Having their first baby is one of the most exciting events and oftentimes scariest for new parents! First, expecting mothers and fathers, congratulations. Before you know it, baby will be a preschooler, a teenager, and a high school graduate before you know it. Savior this time!
1. Get baby's room ready! If the room has been in use, clean it up, give it a new paint job, decorate, and start shopping for baby furniture to furnish the room with. The furniture essentials are:
- Crib and mattress
- Changing table
- Dresser for storage
- Bedding - Buy at least two sets of crib sheets to cut downon laundry panic. Save quilts and blankets for out-of-the-crib cuddling,though, as soft bedding poses a potential SIDS.
- A comfortable chair
Pictured: 2830-8900 Legacy Classic Furniture Madison Grow With Me Convertible Crib
2. Consider create a baby station in the area of the house where you'll likely spend the most time. If you have a house with two floors, creating an area set upwith a basket of baby essentials will save you trips up and down the steps. Moms, especially during your recovery period, having items nearby will be a big help.
3. Shop for baby essentials. If you've already had your baby shower, you may have been gifted these items, but just in case you have not, here's what I found I needed with my two children:
- Bathtub - a tub specially designed to hold a wriggling babywill keep yours safe and give your back a break as well.
- Baby monitor listen to baby while you are in a different room.
- Baby nail scissors or clippers: These help you trim your baby's nails safely.
- Bassinet and sheet great for the first few months!
- Bulb syringe - use with saline drops to clear your baby' stuffy nose.
- Brush - asoft-bristled brush is especially helpful for handling cradle cap.
- Burping pads and bibs - unless you want spit up on your clothes, and on baby's sleepers, these little cloths come in handy to clean up messes.
- Bottles and formula
- Bouncy/vibrating chair - strap your baby into a bouncy seat,propped at a 45-degree angle, and he can see the world. It's designed to jiggle and soothe baby, which is a lifesaver when baby is fussy and you need abreak.
- Car seat properly installed before you leave the hospital.
- Diapers and a lot of them. Whether you're cloth diapering or using disposables, have an ample amount ready for use. Babywill go through A TON those early weeks.
- Diaper wipes
- Diaper cream - a soothing balm protects your little one's tender skin.
- Diaper bag with change pad
- Dresser with change pad
- Ear thermometer
- Gentle baby wash or shampoo - just use a little goes a long way, and makesure it's mild.
- Hooded terrycloth towels. Experienced moms say wrapping upyour baby in one of these soft hooded towels is a great way to keep him warmand dry after a bath.
- Mobile: Hang one of these over your baby's bed and one over the changing table. A newborn can see high-contrast black-and-white images, andwatching them drift overhead will fascinate and soothe him. Be sure to remove the mobile when baby begins to pull up and stand.
- Nightlight
- Onesies and sleepers
- Pacifiers - baby who seems to want to nurse or consumeanother bottle right after a feeding may need something else to suck on, and apacifier may do the trick. Pacifiers can also soothe a fussy baby when you're on-the-go or need some quiet time to rest.
- Play mat I found this very useful to lay baby down ton ostretch out and for tummy time. Plus it's portable too!
- Stroller - for a newborn, you'll need a stroller that reclines to almost flat, or allows you to snap on your infant car seat. Babies shouldn't be propped upright for long until they're about three months old or until they_SQ__ve developed stronger neck muscles.
- Swaddling blankets - if everything is washed, ready andorganized prior to your return home, you'll take comfort in knowing you have all of the essentials at your fingertips.
4. Make sure you have a self-love in place. Your first year with baby is going to be hectic and stressful at times. Baby needs happy and healthy parents.
Maria Lianos-Carbone, mom of two, social media strategist, and publisher of amotherworld.com (a leading lifestyle blog for women who happen to be moms) outlines the "proper care and feeding" of mothers during their baby's first year in her new book Oh Baby! Mom's Survival Guide for the First Year. A book like hers offers valuable advice on how to take care of you.
Mariais giving away a copy of her book to one Home Living reader. To enter for your chance to win it, send an email to our social media manager at marisasanfilippo@gmail.com with subject line: "Oh Baby Entry" by May 25, 2018 at 11:59pm. Each entry will be put into a random drawing and one winner will be selected. Sorry there's only one entry allowed per person and require in-store pick-up at either our Howell or Middletown, New Jersey stores by June 30, 2018.
Our own suggestions for self-love include:
- Make sure to breathe and practice mindfulness meditation, a practice that has been said to easy anxiety and mental stress.
- Make time for friends, even if it's just meeting for tea once a month for a little break.
- Get in at least 20 minutes of exercise three days a week to give yourself mental clarity and improve your mood.
Congrats again new parents! If you need any help picking up baby furniture, please
contact us.
