7 ways to prepare for your baby and early parenting

By Edwina Sharrock, midwife

Congratulations! If you’re reading this you must be pregnant (or looking to support someone who is expecting!)! This is such an exciting time for you and your family but it can sometimes be completely overwhelming.

Information and advice come in from everyone, some helpful and some not-so-helpful! This is why l have put this list together for you to tick off so you can start to feel organised and somewhat prepared!

Scroll down to learn 7 ways to prepare for early parenting…

7 ways to prepare for your baby and early parenting

1. Find your care provider team

Take the time to find a midwife, obstetrician, doula, hospital, or whoever you need to be part of your team. Make sure that you trust and feel comfortable with them. Remember, in a few months, these people are going to be supporting you on the day you meet your baby.

2. Don’t skimp on birth education

Some people put more research into buying a new fridge than they do their birth experience. It’s important to understand what kind of things you may go through. When looking for prenatal education materials, make sure it’s someone you trust. That’s why I teach online birth classes called BirthBeat that you can watch and rewatch. Investing time into research may prove to be invaluable – promise me you won’t wing it!

3. Only buy what you need

Often we get overwhelmed with all these products labelled as ‘must buys’. Take a step back and just focus on what you really need to set yourself up for success. When it comes to products – less is often more. Find products that don’t have all the nasties like synthetic dyes, parabens, phthalates, and sulfates. Products like WaterWipes are an excellent choice for babies, they are great for sensitive skin, newborn, and premature babies. They’re the world’s purest baby wipe, simply made from 99.9% water and a drop of fruit extract. They are a great product that l always recommend to new mums as they are safe and suitable for your baby’s super sensitive skin and contain minimal ingredients. Remember less is more!

4. Look after yourself

Preparing for birth is often described as preparing for a marathon. The body is experiencing major change, both physically and emotionally, as you feed and grow a human! You need to make sure you find time to rest, eat well and nurture your body throughout it all.

5. Be open with your friends and family about how you’re feeling.

Pregnancy can often bring up feelings of stress and anxiety. It’s very important that we talk about it and that you speak to your partner, friend or family about it. Always acknowledge that this is an intense time and it will be hard, but it will also be incredibly rewarding.

6. Call in all the support

Have a plan for after the birth, not just before. Get a plan in place to support you and your partner whether that be sorting out your other children with the support from family and friends or just having a general support team around you post-birth.

7. Enjoy it!

This is an incredible life-changing experience, so don’t forget to enjoy it. Remove the stress, remove the fear and make time for self care. Get educated, get prepared, block out the advice that is not helpful, and surround yourself with support.

Finally, the days might feel long but the years are short. Your baby will grow up so quickly so savour every moment!