Birth is that exciting time when you go from planning for baby’s arrival to finally getting to meet your little bundle of joy. When it comes to the birth of your child there are a few things you might want to think about. Such as, are you planning a natural birth or will you have an epidural or other form of pain relief? Who is going to be allowed in the delivery room with you, will it just be your spouse or maybe a few friends and close family members? These are all things you might want to plan before the birth of your child. Remember, while the details might not be something you remember later on after the birth of your child, you want to create a relaxing environment for both you and baby.
What should I remember when it comes to the birth experience of my child?
- While it may seem like a good idea to pack everything in the world for baby’s arrival it’s unnecessary. Pack only essentials like your hair brush, maybe your favorite soap, comfy changes of clothes, or extra blankets or pillows. A change of clothes for when baby comes home is a great idea.
- Bring a diaper bag. While you don’t have to put anything more than what baby will be wearing home in it, it’s a good idea as hospitals may give you things like the sample size bottle of soap that was used to wash baby, baby’s own hair brush and some will even give you things like left over diapers that had been used for your baby.
- Make sure nurses and doctors understand your requests. Prior to birth you might want to have a birth plan written down to go over with your doctor. This might include your choice (or not) of any pain relief, which visitors you may want to allow or prevent from coming to see you and baby, or other wishes. If you want visitors but only during certain hours, then it’s good to let your staff know when you do and don’t want visitors. If there is anyone specific you don’t want to visit you, letting them know that ahead of time is a good idea too.
- Formula or breast feeding. If you plan on breast feeding once baby is born it’s a good idea to let that be known when you check in the day baby is due to be born. Skin to skin contact is best when baby is first born so if you plan to breast feed you want your medical staff to understand that.
Exercise is another great thing to do when you are pregnant to help improve your mood because it will help increase your endorphins. As you are pregnant, you should discuss with your medical professional to determine which exercise options are safe for you to do. This will help you not only improve your mood, but brings other benefits to help you have a healthy pregnancy.
There are a lot of things that go in to the birth of your baby and of course you want to make sure everything goes perfectly. While some things happen sometimes to deviate from our original path, but just try to breathe and remember to be flexible. In the end you’ll to hold your new bundle of joy and spend the rest of your life enjoying them.