First Time Parents: Bringing Baby Home From The Hospital

If this is your first baby coming home from the hospital, I'm sure you're experiencing a mixture of emotions, from the impatience and frustration of the anticipated due date to the excitement and anxious reality of actually having a baby in your house, an additional family member.

It's a life-changing experience—something you're never really prepared for—but you can try to prepare for a baby in "theory" and then deal with the "reality" as it comes.

You've read the parenting books, made a baby checklist, taken the Delivery Room tour, and even made a test run. Is there anything you've forgotten? Of course, there is. Don't panic. Everything works out as long as you have the desire. Remember, no one is experienced the first time.

What You Should Already Have At Home Before The Big Day

It's possible you've had a baby shower and received most of what's needed as gifts. Perhaps you signed up at a popular baby store and had a register of what's needed for the upcoming new family arrival. If you're starting your list, the items below are a nice guideline of what you'll need.

If you're saving your money and buying items as you can afford them, this list will also help you budget your baby's needs and buy just what's essential.

Also, your friends who've already had babies are more than happy to pass down clothes and items. They love sharing the baby's things because they know it's going to a good cause. In time, you, too, will be passing down the baby essentials to your friends.

1. Car Seat (you can't leave the hospital without one)

2. Crib or Bassinet

3. Tight Fitting Sheets

4. Diapers

5. Swaddles

6. Newborn baby clothes

7. Bathing Supplies

8. Bottles and Formula

9. Breast Pump (if breastfeeding)

10. Baby Monitor

My favorite thing on the baby checklist

The baby monitor is an absolute blessing. It allowed me to indulge with a purpose. The monitor watches and listens to your precious one at all times. As you know, newborns sleep a lot, and it's so comforting to know that you can carry a video and audio monitor while you do your daily activities around the house. I loved staring in awe at that little person under the guise of "monitoring" for the baby's safety. I would watch the little one with love and disbelief that I actually have a newborn baby in the house.

Digital, Wireless, Night Vision

You can set up the camera at any angle you want and move it around anywhere you desire. The monitor stays with you at all times; you can even clip it onto your shirt or pants. You can step outside into the yard, garden, or even the garage because you also have sound.

So you don't have to stand at the baby's nursery door, listening for the cries or murmurs. You can SEE and HEAR your baby at all times with complete mobility. Night Vision is essential.

Swaddling is a traditional method of wrapping infants in a cloth or blanket to provide a feeling of security. This helps them feel secure and stay calm, improving their sleep quality.

Swaddling creates a sense of comfort and warmth and adds security to the baby as it imitates being in the womb. This makes the baby's transition to the outside world less overwhelming. Moreover, swaddling has been proven to help babies sleep better by preventing them from scratching their faces and reducing the startle reflex.

While swaddling can be beneficial, it's of utmost importance to do it safely. This means being aware of and avoiding risks like hip problems and suffocation. Always ensure the baby's neck or head is not wrapped, and the swaddling fabric can't come loose.