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About Your Baby About
Your Baby - Main
Page /
Bringing Baby Home
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Used to be, women gave birth and got to
hang out in the hospital for days, recuperating from the birth
process, which you now know is grueling. Today, most mothers
and newborns are discharged within 24 hours or sometimes less. If Mom has a
C-section, she'll maybe get to stay an extra day. This is in the U.S.
I believe other countries are more humane and allow birth mothers to
relax a day or two more in hospital, however, it'll never be long
enough ...
When my first daughter's father and I left the hospital with her, she was all of a day old. We gingerly strapped her into what appeared to be a too-huge car seat for her size (it was infant size but infant encompasses a whole range of definitions, most of which are bigger than she was). I sat in the back with the car seat and baby, while her father drove at a turtle crawl across town. Must have taken us more than an hour to go seven miles ... Bless his heart, he was as worried as I that she'd never have the opportunity to sleep in her beautiful new bassinet or meet her furry brothers. Speaking of which, if you have a cherished pet at home, said pet will no doubt be anticipating something. Believe me, four-legged kids are psychic when it comes to change, especially when it infringes on the attention they expect and rightfully deserve. Please read the information about pets on the baby safety page before bringing your newborn home. It will set the record straight and make everyone's life easier and safer. So, you come home to God-knows-what chaos if you don't have great parents or in-laws who've taken care of things while you were busy producing their grandchild and now you have a new person who lives in the place, too. Decorating your home for baby's arrival is especially fun for the waiting party. It's a Girl or It's a Boy balloons add instant joy and can also be tied to outside door handles to let the neighbors in on the fun. A baby announcement banner is another easy and fun way to decorate for baby's homecoming. By this time, you've most likely set up the nursery and should have enough baby supplies on hand to meet most challenges that await you. Just for good measure, here's a list of what to have on hand before baby comes home:
A good, printable list of infant needs is here: Baby Checklist While you're still reasonably awake, let me say one thing that is of vital importance to you and your new baby: Don't listen to anyone who tells you to let baby 'cry it out'. This is pure cruelty and does not teach your infant to sleep longer or better or not to cry. What this teaches your 100 percent dependent newborn is that the world is not a safe or nurturing place; that mom and/or dad (or whoever) are not there when needed; that baby's needs are not going to be met, no matter how hard baby tries to communicate those needs. Newborns cannot be spoiled. Believing they can be is just plain nonsense. Infants possess no guile, no cunning nor do they possess the power of reason ... just yet. What they do possess is untold amounts of need and dependency on you. I don't think any parent wants their baby to feel insecure, hungry, uncomfortable or pain. So welcome to the 21st century and think about this seriously. When your baby cries, pick baby up, comfort baby, feed baby or offer distilled water in a bottle or a pacifier if a feeding or cuddling isn't doing the trick. Sometimes, you're not going to know what in the world baby wants/needs/demands. You're just gonna have to live with it and figure it out as you go. Or be one step ahead with the revolutionary "Why Cry" baby crying analyzer. Truly amazing ... find out just what your baby is trying to tell you with this remarkable device:  WhyCry - Baby Crying Analyzer People other than
very close immediate family will want to come visit, see baby and
other moms in this group will be eager to exchange scary labor and
birth stories with you. Consider not allowing an army of well-wishers
to tramp through your home to meet baby for at least the first few
weeks. A lot of people are walking germ barons, especially other
children. Your newborn doesn't need a cold or the flu in the first few
weeks or months of life if this can be avoided. If Grandma has the
sniffles and you can't persuade her to reschedule her visit, have
sanitary masks And then there's the issue of colicky babies. Read about colic and find help on the Pediatricians & Baby's Health page. You'll need it. For a very sweet look at one baby girl's journey home from the hospital, read Anna's story here: Going Home ...
About Your Baby - Site Map This site provides general information and the author's opinions. It is designed for educational purposes only. Always consult with a healthcare professional if you have any concerns about the health of your child. |
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