“I’m pregnant…”
Becoming a parent can be a frightening experience when you’re uncertain of what to expect. But it needn’t be with the right amount of preparation and enhancing your own knowledge. Having your new child will change your lifestyle beyond belief, but you will experience things like no other when getting to know your child! Having children is a natural process and you should not be afraid of it, in fact, embrace the challenge ahead.
Preparation is key
With your new child on the way, it is essential to mentally and physically prepare yourself. Luckily, the nine months of pregnancy should give you ample time to do whatever is necessary to prepare yourself and your partner. Mentally, it is important o understand that your life is about to change drastically and that your priorities may change, i.e. the number one priority will become your new child.
When your baby arrives, you will probably be very tired mentally with less sleep, and the full-time responsibility of looking after your child taking its toll. Therefore, it’s important that you prepare yourself for the situation. It’s not as easy as practising being tired, because although this may help slightly, it is practically impossible to condition your body to require less sleep. It is possible to function with less sleep, but everyone needs time to recharge themselves, and this sort of preparation is not the most beneficial.
Instead, time should be spent building up your mental confidence and constantly reassuring one another that you’re ready for this challenge, and that you’re both fully capable of dealing with it. This sort of mental confidence will grow as time passes, and as you spend time learning about how your new life will be with your new child.
How to prepare
Gather information – Time should be spent reading relevant books offering guidance and advice for those expecting their new baby, as there are counless books available. Reading reviews will give you a better understanding of which books are better, as the reviews will be from people in similar situations. You should also ask friends and family who have been through the process, who will often have good advice to help put your mind at ease.
Shopping for baby – In addition to the hard task of being mentally prepared, one of the more fun tasks you will have it buyihng all the items you will need for the new addition to the family. These will include items for your room such as a cot or bed; you will also need to buy baby food, nappies and formula milk if you’re not planning on breastfeeding. Additionally, you will need to purchase clothing and toys to stimulate your child’s brain. These are just some of the things which your new baby will need.
Prepare older siblings – The arrival of a new baby can bring about changes to a family. Naturally, the newborn will command much of your attention. All of this can be difficult for older siblings to deal with; it isn’t uncommon for older siblings to feal jealousy toward the newborn and then act out to seek your attention.
To prepare for this, discuss the pregnancy in terms that allow the older siblings to understand what is happening, make arrangements for alternative care and include the children in the caring process of the newborn. In the other hand, your child may show little to no interest at all in the newborn; this is also normal, don’t be alarmed and don’t force it. These adjustments can take time. Whenever possible, take advantage of the one-on-one opportunities you get with the older child. Give them your undivided attention to make them feel like there is still ‘special time’ for them. This will help to ease any resentment or anger about the new arrival!
Never fear; it get’s easier!
Having a baby is naturally quite a daunting experience. However, as you continually learn more and prepare yourself for the situation, the worries will slowly begin to disappear. It is natural to worry about something that you know little about, and which will have a profound effect on your current lifestyle. However, with knowledge comes confidence and by the time your precious new baby arrives, you and your family can be fully prepared for the exciting journey ahead!