Guest Post Writer: Katie Moore

Baby’s Big Arrival Day

Seeing her baby’s face for the first time after birth is often the moment moms dream about most, when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth. The overwhelming feelings of love and joy they anticipate experiencing that day take precedence over so many other things, but expecting moms need to remember that there are things she can do to help prepare her for the big day, before and during the baby’s delivery.

One of the most important things a mom-to-be can do to prepare for a healthy pregnancy and delivery is to follow a healthy diet and exercise regime that she has spoken to her doctor about. Keeping healthy and in good physical shape will make labor go much smoother. Another important consideration is to get a flu shot. Pregnant women are susceptible to the flu more than others and the fact that pregnant women cannot take many prescriptions or over the counter medications makes their flu symptoms even worse.

To plan for labor, a great idea is to create a birth plan that outlines how you envision your delivery day going. Whether you’re comfortable with taking pain medication or you would like to experience a much more natural birth, having your wishes written out on to a birth plan to have along with your other medical papers will let you know that your team will try and keep your wishes honored, barring any complications.

After your baby is born, you will need to consider how you would like to feed your baby. If you would like to attempt breastfeeding, usually within one hour of the baby’s birth you’ll have to try. Attending a breastfeeding class can be a very helpful step. Many facilities also have breastfeeding specialists on hand to assist you once your baby is born. If you don’t want to breastfeed, formula feeding is another option. It really comes down to your preference.

There are other steps that take place after your baby is born as well. For example there are state mandated genetic screening tests that need to be done before you can leave the hospital. If you have a baby boy, an optional procedure to consider is circumcision. Speak to your doctor ahead of time to find out the procedure available there. Another post-delivery decision to talk to your doctor is cord blood banking, which is the act of collecting and saving your baby’s cord blood Families save cord blood as a potential medical resource if the baby, or possibly, a sibling needs a stem cell treatment in the future. Mom’s doctor can provide her with more information regarding this prior to delivery, but it does need to be set up with the cord blood bank ahead of time so keep that in mind.

With all the options considered and plans made, just focus on delivering a happy and healthy baby to add to your family!

“This article was written by Katie Moore. Katie is an active writer within the blogging community who discusses maternity, motherhood, prenatal health, childbirth and other topics within this niche.  If you have any questions or would like to connect with Katie please contact her via twitter @moorekm26.”