Preparing for the Arrival of a New Baby (Katie Moore)

Preparing for the Arrival of a New Baby

Getting ready for the birth of a new baby is an exciting and very busy time for many mothers. A lot of planning is involved in welcoming a newborn into the world. Things such as preparing the nursery or area for the baby to sleep in, mapping out a birth plan, choosing a doctor and taking classes to prepare for labor and the role of raising the baby after birth are all things that can make the nine months go by in the blink of an eye!

Planning for the Birth
Choosing a doctor or midwife that you’d like to work with throughout your pregnancy until delivery is an important first step. Some women want a natural birth while others prefer to receive an epidural. Knowing a doctor’s style will help you have a better birthing experience.

As the time for delivery draws nearer, a lot of women want to be prepared for the moment labor strikes. That’s why some women like to do a test run and will drive to the hospital or birthing center so that they can learn where they will need to park and what the check-in procedures are. If health insurance will cover part or all of the maternity care, some women find that it makes it easier to give the hospital all their insurance information before the delivery day.

Preparing for Baby at Home
Some women are given baby showers to celebrate the impending birth and as a way to provide mom-to-be with baby essentials as gifts. A new baby will need equipment, such as a crib and car seat, as well as clothing, bottles, and diapers. Other common shower gifts include fun items, such as toys and books. Cribs and clothing can also be purchased second-hand or donated from friends and family.

An area of the home is usually prepared for a nursery for the baby to sleep and be fed in. The size of the area depends on the size of the home. Preparing a nursery and your home can be a very fun and creative process that will help relieve “nesting” symptoms some moms experience.

Important Considerations After Birth
Immediately after birth, the baby will undergo a series of tests to evaluate his or her state of health. Once the baby is handed over to Mom, those mothers who plan to breastfeed are usually able to start right away. There are some other post-delivery decisions you can make, like circumcision and cord blood banking for example. Circumcision can be done a few different ways on baby boys, and comes down to your preference. Cord blood banking is where the umbilical cord blood, which contains valuable stem cells, is collected and stored for the family as a medical resource. Collecting cord blood can only be done right at birth so it needs to be set up ahead of time.

It’s true that the number of preparations and considerations that go into planning for a newborn are sure to keep any expecting mom busy up until the moment she gives birth. Staying focused on the most important thing, delivering a healthy baby, is the best preparation a mom can make.

This article was written by Katie Moore. Katie is an active writer within the blogging community who discusses maternity, motherhood, prenatal health, childbirth and other topics within this niche.  If you have any questions or would like to connect with Katie please contact by visiting her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter @moorekm26.