Pregnancy may seem to last forever, especially when it’s your first time. Fortunately, preparing for your first child can be an incredible time of personal development and growth, check out these exciting new birthing classes from Hearth and Home to help you make the journey as positive and stress-free as possible.
Prepare the Baby’s Provision
Before the arrival of the new-born, ensure that you have purchased essentials. These may include baby clothes, shampoo, soap, crib, among others. Ensure that everything you purchase will not have any side effects on the newborn’s health by buying only from the leading baby shops. Don’t forget about installing a safe car seat for the baby.
The baby’s crib should be assembled and placed in the right place. In case you will be using a new-born swing or a changing table, ensure that they are set and at the right place. Decorating your infant’s room will provide you with the energy needed for the long wait. In fact, having a fully decorated room full of the newborn’s essentials will give you the peace and eagerness of meeting the baby.
Clean the Baby’s Belongings
The Baby’s skin is very delicate. All clothes and beddings should be cleaned to ensure that there are no active bacteria that can cause infections or irritation on the baby’s skin. Use a non-biological detergent that will be gentle on your hand and the infant’s skin.
Have Freeze Food
Days before welcoming the baby, prepare and freeze well-balanced meals to ensure that you do not run out of food during the recovery period. Although your family and friends will bring some food as they visit the new-born, it is best to have your supply instead of relying on them all the time. Prepare your favorite recipes as long as they are balanced and can be frozen and reheated. Caring for the baby is important, but you should take care of your health by having well balanced and healthy meals to take care of the newborn.
Learn About the Birth Process
Learning about the birth process before giving birth will enable you to be active during birth. You already know what to expect and what to do. Good cooperation between you and your doctor paves way for a smooth process and a positive outcome.
New exciting birthing classes will help you learn about the stages of labor, how to manage pain, how to breathe, and medical tools that can be used during the delivery. Enroll in the classes at the middle of your pregnancy to learn as much as you can. Watch videos of different ways of giving birth such as water birth, natural delivery, and birth by C-section.
Have a Birth Plan
Now that you are aware of the different types of delivery, you should choose the one that you prefer. Write a birth plan informing your midwife of your choice and the preferred pain reliever. State the importance of direct skin contact with your newborn immediately after birth so that the midwife will know exactly how you would like the experience. Although your plan may not be fully implemented due to health hitches, having a birth plan helps in knowing what your wishes to have stress-free procedures are.
Be Careful When Pregnant
Throughout the pregnancy, you will get all sorts of ideas, from how to behave, what to eat, how to feel, the list is endless. Amid all the advice, you should ensure that you have enough rest, good sleep, and a balanced diet.
Go for a walk to ensure that your body is active and healthy. Since physical fatigue can result in emotional overload, get a prenatal massage to help you relax.
Talk to Your Partner
Talk to your partner about how you would like him to assist you during and after delivery. You should be on the same page when it comes to taking care of the newborn to eliminate any conflict regarding the wellbeing of the baby.
Don’t assume that your partner knows what and how to behave as a first-time parent, but instead, learn and correct each other in a respectful manner.
Pack the Hospital Bag
Labor can start anytime at around 36 weeks in pregnancy. Before then, pack everything you need during and after birth. These may include birth plans, nappies, clothes, and shawls. Place the bag by the front door where you can easily pick it or where your partner can spot it easily.
As a first time parent, you can be overwhelmed by the pregnancy and delivery process. However, if you follow the above plan and enroll in birth classes, you will have nothing to worry about and you will enjoy every bit of the process.
Ensure to seek medical advice in case of any unexplained change during your pregnancy.