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Preparing for the Big Day: What Expectant Moms Need to Know

January 27th, 2012

For many women, becoming a mother is one of the most highly anticipated events in their lives. Some feel that motherhood—including the childbirth experience itself—is akin to a rite of passage, allowing the woman to reach the realization of her identity as an individual. Certainly, this exciting experience can be overwhelming for those who are about to go through it for the first time. In the old days, women only sought the opinions of their mothers or sisters with regards the more personal and detailed aspects of one’s impending motherhood. Today, however, the Internet has proven to be a en excellent source of information for those who wish to know more about the childbirth experience and motherhood itself. To begin with, here are some useful tips to help you go through this process

Brush up on the basics

When it comes to preparing for the big day, you need to know the basic information about the symptoms you might be feeling towards the final trimester and the actual day itself. For example, you need to know that you may experience heartburn (a burning sensation brought about by the combined effects of increased hormonal levels and the added pressure of the baby’s weight); restlessness and bladder sensitivity that may prevent you from sleeping soundly at night; difficulty in breathing; swelling around the ankles, fingers, and the face (which may be an indicator of preeclampsia); and weight gain. These are but few of the medical conditions that you need to monitor towards the end to ensure that your childbirth experience will be safe.

Be prepared with all the right things you will need

Once you feel that your contractions are coming along around your due date, you won’t have enough time to put everything in your baby bag prior to your trip to the hospital. For this reason, you must prepare beforehand. By coming fully prepared, you and your partner shall be fully focused not on the minor things but on the childbirth experience itself. Some of the more important things you need to bring include toiletries (a brush and comb, toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, lip balm, soap, shampoo, lotion, etc); personal items (a nightgown, bathrobe, comfortable clothes, slippers, socks, or sandals, eyeglasses, etc.); digital camera and/or a videocam; materials to help you relax just in case your contractions last longer than expected (a good book, a squeeze ball, etc.); and last but not least, official documents (a picture ID, insurance card, your birth plan papers).

Work out a schedule with your partner

Once the childbirth experience itself is over and you have given birth to your baby, you may need to stay in the hospital for a few days, during which the baby will be rooming in with you for the remaining days that you will be at the hospital. For this, you need to work out a schedule with your partner as you figure out who should stay awake at what time to take care of the baby. Having an organized feeding and sleeping schedule for your baby will help all of you establish a rhythm that you can take with you back home as you continue to care for the baby in the coming months.

We hope these tips will help you fully prepare for your big day!

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