What Do You Need When You're Having a Baby?

For some, this phase is long gone -- the days of worrying with what to have on hand when the newborn is brought home.  These folks are now into dance lessons, batting practice, or their kids have grown.

For many who read these posts though, this is a new phase for them.

I have a friend who is expecting her first child. She asked me what she needed to do before her baby got here.  Wow!  What a question!  It sure did bring me back to the overwhelming excitement, joy, worry, and overall anxiety I felt before having my first child.  It is a great time, but one that can often be accompanied by feelings of concern for getting it all right.  (I remember thinking, "Oh, no!  Now I really HAVE to be responsible since someone else will be counting on me with their life!")

After having several kids, I can say that there is no need to worry.  If you're reading this, and if you're making visits to Positive Parenting with Purpose, chances are you are taking steps you need to in order to be as prepared as you can.  (You can never be fully prepared.)

You'll want to have a plan in place to keep your marriage strong, something you definitely want to give some thought to prior to giving birth (see the pages on Positive Marriage, and Positive Parenting, which both deal with keeping your relationship with your spouse strong).  You'll also want to acquire some really good parenting books, and after giving birth, you might want to try to take in some parenting classes.

But what about the "stuff" that you'll need to get before your little one's arrival?

These days, hospitals won't even let you pull out of the hospital drive without having your newborn strapped into an infant car seat. So obviously, you'll need that before you bring the baby home.  You'll also want to acquire all of the feeding accessories you'll need, which will change some depending on whether or not you decide to breastfeed or bottle feed.  (If you're still up in the air about that, you might want to look over the Pros and Cons of Breastfeeding.  I also have a page on just the Benefits of Breastfeeding.)  Anyway, if you decide to breastfeed, you'll want to consider renting or buying a pump, which allows others to feed the baby at times, but also enables you to store some milk in the frig and freezer for a time you might need it.  You'll want to look into getting some breastfeeding clothes, as well as a drape for when you are out somewhere and need to feed the baby.

Otherwise, consider which type of bottles you want to use.  There are SO many kinds, you'll really want to spend some time gathering information to determine the kind that will work best for you.

Obviously, you'll want to stock up on diapers and wipes, although it might be smart not to buy too many diapers prior to bringing Little Bit home because you don't know what size he/she will need until the baby's born.  Have your changing station set up and ready for when you get home, including a changing pad or soft, safe area where you'll be changing the baby's diapers.

You'll need a number of toiletries, such as gas drops, rash cream, bathing soap, a fingernail file, etc.  You'll also want to know where you are putting your baby down to sleep when you bring him/her home.  (Honestly, I had all of mine sleep in the car seat until they were a couple of months old because they seemed to sleep better being slightly upright than being flat.)  Have sheets for their bed and blankets on hand. If you believe in swaddling, you'll want to make sure they're the right size.  Also, my kids slept much better with a music maker in their rooms.

Have the pain reliever drops on hand that are recommended by your baby's doctor.  I always had some in a home cabinet and some in the diaper bag.  (I also have always kept an antihistamine stick handy for insect bites that I'd never see coming.) 

Anyway, those are some of the things that you'll want to have ready for the bub when you bring him/her home.  There are many more things that you could get, and from what I've seen, most first-time moms go bananas buying for their little angel.  But you just need to have the basics on hand and then get what you determine you need after getting used to your new addition.



If you want more information on things you might want to consider having for your newborn, and then items you might want as your baby grows, check out:  Baby Accessories, Child Safety Products, Baby Diapers, Baby Bottles, Pacifiers, Baby Cribs, Infant Bedding, and Baby Monitors.