How to Have a Smooth Transition from the Hospital to Home

When thinking about leaving the hospital or your birthing center with your new baby, what's the first must have item you will need? A car seat! Car seats can be pricey, so if you're having a baby shower ahead of your birth, be sure to register for one. Also, there are different locations for each county where you can make an appointment, have your car seat professionally installed, and they can also show you how to do it yourself and practice and repeat as many times as you need!

Then you will need to think about when you get home. You will inevitably be in the same room as your baby, so think about setting up your baby care stations in the rooms you will be in the most. Think essential items: Diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream, change of clothes for baby, burp clothes, breast pads, nipple cream, breast pump, bottles, formula, bottled water, bottle warmer, etc. I'm a huge fan of rolling carts- put the items you use the most on the top shelf and prioritize that way working downward.

Also, in planning ahead, you will need to think of your own self-care and sometimes this will look like fulfilling your most basic of needs. Number one (or a close second to sleep!) in this category is nourishment and hydration (especially if you are breastfeeding!). You will need your energy more than ever and will still be recovering physically. That said, do you have a family member that likes to cook? Have them make you frozen meals ahead of time, or you can throw ingredients in Ziploc bags and dump in a crockpot or instapot. Be creative! Include a meal train as a wishing well item for your baby shower. Keep a drawer stacked with menus for takeout night. Registered at target and realized you have too many of one item that you're not going to use and are too exhausted to cook, but are also starving? Go exchange that item for a frozen pizza!

Lastly, you're going to need to think about the influx of visitors you may get or that want to come over. If you're not up for the visit, it's okay to say not today! But do say yes to help. If you feel weird about telling people what to do or feel like you may be too exhausted to remember things, write a note on the outside of your door: "Hey! were thrilled you are here to meet our new baby, please remove shoes before coming in and then wash hands, once in :)." Do things need to get done and you can't remember all the tasks and feel really strange verbally putting people to work? Keep a whiteboard on the fridge with task items that you would love people to help with i.e. dishes, garbage, laundry

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