Planning the First Two Weeks of Your New Born Baby
No matter how much you plan for it, you never really feel ready enough for the arrival of a newborn baby, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Whether you’re pregnant yourself, or your partner is, with all the anticipation of your new child and all the jazz that goes with it, you’re bound to miss out on a thing or two. We’ve compiled a list of 5 essentials, that you as a parent should pre-plan for when expecting a baby.
This doesn’t include your baby shopping, baby-proofing the house, or getting the right stroller, etc. We’ve tried to include things in this list that most people either overlook or under-plan and then regret it later. Hopefully, you won’t be one of them. This is particularly helpful if this is your first child because there is so much going on, it is difficult to keep track of and plan everything correctly and even if it isn’t your first baby, diligence and proactive efforts will save you from a lot of frustration.
1. Schedule a Photo-shoot
We are listing this as a number because frankly, you’ll be surprised at how many new parents overlook this part of the planning or often, end up relying on their digital and phone cameras. Whether it is because of all the added chaos that you have to deal with or a simple oversight on your part, this is definitely not one of those things you can take lightly.
Taking pictures of a newborn is an art-form in itself. These are the pictures that are trickiest to take and are by far the most precious in a child’s life. These are the pictures that the child and the family look back and reminiscences in their early life. You might not want to cut corners when it comes to newborn photography and schedule a professional photographer in the first two weeks of delivery, to capture an everlasting photo-session of your baby.
You may want to look into the particular style of photography you’re interested in beforehand, as not all photographers can handle babies this small, you may want to check out someone like Laura Jane at www.laurajanestudios.com who is equally comfortable with lifestyle sessions or even a posed shoot.
2. Schedule your self-care pampering
Another overlooked yet important thing is to look after yourself. If you’re a dad, then it is your responsibility to look after the mother. Mom’s are usually too busy and occupied with preparing for the arrival of the baby to think anything about their own self-care. What most people forget is that the baby is going to be in mama’s lap most of the time so you can forget about getting her hair done or her nails taken care of. Get a postpartum girdle to help lose excess weight faster, eat healthy, do yoga – whatever is needed. If you’re part of your newborn’s photography, then it takes even a stronger priority that you look the best. You wouldn’t want to look exhausted and unrelaxed and basically messy in the photo-shoot. And of course, it goes without saying that keeping the mama happy and relaxed has a natural impact on the baby’s mood too.
3. Set up your Nursing Station
You can’t just change diapers anywhere. It pays manifolds to have a dedicated nursing station in the house equipped with the necessities for easy access as well as a minimum mess in the rest of the house. The arrival of a newborn basically summons the hijacking of the entire house by the baby. We’ve all seen messy houses with baby stuff lying around practically everywhere and we’ve all seen new parents frantically pulling together their living room when guests arrive. You don’t have to go through that trouble if you have a dedicated station for changing the baby’s clothes and diapers and hiding baby products spread across the house.
4. Stock up on Food and Supplies
Get your hands on healthy snacks and stock them up in your pantry and freezers. It is vital to keep the mother well-fed and that healthy snacks are within reach at all times. Don’t forget stocking up on a thing like cheese, milk, fruits, greens, etc. It will be tempting to eat just about anything during the first two weeks but if you plan right, you’ll be eating healthy foods helping you recover fast and giving you the much-needed nutrients while nursing the baby.
As far as supplies go, the idea is that you probably won’t be getting to the shopping mart anytime soon within the first few days of your baby’s arrival. It makes sense to stock up on necessary supplies as well as get some reading material, etc. for when you get some free time.
5. Set your priorities Right
Last but definitely not least, we want to mention priorities. It may be obvious before the baby but after the baby arrives, everything pretty much goes haywire. As a parent, you need to set your priorities right and use them as your north star in day to day life.
There is no doubt that the baby is going to get most of your attention but there is no reason why you should put yourself on the backburner and be forgotten amongst this chaos. If you have prioritized your family and your health, then all your choices will stem from these priorities. It may be tempting to eat unhealthily, not look after yourself and get completely lost in taking care of the baby, but it serves nobody’s higher purpose if the mother and the father are not prioritizing themselves as well.
Conclusion
The arrival of a new baby is an exciting as well as a highly stressful time for parents but if you plan it right, prepare for it proactively and set your priorities the right way, there is no reason you can’t come out the other end triumphant and successful. Most of the pressure new parents feel can be taken care of by proper planning, and so we hope that this article will help you prepare for your baby and make the most of this beautiful arrival without losing your mind in the process.
