Bringing Your Newborn Baby Home
Bringing your newborn baby home from the hospital can feel like a nervous time, particularly if it’s your first newborn.
It’s completely natural to feel anxious, however, help and support are readily available.
Planning in advance can help create a smoother transition as you adjust to life with your baby.
Here is a guide of useful information to bringing your newborn baby home from hospital:
Feeding Your Newborn Baby
Whether planning to breastfeed, bottle or combination feed, it is also worth thinking about how you are going to feed yourselves too!
In the first few days and weeks with your newborn your energy and focus will be on feeding and resting.
Consider preparing and freezing meals, setting up a food rota with friends and family or if your budget allows, ordering freshly prepared meals to freeze.
Healthy one handed snacks ( the other hand is holding the baby ) and water to keep you hydrated are necessary to maintain your energy levels.
Breastfeeding can mean you may be burning an extra 200 to 500 calories per day and regular nutritious food can help build your milk supply.
Research resources, professional support and local breastfeeding support before your baby arrives.
Investing in breastfeeding workshops in person or online is worth giving some serious thought.
The Breastfeeding Network offers excellent resources and support. You can chat with someone online or by phone.
Have a look to see if there is a breastfeeding drop-in group or breastfeeding peer support in your area.
Lactation Consultants are highly qualified to offer support with any breastfeeding challenges.
You may be considering bottle feeding with either formula or expressed breastmilk or a combination of the two.
Some bottles will be designed to try and reduce the amount of air your baby takes in when feeding.
All bottles should be BPA (Bisphenol A) free with some made from plastic and others, glass.
Teats will come in different flows; slow, medium and fast and may need to be replaced if they become scratched or marked.
It may be difficult to know which design of bottle may suit your baby at first and so it may be necessary to try a couple of different designs.
Clothing your Newborn Baby
Baby clothes come in many colours and designs, often an outfit is bought for your baby to wear when bringing your newborn baby home
A newborn can feed 8 to 12 times in 24 hours so there may be a few outfit changes from leaked nappies and milk spit-up.
Sleepsuits and vests are very practical in the first few weeks along with a hat and cardigans/pramsuit for when you eventually manage to venture outside!
Depending on how many times a week you are prepared to do some laundry, 4 -6 newborn sleepsuits and vests may be enough.
Your new baby will soon grow out of the newborn size so it is worth buying more 0-3 months clothes.
Layering is key to ensure your baby is comfortable and doesn’t become too hot.
Start with a vest and sleepsuit and check your room temperature is between 16 to 20 Celsius.
You can always add a blanket or swaddle as necessary; feeling the back of your baby’s neck can give you an indicator of how warm they are.
Nappies for your Newborn Baby
From experience, it is worth buying branded disposable nappies. They are usually very absorbent and so reduce the frequency of nappy rashes.
However, absorbency can mean that it is sometimes hard to know if your baby has a wet nappy.
Frequent wet nappies can be a good indicator that your baby is receiving enough milk.
Most brands of nappies have a wetness indicator which turns a strip from yellow to blue when the nappy is wet.
Nappy sizes are determined by weight and as you will be changing your baby’s nappy 8 to 10 times per day.
You may it is worth shopping around, and buying in bulk.
If you are considering cloth or biodegradable nappies it is still advisable to use disposable nappies.
At least during the first few weeks, while you adjust to life with a baby.
Bedding for your Newborn Baby
Whether choosing a moses basket, co-sleeper, crib or cot, make sure it has a firm, flat, waterproof mattress with no gaps around the side.
Sheets should be fitted and not bulky.
If using a blanket ensure it is tucked in at the side and no higher than your baby’s waist.
Swaddles with velcro or sleeping bags are also an option. Consider different togs for sleeping bags depending on the time of year.
Cot bumpers, pillows or any bulky bedding is not recommended and the area should be free of any toys when your baby is sleeping.
For more information on safe sleep please look at the Lullaby Trust guidelines.
Equipment
Baby equipment in terms of must-have and nice to have will differ in each home.
Breast Pumps
There is a wide range of Breast Pumps on the market. Many chemists will hire out a pump for a small monthly fee.
Pram
Purchasing a pram will probably be the most amount of money you will spend on one piece of equipment.
Therefore, it is certainly worth doing your research!
Here are some things you may want to consider:
● Your terrain! Is it robust enough to cope with potholes along a country lane or light enough to manoeuvre in and out of shops in a busy high street?
● Will you be regularly using public transport? Is it easy to collapse and light enough to carry on and off a bus or into a taxi?
● Will the pram fit easily into your car boot space?
● Does it have adjustable handles to adapt to you and your partner’s height?
● Will you be combining exercise with pushing the pram so may want to consider a jogging stroller?
● Do you want to invest in a pram/pushchair/car seat combination?
● Is there reversible seating for the pushchair or just facing forward?
● Accessories required such as buggy board attachment for older children, cup holders, sun parasol and rain covers.
A Playmat for your Newborn Baby
A playmat for a newborn baby is versatile, easy to clean and move around.
Furthermore, it provides an opportunity for a parent to have playtime with the baby in various locations around the home.
After the first couple of weeks at home, you will start to notice that your baby will stay awake for a little longer after feeding.
Placing your baby down on a playmat for 5-10 minutes before settling to sleep can be a gentle way.
A Car Seat for your Newborn Baby
When considering a car seat for your newborn, the NHS has a handy choosing a baby car seat guide.
Before your baby arrives, familiarise yourself with the car seat functions.
In particular, how to loosen and tighten the buckles and lift the car seat in and out of the car.
Manufacturers recommend that babies should not be in a car seat for more than two hours.
The Lullaby Trust has useful information on safe car seat travel with your baby.
A Sterilising Kit for your Newborn Baby
NHS guidelines recommend sterilising all feeding equipment until your baby is twelve months old.
There are an array of sterlisers on the market to suit your budget and circumstances.
Options range from immersing feeding equipment in water with Milton tablets, UV light or steam sterlisers.
Changing your Newborn Baby
If your home is on more than one level it’s a good idea to set up two changing areas.
This will save time and effort spent walking up and downstairs to change your baby’s nappy/clothes.
A basket or nappy caddy is ideal for storing items.
Moreover, each baby station should ideally contain the following items:
- A changing mat
- Two or three spare babygrows and vests
- Wipes
- Cotton Pads
- Nappies
- Nappy Cream
- A Nappy Bin
- Nappy Bags
- Two small bowls for water (one for baby’s face and one for baby’s bottom)
Additionally, it’s a good idea to have a visual distraction for the baby to concentrate on whilst changing nappies/clothes.
Black and white fold-out books can be propped at the side of the changing mat. Although newborn vision is initially blurry, they will start to focus on bold shapes and contrasting colours.
And finally...
Aside from everything listed as must-haves in this blog, there are many other factors to consider too.
There will be family and friends keen to visit the new arrival.
And as such, it’s important to put yourself and your baby’s well-being first. Don’t feel pressurised into inviting visitors straight away.
Be clear with the number of people per visit and the length of time you expect them to stay.
The important thing is to have time to recover from giving birth and the opportunity to build a relationship with your baby.
Likewise finding time for your own personal self-care should be considered carefully.
Additionally, for your partner too, both as individuals and a couple.
This could be as simple as taking five minutes to savour a cup of coffee.
Connecting with a friend online or walking around the block listening to your favourite music.
Becoming a parent can feel like an overwhelming responsibility.
However, be sure to be kind to yourself. Furthermore, understand that while at times your journey as a parent feels tough.
You can be assured the rewards will follow.
Finally, you may find playing with your baby guide a useful read.
Margaret Maternity can assist with supporting you and your baby at home with an initial consultation and remote support.
