Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.
Elizabeth Stone
Any day now we’re due to add another member to our family. It’s a really exciting time for us, and incredibly nerve-wracking. I decided to pivot slightly from my usual content and post a blog of tips when preparing for a new baby! I looked up so many tips when preparing for my first and once again I find myself on google trying to prepare myself for this baby. It’s so useful to me to have tips compiled together so I’ve put together 10 of my own tips for preparing for a new baby!
1. Create a Support System
Building a strong support system is so important during this period of change. Whether it’s your first, second, third or so on, having a child turns everything upside down. Having supports in place is so helpful for preparing for your baby and continues to be helpful when bubba arrives.
Reach out to your family, friends, and other parents for guidance, assistance, and emotional support. Consider joining parenting groups or online communities to connect with like-minded individuals who can share their experiences and advice.
I personally joined some Facebook groups and Mums groups in my community once my first was born. It’s so helpful to have other women in similar stages of life as you to turn to for guidance and help!
2. Attend Parenting/Birthing Classes
Educating yourself is so incredibly important in this time. Reading books and talking to other parents really helps you to prepare and be more knowledgeable about birthing and taking care of a baby. Sometimes information is scary but it’s better to know what to expect and prepare for things than to go in completely blind.
Parenting classes provide valuable insights and guidance for first-time parents. Enroll in classes that cover topics like newborn care, breastfeeding, and infant CPR. These classes can boost your confidence and help you feel more prepared to handle various situations that may arise.
Birthing classes also provide some valuable guidance into the birth process. They go through birthing positions, breathing techniques, how your partner can help and so on. Birthing classes are also important for gaining knowledge into the entire birthing process and also prepare you for less-ideal outcomes, such as tearing and emergency caesarean sections.
3. Research Baby Essentials
This is definitely a personal preference and some people may not find this necessary. I am an avid researcher/planner and I love researching baby essentials and items that we would need to welcome a child into the world.
Since this is our second, we had most items on hand already. Things like a cot, pram and clothing are taken care of. We did have to research into a car capsule, as we didn’t have one for our first, and looked into double prams as well. We have a tight budget so comparing prices and brands to find the best value item has been essential for us.
We decided not to get a double pram for now, rather we’re going to assess how we go once baby is here and reevaluate if we need one. We did get a car capsule and made sure we researched heavily into the costs, the brand and asking other parents for opinions. We used the same process when we purchased our first his car seats as well.
4. Stock up on Supplies
Stocking up on supplies will save you in those first few weeks postpartum! You often don’t want to take your newborn baby out and about for a few weeks and running out of nappies or rash cream can be a nightmare. Make sure you stock up on essentials like nappies, wipes, lotions and nappy rash cream. We bought two boxes of Huggies newborn nappies for our first and a box of wipes which lasted the entire time we were staying at home.
If you don’t want to stock up then delivery services are always an option as well. Often companies like UberEats will have a grocery option, or local grocery stores have a delivery option too. Subscription companies are good as well, just make sure you research the brand and ensure that the nappies/wipes are good value and worth the money!
We have prepped more this time around with stocking up since we do have a toddler on hand as well. We’ve bought him extra nappies for the first few weeks and stocked up on basic medicines, like Panadol, as well. Just in case!
5. Prepare the Nursery
This is often a tip that is heavily debated. Personally, I find it so cathartic and exciting to prepare a nursery for the baby. This time around, we weren’t able to set up a proper nursery but I still found it so exciting to prepare the baby’s sleeping space and changing space.
For our first, we set up the whole room beautifully and used it from day one. A changing table was a must for us, especially as I had a caesarean, and we used it every time we changed a nappy. We’re intending on doing the exact same thing this time around. Some people will say the changing table, or nursery itself, is a waste of time/money but it all comes down to personal preference.
Our baby will stay in our room for at least the first six months. We’ve prepared a space for it with a white noise machine, red light machine and bassinet. Our cot is still being used by our toddler but by the time the new baby is due to move into a cot, he should well and truly be in a new toddler bed.
Our nursery with our first was cozy and had all the essentials like a cot, chest of drawers, change table and armchair for feeds. I enjoyed sitting in there with our firstborn and feeding him in the armchair. It was soothing and calming and felt like the baby’s home.
We were able to hang up most of bubba’s clothes but it was so useful having a chest of drawers in the wardrobe to store other items, like cot sheets, extra nappies and baby socks. It really helped us having everything in the one room and we’ve managed to keep most essentials in one room again, minus the sleeping space.
6. Plan for Your Postpartum Recovery
A lot of talk around bringing a new baby home relies on what to do with a baby, how birth is and feeding techniques. It’s important to remember that your body will be going through something rather intense and traumatic and recovery takes some time.
Postpartum care is so necessary after you’ve had the baby. Items like pain medication, nursing pads and adult nappies are incredibly needed. I used adult nappies postpartum with my first and they were a lifesaver. Some people opt for pads instead but I found the nappies easier to use and more comfortable than the pads.
I did have a caesarean so witch-hazel pads and cooling pads weren’t necessary for me. I did, however, need some high-waisted supportive pants/underwear and needed to support the incision as well as the baby-less tummy. It’s important to prepare for both outcomes, as most women want a typical birth but sometimes that just doesn’t happen.
7. Organize Finances and Insurance
It’s such a tedious process but very necessary. We have completely changed our budget in order to prepare for the new baby and had to juggle some things around. We did this early on so we knew how far our budget would stretch and what we would need once baby arrives.
It’s also a good time to review life insurance polices and your will. When you add a child into the mix it’s even more important to keep up-to-date with your life insurance, if the worst should happen to parent, and of course maintain your will. See who you would want to take care of your child/children if something were to happen and make sure everything is above board!
In Australia, we don’t have to worry about health insurance as we pay for healthcare in our taxes. However, in other places (like the states) it’s important to review your health insurance policy and make sure the baby is added in.
8. Prepare Meals in Advance
I found this an incredibly useful tip for my first and I’ve started prepping food in preparation for this baby’s arrival. Cooking is challenging when you first bring a baby home and it’s so helpful to have food ready in the freezer to throw into the microwave. It saves a lot of time and hassle!
I can imagine this will be more important as we add a 2nd child into the mix. We’ll have to look after a newborn and entertain a toddler which will take time to navigate, so cooking is not going to be a priority!
It can also be useful to start a meal train with people you know or are friends with. Family and friends can drop by ready-made meals which makes life so much easier and allows you to focus on your family in the early days.
9. Establish a Routine
Routine helps so much. I don’t know the research on routines for babies but I found, personally, that my son thrived on a routine. Simple routines as babies are unpredictable but they feed, sleep and play and certain times that can become easy to predict.
With a toddler, we will have to maintain his routine throughout the day as well. It’ll be helpful for our own sanity to keep routines in place and have some structure throughout the day in order to still get things done and manage our time effectively.
10. Take Care of Yourself
It can be hard to remember to take care of yourself in amongst all the challenges and joys you’re faced with. It is so crucial to prioritise time for yourself, though, in order to rest and rejuvenate.
Make sure you get a good amount of rest (hard with a newborn, of course, but try your best!) and ask for help when you need it. If your body is screaming for sleep, contact someone to look after the baby for a few hours so you can grab a quick nap. It is honestly a lifesaver.
Make sure you eat nutritious meals as well. It can be easy to fall into the habit of eating chicken nuggets or cereal but they won’t nourish your body and can make recovery so much longer. Meal-trains are great ways to have easy, nutritious meals on hand. Investing in a meal delivery service for those early days can also be such a load off your mind.
De-stress with the usual techniques you usually de-stress with. Don’t neglect hobbies or interests that renew your mind and body. If you like going on walks, take baby on a walk. If you like reading then you’ll have plenty of time to sit down with a coffee and relax with a book (even with a toddler!). Taking care of yourself ensures that you’ll be able to truly care for that new member of your family.
I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle.
Vincent Van Gogh
Preparing for a new baby, whether it’s your first or second or so on, is such a journey that really does need some planning and organisation. Using these tips helped me adapt to life with my firstborn and I’ve been using the same tips this time around while preparing for my second child.
Remember to cherish each moment and embrace the joy that parenthood brings. There will be difficulties and challenges but every moment is worth it in the end.
Emilie Turner 