are a few happy parents who feel totally confident in their abilities, but most of us are just scared.  Don’t worry!  Taking some time to prepare now will make everything easier down the road.

Before you get your baby home, think about how you want that first day to look.  You’re more than likely going to be exhausted, excited, nervous and sleep-deprived already.  What kind of atmosphere are you going to want in that condition?  You might want a big, loving, supportive group of friends and family or you might want to hibernate in with just you and the baby.

Having a baby is a huge investment - and I’m not just talking about the hospital bills. There are so many things available today that are marketed as absolute baby essentials, but the truth is that very few are must-haves. Based on my own experience and the experiences of lots of girlfriends, I’ve put together the gear that I consider to be essential, nice to have, and just plain not worth the expense. But since every parent has different needs, consider this list a starting point, rather than a rulebook.

Definite Must-Haves
For most parents, this gear is non-negotiable. Some of these items keep your baby safe, while others keep you sane. There can be quite a bit of difference in price and quality from brand to brand, so talk to other moms about what worked for them and research the safety ratings of bigger items.

The first couple of days after you have your little bundle are pretty wonderful. Your time is spent bonding with your new baby, introducing them to family and friends, and then sending them to the nursery to sleep. It’s actually pretty amazing all the way around. And then, just when you feel like you’re getting the hang of this whole parenting bit, your doctor walks in and says that it’s time for you to go home.

Well, I don’t know about you, but for me (and most other new parents that I know) those words incited a tight ball of panic to form in the pit of my stomach. I mean, the hospital is safe! So, if I mess up, or my husband doesn’t know what to do, the nurse is just one quick button push away. It’s the ultimate safety net, and I for one, wasn’t ready to give it up.  But apparently they were ready for me to go, because in no time at all they had a wheelchair pulled up by my bed and my little girl all buckled into her car seat. Ready or not, we were going home.

“Tour the hospital” is always something on the recommended list of things-to-do before baby comes. And it really is a great idea. I am a huge advocate of touring the hospital or birthing center before your due date. I ended up delivering two of my kids at one hospital and, due to insurance reasons that made me cranky (grrrrr!), the other two at a different hospital. For the first delivery, the hospital tour was tacked onto our birthing class and I really, really appreciated it. The tour did more than just fill us in on which door to come in – we got to ask the labor and delivery nurse giving the tour all kinds of questions about the labor and delivery process. For a first-time mom and dad, it was priceless!