Your months of planning have finally paid off. You have a brand new baby. Now it is time to bring her home from the hospital. Following these simple suggestions will make your first days home with baby more pleasant.

Rule number one is sleep when baby sleeps. New parents often think to themselves that they will do the laundry or make dinner while the baby naps. For the first two weeks after you come home from the hospital, you need to sleep when baby does. There is no two ways about it. To be a good parent, you need to feel well rested.

Come home to a clean house. In other words, clean the house before you go to the hospital if having a clean house is something you must have. Before labor starts you will probably go through a kind of nesting energy spurt. If you do not mind a slightly messy home, then you do not need to worry about cleaning before labor. If the temptation to squeeze in a few chores is too much to ignore, consider hiring a housekeeper for a month or so after baby comes home.

Stock up on diapers before the baby is due. Diaper services, if you are using cloth diapers, deliver ahead of time you just need to let them know when you want a delivery. Make sure to have at least one bag of disposable diapers even if you are using cloth. If your baby is going to wear disposable diapers, having four bags at home will make life easier in the long run.

New mother’s milk does not come in for a day or two after birth. Your baby will still be hungry. To avoid frustration about not being able to fully feed her, have a can of baby formula on hand. You can supplement your nursing with formula until you can feed her 100% on your own.

Have a basinette set up in your bedroom right next to your bed. This will make nursing in the middle of the night much easier. You can just get the baby out of the basinette and nurse right in your bed without having to wake up fully.

Baby’s safety is a huge concern for a New parent. It is important to hear what is going on in baby’s room. Is she asleep or awake? For your own piece of mind, the purchase of a dect baby monitor is wise. With a monitor you will be able to know all of the time whether the baby is asleep or awake. Bathing baby is another big safety concern. Buy a baby bath to use on the counter top or sink. You will have much better control over baby’s body in a small bathtub than you would trying to bathe her in the adult-size tub.

Make sure you spend time with your baby. Even though having a newborn is difficult, you will look back fondly to the time you spent with your baby at the beginning of her life. Babies grow up very fast. Your chores will always be there.

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