Preparing for a New Baby
About to Become a Parent? Here's Help
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--Fads in child rearing and baby gear come and go, but the basics on how to welcome a new addition into your home and life are pretty hard and fast. The important thing to remember is that women and men have been becoming moms and dads for centuries and for the most part they have always managed-so don't worry about making things perfect. As long as your baby is warm, fed, safe and loved, it's doubtful you'll be hearing too many complaints from your newest family member (at least not until they're teenagers).
And Baby Makes Three
If this is your first child, now is the time to start thinking about childproofing your home. While it's true that a newborn isn't exactly going to be checking out your cupboards upon arrival, you will be amazed at how quickly time passes and that helpless infant is suddenly crawling, pulling up and getting into all manner of things. Better safe than sorry. Consider the following before you bring your little bundle of joy home from the hospital:
- Add childproof locks to any cabinets that contain poisonous or sharp items
- Keep a list of emergency numbers, e.g., pediatrician, poison control, etc. handy
- Your water heater needs to be adjusted to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and you should invest in an infant bathtub
- When it comes to the crib, soft and fluffy may look nice, but it isn't the safest for infants-avoid pillows, blankets and stuffed animals
- Make sure your changing table has a strap, and just in case, a rug or carpet below if a fall should happen
- Secure windows with guards or stops and make sure cords on blinds or shades cannot entangle the baby
- Get an infant car seat and make sure you know how to properly install it; many local fire stations offer help with this
- Cover electrical outlets with safety plugs
- Keep electrical cords tucked behind furniture or invest in hide-a-cord devices
- Get in the habit of turning pot handles toward the back of the stove, to prevent burns when baby starts crawling, pulling up or walking
- Never leave a baby unattended on a bed or sofa-one successful rollover attempt and she could be in for a scary fall
- If you have stairs, or areas of the house that are off limits, baby gates are the way to go to protect inquisitive little people from tumbles
Clothes and Food and Supplies, Oh My!
Safety may be the first thing you think of on your path to responsible parenthood, but there is also the matter of the "stuff" you need for a baby. Whether it's diapers, onesies or bottles, here's a list to get you started:
- 5 to 7 onesies - yes, the name is silly, but once you realize this is one item of clothing that's going to stay on any wiggly infant, you will recognize the power of the onesie
- 4 to 8 sleep suits/gowns - whether you opt for the one-piece footie pajama style or the gown with the drawstring bottom, your baby will be warm and toasty come sleepy time
- 1 to 2 sweaters/hats/booties - keeping baby warm is a must and covering the head and feet get you off to a good start
- 5 to 7 bibs - depending on how frequently you do laundry (and it will increase), you may find it necessary to get more washable bibs
- 4 to 6 receiving blankets/burp cloths - again, cozy is the name of the game and a lightweight receiving blanket is always good to have at the ready; when it comes to the burp clothes, cloth diapers are excellent and quite handy
- 3 crib sheets/changing pads - accidents happen and three of each of these means you can have one on the mattress or changing pad, one in the wash and one just in case
- 3 to 4 dozen diapers - infants go through an amazing number of diapers and the last thing you want is to reach into the diaper bag and come up empty-so start buying in bulk pronto (this ends up being more affordable, too)
- 1 dozen 4 to 8 oz. bottles - whether you opt to breast feed or formula feed, you are going to need some baby bottles at some point-try a couple of styles to decide what you and baby like best
The Ins and Outs of Infant/Child CPR
Odds are you will never need the information, but you will have peace of mind after taking an infant/child CPR class. Offered at your local hospital, community center or chapter of the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association, these classes will teach you the basics of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and accident prevention. Generally, the class is held in two sessions. During the first, you and your spouse will learn what to do if a child up to one year old isn't breathing or moving as a result of choking, a falling or nearly drowning. The second class will explore how to handle the same situation with children up to 12 years of age.
Welcoming a New Brother or Sister
If you are already a parent, then all the tips on supplies and safety are probably old hat to you. You're going to be more focused on introducing your new baby to his big brother or sister. Expect jealousy to arise when the new sibling is introduced. A new baby takes a lot of time and effort and your older children will occasionally feel left out. Ease the transition by including them in the care of their new sibling (as much as their age and abilities allow for), but also by making sure to spend one-on-one time with your older children. There is also the chance that the older child may not be interested in the new baby brother or sister. This is a normal reaction for some kids. Give them time and they will make the adjustment-forcing the issue will not help the situation. Some feelings will be hard for kids to verbalize and as a result they may revert to more childish or infantile behavior themselves in order to get attention. If this happens, keep trying to get your older child to express their feelings in more appropriate ways. Perhaps this is a sign that a little more one-on-one time is needed. However you try to resolve the situation, don't back down or change your rules. If your older children start to ask questions about the baby, be sure to answer them in an age-appropriate manner. A toddler isn't interested, most likely, in the biology of how babies are made. You don't need to supply loads of details, just let the questions your son or daughter asks tell you how much and what they want to know. Pretty soon your new arrival and your cherished older children will
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