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Baby's First Adventure Home from the Hospital

By David Cummings

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Published: 14Feb2009
Word count: 756
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Bringing baby home from the hospital is one of the big events in life. Whether your baby comes home right away, arrives later, or comes through an adoption, the first homecoming of the little one is a major event that you have probably imagined and looked forward to for a long time. It may or may not turn out to be what you expected, so you need to be prepared for some of the situations that could arise. Before embarking to the hospital for that joyous day, you will need to pack clothes for the return trip home. Most moms look forward to the first outfit their baby will wear but often time do not give their own attire the proper thought. Make sure you have loose fitting clothes or drawstring or elastic waist pants as you are not likely to fit into what you wore before pre-pregnancy.

More often than not, parents elaborately dress their baby for the return home. It is an exciting time and a time which is very easy to get over-zealous; however, you need to remember that it's more important to have your baby feel comfortable and be healthy your than it is to wear fancy first-arrival clothes.

Although you may want a lovely dress or the latest rough-and-tumble wear, a nicely decorated one-piece outfit, in your favorite color and with a fun pattern or image, is often the best outfit a newborn can wear. Regardless of the weather, warm or cold, it's important that you baby keep something on his or her head to help maintain body temperature. Though you'll likely have received a cap from the hospital, finding a cute cap is the easiest way to show-off your new baby's style. You'll also need to keep your infant wrapped in at least one cozy blanket - perhaps a few if you'll be arriving home in the wintry months. You will be much more likely to bring home a calm, happy baby if you don't' put the baby through an ordeal of getting dressed into some complicated outfit before you and baby leave the hospital.

If you haven't made arrangements with your healthcare provider for your baby's first checkup, make sure you schedule this before you leave the hospital. There are many baby health topics that you will begin to learn about during your stay in the hospital and you'll likely feel a bit overwhelmed, but you can be confident that the doctors and nurses will be sure that you understand the most important information you need to know. In your baby's first post-birth checkup, your physician can help fill you in on the many other health topics of which you'll need to be aware. As you leave the hospital, and for your first days at home, if you find yourself wondering about anything, be sure to write down your questions so you can ask your healthcare consultant at your child's check-up.

The most important item you will need for the trip home is a child safety seat. Every state in the US requires parents to have one before leaving the hospital. Your precious baby is too important for you to not take every possible measure to keep him or her safe, right? No matter how short the trip your baby is not safe in your arms. Even a quick stop could result in injury to your baby. Get a car seat and use it!

There are a few different kinds of car seats but only two types are suitable for transporting newborns: infant car seats and convertible car seats. Infant car seats are designed to face rearward, which is an absolute necessity to protect your newborn's head and neck in an abrupt stop, and must generally be replaced when your baby gets to be about 20 pounds. Convertible car seats are designed to provide a rearward position for newborns but also accommodate forward facing positions for older babies and toddlers. Whichever seat type you purchase, be sure to locate your infant in the rear seat of your car. Your baby should never be situated in the front of the vehicle!

Though you may feel a bit overwhelmed with both joy and anxiety when it's time to take your baby home, bringing your child home is not a complicated task. Just be sure to take the time to plan your baby's needs as well as your needs and you'll soon find yourself enjoying time at home with your happy and healthy baby.

David Cummings is a devoted parent and husband and a regular author on many family topics. He is devoted to helping parents build better family time together and to ensuring a brighter future for all children through his contributions to children-oriented organizations. David is also the General Manager for Bustling Baby, LLC - a company that knows the business of parenting and offers a wide variety of products to make family travel easier, such as the Safety 1st Acella Sport Travel System

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