Bouncing Babies

Welcoming a new baby to the house is a very big moment.  You are the centre of the baby’s world and safety, feeding, sleeping and of course crying will become a huge part of your life.

Getting Ready

Make sure your home is ready before baby arrives.  You may prepare a special room or area in your house and there will be new equipment to introduce and get used to.

Safety will be uppermost and from the moment you leave hospital you may be using car seats, prams, cots, changing mats and many more products that you may never have used or seen before.  Make sure you are familiar with them before the baby arrives.

The amount of equipment you need is something you need to consider.  There are hundreds of products and brands and you should think carefully about what to purchase, what to acquire that is pre-used by say another family member or what you loan or what you can do without.  Having a baby can become expensive and you need to budget carefully.

Arriving home

Bringing a baby home needs to be planned.  Make sure you manage the number of visitors, but have help at hand.  You also need to think about cleanliness and also ensure nobody that has a cold or illness visits.  It is all about taking it slowly and making an adjustment to your life.  If you have other children then involve them as helpers.

Feeding your baby

Clearly the way you feed your baby is your choice but breast-feeding has significant advantages in that it is free, ready prepared for humans, uses up your calories, helps brain development, does not cause allergies and reduces the risk of childhood obesity.

You can find out more from the Association of Breast Feeding Mothers or La Leche League GB. You  will be able to find an experienced  advisor in your area, contact:

08444 122949  0845 120 2918    www.abm.me.uk

Early learning

Playing is the way to teach.  Babies seem helpless at first but the changes you will notice happen fast.  It is important your baby receives regular medical check ups and the baby’s growth and development is monitored. 

A baby learns by exploring and you need to provide the emotional and learning support to give your baby a secure start. 

You can find out more about early learning at

www.earlyyearsmatters.co.uk

Immunisation

Babies need to be immunised for their own protection and this is particularly the case in the first few months of their life.  It is important that you understand what they are being protected against.  There are many myths about immunisation particularly the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.  Talk to medical professionals such as your doctor or midwife and take time to find out the facts but don’t leave your baby unprotected.

You can get more information from NHS Direct or visit the NHS immunisation information site to create a chart of immunisations for your baby:

www.immunisation.nhs.uk