There’s no experience more magical than having your first child but having said that there is also a lot you need to do to prepare for your first child beyond choosing a baby name! Being a parent has so many life lessons in store that you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner, no matter what stage of life in which you’re pregnant. However, having a child does come with its own caveats. You will need to give up a sizeable amount of your life in order to look after your new bundle of joy, and more to the point, you’ll have to prepare yourself and your home for this new arrival. Doing so can be difficult, as there’s so much to remember, but we’re here to help. Below are some of the ways you can prepare for your first child’s arrival.
8 ways to prepare for your first child
1. Build up some funds
Having a child can be an expensive experience. Of course, there are ways to keep your parenting budget down, but in the end, you will be spending more than you were before your child arrived. That’s why it’s important to try and amass as much cash as you can to get ready for parenthood. One of the best ways to do this is with second mortgage loans; if you’re a homeowner, you can remortgage your house in order to get a potentially huge cash injection quickly, which can help you to renovate your home and add a new room for the baby (if necessary).
2. Make necessary work arrangements
Hopefully, your job is amenable to maternal leave; in the UK, it’s a legal requirement to take at least two weeks off from your job if you have a baby, and if you’re an employee – as distinct from a worker, which usually means you work for an agency or you’re a zero-hours employee – then you’re entitled to up to a year of maternity leave. It’s definitely a good idea to take as much of that as you can, because motherhood can be exhausting as well as exhilarating. Be sure to inform your employer fifteen weeks before your due date that you’re pregnant, and you can discuss options with them.
3. Practice self-care
Contrary to how it should feel, pregnancy can often be massively stressful. Not only is your body undergoing a huge amount of seismic changes, but you may also have friends and family members constantly breathing down your neck (or that’s how it can feel!), asking you when the baby is due and what your plan is for motherhood. You don’t need to answer those questions; it’s okay to take some time for yourself and try to practice self-care. Meditation, yoga (to the extent that you can manage it) and occasionally eating your favourite comfort foods are all great ways to look after yourself when pregnant.
4. Maintain your relationship
Your relationship with your partner – if you have one – is likely to be strained during pregnancy and the first few months (or even years!) of having your child. This is totally normal; no couple can expect to emerge from parenthood completely unscathed. Make sure to talk to your partner throughout the entire period you’re pregnant and while you’re initially raising your child. Communicate with them and discuss potential problems that are arising, no matter how inconsequential they feel; sometimes, smaller problems can cause bigger rifts than you’d imagine.
5. Keep your health in order
While you’re pregnant, unfortunately, there are a whole host of problems you can experience. We don’t want to panic you unnecessarily, so we won’t list them here, but it’s important to keep visiting your doctor to make sure everything is going OK. After the child is born, too, it can be easy to neglect your own health if you’re rushed off your feet (as most mothers are), so make sure to keep up regular health checks even after the baby has arrived. You never know what might be ticking under the surface. Just make sure not to diagnose yourself with Dr. Google!
6. Buy a new wardrobe
Believe us when we say that your previous wardrobe isn’t going to suffice when you’re pregnant. Your body is changing in all sorts of ways, so you’ll need to buy yourself new clothes. Try to buy clothes that are much bigger than the size you currently need; that way, you’ll grow into them rather than outgrowing them and needing new ones periodically. Of course, you don’t need to give up on fashion; there are plenty of companies offering fashionable, stylish maternity dresses and clothes, so make sure to shop around.
7. Think about names
This one might sound obvious, but many people actually don’t think too hard about the name of their baby while they’re preparing for the child’s arrival in lots of other ways. Early on in your pregnancy, think about what name you’re going to give to your baby. It should be something evocative and simple; naming your child something ridiculous is only going to invite ridicule and scorn for them when they’re going through school. Consult with your friends and family if you like, but remember that this decision is effectively yours and yours alone.
8. Expect the unexpected when it comes to birth
Many mothers like to make “birth plans” for their babies. Trust us when we say that your birth plan is almost certainly going to go awry within the first few minutes or hours of labour, especially if you haven’t incorporated pain relief into the plan. It’s not necessarily a bad idea to make a birth plan, but be prepared to deviate from it at the first sign that you’re not comfortable or that things aren’t going the way you wanted. An uncomplicated, successful birth is far more important than sticking to any plan you may have made before you experienced the realities of labour.
