Bringing your new baby home from the hospital can be a wonderful experience. In many ways, it is an important milestone in your newborn’s life. No longer is he a patient in a hospital; he is a person, a member of your family, who is only going to grow and grow and learn and learn from here on out. Because of this, there are several things to think about when bringing home your new baby.
First, you want to consider your home’s safety. While you don’t have to worry about cabinet locks just yet, you should make sure that any small objects are out of reach from where your baby will be. You will also want to make sure that your baby’s crib meets safety standards, so that you can be certain that she has a safe and a comfortable place to sleep during her first night at home.
You also need to prepare yourself for bringing home your new baby. It is a big milestone for you, as well. You no longer have the nurses and doctors of the hospital staff to help you out; you are a parent (or parents) without any expert help. You need to be ready for things like nighttime feedings. You need to be ready for some strange diapers those first few days. You want to be ready for the possibility that you will experience postpartum depression, and be ready to deal with that effectively. You also need to be ready to breastfeed without support, if you so choose. If you have had a C-Section, you need to be prepared for the things you will need to do to recover effectively from surgery.
Bringing home your new baby brings the possibility of visitors, as well. You need to be prepared for often unannounced visits from friends and family, or even from family who may wish to stay with you. You need to establish quiet times, when you won’t answer the phone or the door, and let friends and family know this ahead of time.
Ultimately, bringing home your new baby should be one of the most happy, if one of the most stressful, days of your entire life.
