Nine months of pregnancy may seem so far away but it is just around the corner. Your due date will be here before you know it. Therefore, if you feel like there are things you need to get in order before your little one arrives, the time is now.
#1. Pack Hospital Essentials
By the time you’re due to deliver, you have definitely bought baby stuff you feel your baby will need to be comfortable. Therefore, be sure to wash the baby outfits, washcloths, bedding, and towel before your little one wears or uses them. When cleaning the baby stuff, consider using a liquid detergent that is non-biological.
#2. Invest in a Baby Car Seat
Before your baby comes, it is important that you invest in an infant car seat for your little one. While buying one, be sure that the specific brand you choose can fit into your car correctly according to the instructions stated by the manufacturer.
Also, be sure to buy a seat that is properly fit according to your baby’s weight and height; infant car seats for babies who are under 36 kg and 150 cm are supposed to restrain your baby properly according to the set regulations by the safety authorities.
You can be sure that if your little one gets the appropriate car seat and is properly fitted, he or she will not be thrown left, right and center as the car moves and neither will your baby be thrown out of the car in the case of an accident. In fact, if an accident happened, your baby’s car seat will absorb the impact that may happen which in turn may prevent your baby from getting hurt.
#3. Prepare your House
You will want to come to a warm, cozy and clean home when you come from the hospital. Therefore, consider dusting it or vacuuming right before you leave; alternatively, ask your partner, friend or family, to help you clean up.
Coming home to a clean home will allow you more time to spend with your little one and rest more whenever possible.
#4. Learn about the Delivery Process
If you are a new mom, you may not really know what to expect as you bring your little one into this world. For this reason, before your little one arrives, it is wise for you to begin learning about the labor, birth and delivery process you are yet to go through at the end of 9 months.
Informed moms tend to participate more actively in their birth and delivery processes than moms who have not learned much about it.
Experts say that the birthing process of a well-informed mom will often lead to a better outcome than moms who are not.
To ensure that you enjoy these benefits, consider taking a birth class in your area to be informed about labor, the different ways of giving birth, how to breathe during the birth of your baby, pain relief options, and medical apparatus used during birth and what they do.
If you would like a more vivid description of what happens during the birth of a baby, consider watching videos of women going through the actual process of birth and delivery.
Once you have this information you will enable you to easily come up with a birth plan for your labor and delivery process.
#5. Have a Birth Plan
A birth plan is a list of what you would wish to happen throughout your birth and delivery process and after that. A birth plan allows the midwives and your doctor knows how to give you the appropriate care while still making true your wishes.
Through a birth plan, you and your partner can state the kind of birth you would like to have, how you would like to manage the pain that comes with labor among other things.
However, it is important for you to be flexible as sometimes your doctor and midwives may need to depart from your birth plan so as to ensure that the birthing process is successful. For example, you may have wanted to have a natural birth, but due to complications that arise during labor and birth, the doctors may need to carry out a C-section in order to save both baby and mom.
#6. Talk to Other Moms
Talking to other moms, more so those that have had babies before will give you the information you may not have. If you do not know any veteran moms in your area, consider joining a support group with new moms or moms-to-be.
If for any reason you feel clueless about something pertaining to pregnancy and motherhood, now you know what to do. Talking to other moms will also encourage you during moments you may feel like you are not at your best emotionally.
