5 Helpful Tips for Bringing Newborn Baby Home

CanCan Mom has experienced the bliss and concerns of bringing home a newborn baby eight times. She has five helpful tips to help you transition from hospital to home.

Mom are Crushing It with Quick Steps

Your baby’s homecoming from the hospital, adoption agency, or foster home is a major event. To make this first journey as stress-free as possible, keep these tips in mind:

1. Leaving the Hospital—What You Need To Know Before You Go
2. Baby’s First Car Ride
3. Have All Comfort Essentials Ready at Home
4. Go with the Flow—Lots to Learn as You Bond with Your Baby
5. Introducing New Baby to Friends, Family, and Pets

Congratulations! You are Now Parents

New parents drift along on Cloud 9 when their babies first arrive. However, many soon begin to feel overwhelmed about how they will care for their newborn once they leave the hospital.

Tip 1: Leaving the Hospital

Pack a comfortable and seasonally appropriate outfit for both you and your baby in your hospital bag. If you’ve just delivered, choose something roomy and non-constricting so you’ll be comfortable because you won’t be back to your pre-pregnancy shape for several weeks at least. For baby, take care not to overheat him with too many layers unless it’s winter and cold; in this case, you’ll need a snowsuit, a hat to keep his head warm, and an extra blanket.

If you haven’t already made the arrangements with your baby’s healthcare provider, make sure to ask when the baby’s first checkup should be scheduled before you leave the hospital. Take your time when leaving, and don’t feel rushed before all your questions are answered, especially if it’s your first baby. 

Tip 2: Baby’s First Car Ride

The most important item for the trip home (besides your new bundle of joy) is a proper child safety seat or car seat. Every state requires parents to have one before leaving the hospital because it’s one of the best ways to protect your baby.

Even for a short trip, it’s never safe for one of you to hold your baby in your arms while the other drives. Your baby could be pulled from your arms and thrown against the dashboard by a quick stop.

Practice installing your car seat before your baby is even born. Some of them can be tricky, and the last thing you want is to be fussing with the car seat while holding your newborn out in the hospital parking lot.

There are two kinds of car seats for babies: infant-only seats, which are rear-facing, and fit most infants comfortably, and convertible seats (which must face the back until the baby turns two) that accommodate both infants and older children. I highly recommend you buy a head support (sold in the car seat section of the baby store) to cradle your newborn’s delicate little head so it doesn’t bobble side to side while he’s so tiny. Keep in mind that most hospitals require that you bring your car seat in so the staff can be sure it’s safe for your baby.

Tip 3: Have All Comfort Essentials Ready at Home

One of the most valuable lessons I learned from my new mommy friends was to have all the essentials for both the baby and myself prepared before leaving to deliver the baby.  I always chose a corner in our family room to be my new baby station for the first couple of weeks. It was a nook with the following goodies to greet me when I came home:

•        Diapers (don’t underestimate how quickly you’ll go through newborn diapers during the first few weeks)

•        Burp rags

•        Swaddling blankets

•        Extra baby nightgowns and onesies

•        Bassinette or cradle, along with extra sheets

•        Bottles and formula

•        If breastfeeding, breast pads, and nipple ointment

•        Umbilical cord and circumcision care materials (if applicable)

•        Your favorite snacks (you’ll be hungry)

•        Other comfort items like a cozy bathrobe, magazines, and books (in case you can actually pull off some reading!)

•        Doughnut pillow for sitting during that first postpartum week

•        Notebook for recording feedings, bowel movements, etc. 

•        Baby album for recording those “firsts”

•        Camera or smartphone, with charger, for capturing those first days at home

Tip 4: Go with the Flow

You are undoubtedly going to experience a storm of emotions as you prepare to leave the hospital and begin the journey of caring for your new baby alone without the hospital staff to guide you every step of the way. 

Try to carve out some alone time with your partner before heading home or soon thereafter so you can appreciate this next stage of your life together as a brand-new family. Share your excitement, concerns, and any other emotions or thoughts so that your significant other will feel like an important part of this new beginning as well.

It will take time for you to feel comfortable with your baby’s different cries or how to swaddle as the nurses did so effortlessly in the hospital.  Feedings, especially for breastfeeding moms, can also be a source of anxiety, so don’t get down on yourself if you feel awkward and unsure when you first come home.

Babies can sense when someone around them is tense or nervous, so try to relax and go with the flow as you get to know this new little person. Study her neck, her eyebrows, and her chubby little knees. Take in that new baby smell. 

Lean on your spouse, your family, and your friends if they can help you out—and remember that your anxiety is completely normal. Before you know it, you’ll be handling your role as a new mom with certainty and confidence.

Tip 5: Introducing New Baby to Friends, Family, and Pets

A new baby causes quite a stir, and friends, family members, neighbors, and coworkers are all going to be vying for a time to come over and meet your little miracle. 

While this is perfectly wonderful and to be expected, it’s wise to set up some ground rules in advance, especially if you’re exhausted after having a C-section or a long and difficult labor and delivery.

Don’t be shy about limiting the number of guests at first. You’ll be glad later on if you take some time now to rest and become comfortable with your new baby.

Ask anyone who’s ill to wait until they’re feeling well and no longer contagious before they visit. You shouldn’t hesitate to ask visitors to wash their hands before holding your baby because a newborn baby’s immune system is not fully developed.

You’ll want to introduce the baby to your pooch or kitty, especially if this is your first baby. Your partner can bring a baby blanket home from the hospital to get your pet(s) used to the baby’s scent. Never leave your newborn unattended with your pets. 

Now Enjoy Life with Your Baby

Having completed your preparations before you brought your baby home, you can now settle in and enjoy precious moments bonding together. Revel in all the glory that this bundle of joy brings into your life!

For more information about adjusting with your newborn, read 6 Tips for Newborns Now at Home.

What worked well for you when you brought your new baby home from the hospital?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.