Welcoming Your Baby Home for the First Time

Congratulations, you have a new bundle of joy! And though it feels as if the preparations never end when you’re expecting, most of them don’t actually end until you’ve brought your baby home. You will have a lot to do in the final leg of the journey, as the baby heals and grows in the intermediate care nursery.

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Before bringing baby home, make sure these are all sorted out:

Prepare big brother/sister

You have been preparing them for months, but this is the time to establish with your older children the things that are going to change, and what they should expect when their new sibling comes home. Reiterate that just like when they were small, the new baby needs to be held a lot and given plenty of attention.

Show them their own baby photos and tell them that they’re going to be a role model for their younger sibling. You can even give them a role in caring for the baby, like making sure that people who want to hold their little brother or sister have used hand sanitizer. You can bet that no dirty hands will come near your baby with a vigilant older sister or brother in charge!

Prepare your pets

You should also pay attention to your pets when preparing to welcome a new member to your family. The excitement of meeting the newest addition to the household can be overwhelming, especially for dogs, so ease them into it. While you’re still in the hospital, ask a family member or friend to bring one of your newborn’s onesies home.

Allowing your pet to get familiar with your child’s scent takes away the surprise once you bring the baby home. Remember that although they’re great pets, they’re not great babysitters, so don’t leave your pet alone with the baby, even for a few minutes.

Check the baby supplies

At this point, you probably have the major stuff, such as strollers, car seats, and bassinets. If you haven’t, now is the time to get them, but if your budget is limited, you can rent baby supplies. It may take some research to find one in your area, but major cities often have businesses like a crib rental in Miami.

Set up the car seat ahead of time to have one less thing to worry about. Your local fire department might also check your car seat for safety, so make sure that you’re buying a car seat from a reliable manufacturer.

Housecleaning

A lot of parents often feel that they have to “sterilize” their space with industrial-type cleaning products to eradicate any germs and dust before their baby comes home, and pets may be banished from setting foot indoors. While these are well-meaning precautions, they are often unnecessary and impossible to maintain.

A thorough cleaning before the baby comes home is enough. No need to use strong cleaning products, as harsh solutions and insecticidal sprays tend to leave residual odors that can irritate or even harm infants.

It’s normal to be nervous about introducing your newborn to your their new home. But if you complete this list early on, you’ll be saving yourself and everyone in your home from a lot of stress. Start ahead of time to avoid rushing the preparations, so you can focus on welcoming your little one to a home filled with joy and love.

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Welcoming Your Baby Home for the First Time