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I was so excited to leave the hospital with my new bundle of joy. As I was preparing myself and my new infant son to leave the nurse told me she needed to see my car seat before I could be released.
That’s when it hit me.
I had planned for my stay in the hospital.
I scheduled the appointment for my C-section. I pre-registered at the hospital. I packed a bag. I read every article on childbirth, hospital stays and C-sections I could get my hands on. I filled out all the paperwork for my maternity leave for work.
I had not planned for what was going to happen when I took my baby home.
I am an only child. I had never held a baby until the nurses handed me my son.
Now I had this perfect baby, that I had to feed, change, translate his cries and above all keep alive.
I had no idea, how to do that.
At the hospital, I had the nurses. They answered questions, they changed diapers and they helped me feed him. What was I going to do when I got home?
I was scared and I couldn’t believe how many questions I had.
How long do I have to breastfeed? How do I know if he is getting enough? What do I do at home if he isn’t? If I choose to bottle-feed, do I have to sterilize the bottles after every use? What about his pacifier, do I have to sterilize it every time he drops it? When will he sleep through the night? How many hours constitutes sleeping through the night? How much should I hold him? Will I spoil him if I hold him too much? Will he know I love him if I don’t hold him enough?
These may have been the questions I was asking but really, I only had one question. Will I be a good mother?
The answer I have learned is yes. I am the best mother for him.
I continue to learn every day and I continue to ask questions every day.
I take every day as it comes and every challenge one at a time.
On that day and in that moment, my challenge was getting him home safely and with the least amount as stress for both of us as possible.
Here is what I learned and what you can do to make your trip home as stress free as possible.
Take Your Time Leaving the Hospital
You are going to be sore and tired so wear something comfortable and loose fitting when you leave the hospital.
Dress your baby in something easy to get on and off and appropriate for the weather. You will probably want to take pictures when you get home, I know I did, so put him something cute but practical.
Schedule your baby’s first checkup. The first few days home with your baby, you are going to be tired and overwhelmed, you will be grateful to have one more thing figured out before you get home.
Ask every question you can think of before you leave the hospital. The hospital has nurses, doctors and lactation specialist all in one place. Take advantage of all the expertise while you can.
The Drive Home
This first trip with your baby will be the slowest and most cautious drive of your life. When you finally get your new baby in the car, the last thing you want to be worried about is safety.
You will need to have a car seat before you leave the hospital so make sure you get a good and safe one before you leave. The nurses can also help you put your baby in the car seat the first time and check to make sure the car seat is your car properly.
There are two types of car seats – infant only seats and convertible seats. Both have advantages and disadvantages.
Infant only seats are designed to be rear facing only and fit newborns better than convertible seats. I personally found that an infant car seat that can easily be attached to a stroller to be much easier and more convenient especially when my son was sleeping. Babies will quickly outgrow infant only car seats however.
Convertible seats can be rear facing or front facing. The
biggest advantage to convertible car seats is that this car seat can grow with your child and could be the only one you must buy. These car seats always stay in car and tend to be bigger than infant car seat.
What are your opinions and experiences?