Making the decision to grow your family is an exciting and impactful one. Beyond the overwhelming feelings of joy and excitement this journey can bring, there are many things you’ll need to prepare before and after your baby arrives.
From creating a comfortable and functional living space for you and your baby to making sure you have the resources necessary to provide a good quality of life for your baby, there’s plenty to think about.
If you are planning on having a baby any time soon, or if you are already pregnant, the time to start planning is now.
In the list below you’ll find the things you need to consider on your journey.
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How To Prepare For Pregnancy
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Get The Supplies You Need
Maternity Clothes-
Being pregnant is pretty fun most of the time. During your pregnancy, you’ll need some things to help make your experience comfortable and enjoyable.
The first is maternity clothing. This isn’t something you’ll need right away though.
In fact, you probably won’t need to wear maternity clothes until you’re close to the third trimester if it’s your first, maybe mid-second trimester if you’ve had a child before.
Keep this in mind when stocking up on comfy clothes for your pregnancy, and don’t buy an excessive amount seeing as you’ll only need to wear these clothes for about three to six months.
A helpful tip to remember; maternity clothes can be worn postpartum as your body heals and shrinks back to your pre-pregnancy size.
Here are a few lists you should check out-
Prenatal Vitamins-
The next item to have on hand is prenatal vitamins. To ensure you have a healthy pregnancy and pass along as many nutrients as possible for your baby, start taking them as soon as you find out you are pregnant, or even before you are pregnant if you are actively trying to conceive.
Here’s a really good brand of vitamins that will provide you with an excellent source of nutrition.
Pregnancy Pillow-
Lastly, you’ll want to consider getting yourself a pregnancy pillow to support your growing belly as the months go on. As your baby and belly grow larger, it can be difficult to rest and sleep comfortably due to the pressure and weight of your body.
A pregnancy pillow can help alleviate some of this pressure and allow you to feel much more comfortable when you lay down to rest.
Believe me when I say you’ll need one and you’ll soon find you can’t live without it. It becomes impossibly uncomfortable to sleep without the proper support. So make sure you buy a good pillow with good reviews.
For Baby:
Having a baby requires a lot of supplies. Often you’ll receive a lot of these items at your baby shower, but if not, you’ll want to purchase all of the necessary items your baby will need.
Begin with the things you’ll need right away after the baby is born, including diapers, wipes, clothing, and feeding items.
Whether you choose to breastfeed or bottle feed, you’ll want to have a way to store additional milk for your baby. Â Depending on your feeding plan, a breast pump and extra bottles are necessary supplies that you and your baby will need immediately.
The storage bags shown below are reusable and amazing!
Before you get settled at home with your little one, make sure you have a safe and comfortable place for your baby to sleep.Â
A good option for those first weeks and months with your newborn is a bedside bassinet to keep your baby close while you both are sleeping.
Finally, if you are unsure what other essentials you’ll need during pregnancy or after you give birth, rely on advice from those you trust. Many other parents have learned from trial and error just what necessities work best for you and your baby, so be sure to listen to the experiences of others.
***Have you taken a Prenatal Course Yet? Well, you can take one online that will teach you everything you need to know in about 3 hours. Here’s the best one online with the best reviews.Â
Get Your Finances In Order
Expecting a child can be a costly endeavor and one that requires at least some amount of financial planning to ensure your family can support the many needs that come with having a baby.
This is the least fun topic when it comes to having a child but it cannot be ignored.
First, you should make sure you have health insurance of some sort. Between prenatal and postnatal appointments, along with a hospital birth or home birth, there will be many medical costs associated with your pregnancy.
Depending on the type of health insurance plan you can afford, you may be able to save on costs during your pregnancy.
Next, evaluate your current debts. Do your research to see if there are any debts or loans you can pay off prior to growing your family. The stronger the financial position you can put yourself in before your baby arrives, the better. If completely paying off your debts is not a possibility, you can consider debt consolidation to help ease your financial burden a bit.
Debt consolidation helps lump together all of your eligible loans into one monthly payment with a lower interest rate which can help you save money over time. Any way you can save money in the long term is a win for you and your family.
Finally, take stock of your savings. Do you have enough money put away for the materials you and your baby will need, as well as any emergencies that may arise?
The average out-of-pocket cost for Americans with health insurance to have a baby is about $3,000, so having at least that much money put away is necessary. It’s a good idea to put away money over the years and
months leading up to your pregnancy journey in order to feel financially secure.
Take Classes
Towards the end of your pregnancy, it’s a good idea to take a few parenting, birthing, or breastfeeding courses especially if you are a first-time parent.
Knowledge is power and learning how to best care for yourself and your baby is extremely important.
Birthing Classes can help you learn how to best prepare for your own birth experience. You can use this knowledge to your advantage when you are in the heat of labor and want nothing more than to deliver your baby safely and quickly.
Parenting classes will help you and your partner understand how to best care for and teach your child everything he/she will need over time.
In the first year of a baby’s life, there are so many changes that you both will go through, and knowing how to
handle those changes will help make this challenging time a little bit easier.
Breastfeeding classes are a great option for mothers who want to make the most out of their breastfeeding experience.
From learning how to latch your baby and manage your own milk production, how to store excess breast milk, and even how to manage a pumping or breastfeeding schedule once you return to work, these types of classes can help you learn what you need to succeed.
In the end..
Preparing for pregnancy takes a great deal of time and effort, so be sure to put in the work to make your pregnancy and birth experience the best it can be. From stocking up on the essentials to learning how to be a good parent, to making sure you have the financial resources to support a child, the time to start preparing is now.
Best of luck to you on your pregnancy journey.
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