Pregnancy and birth can be an exciting yet nerve-wracking time for both you and your partner. To make life easier once your little one is born you should prepare and think of your options beforehand. There are a few important questions you need to discuss and decide on.

Let’s take a look at some decisions you need to make as a new parent.

Recovery 

 

You may have a birth plan sorted and decided right from the get-go but these can occasionally not go to plan. There are a few options when it comes to giving birth. You can choose to give birth at home in the comfort of your own surroundings. You can pick a water birth, these are quite common but not recommended if you are high risk or if your baby needs to be monitored throughout labor. You may just want things to be as natural as possible and opt for vaginal birth laying on the hospital bed. 

 

Whichever option is right for you and whatever one you choose, be prepared for things to crop up which you don’t expect. You may need to be rushed in for an emergency c-section due to a problem with you or your baby. One such problem that could occur is your baby’s heart rate slowing due to the stresses of labor. If this happens then the doctors will want to get the baby out as soon as possible. 

 

The problem with doctors rushing if there is a problem is other issues can arise while your baby is being born. An example of this could be if your baby is born with Erb’s Palsy, this is a condition caused by your baby’s feet or shoulders being pulled at the time of delivery. This causes the nerve in the shoulder or shoulders to be damaged which can take weeks, months, or even years of physical therapy to strengthen. 

 

If your child is injured while you are giving birth make sure you get in touch with the Birth Injury Justice Center to see what help and support they can offer you, you may even be entitled to compensation. 

 

Bottle Or Breast 

 

The age-old debate of bottle or breast. Surely a fed baby is best as that means a happy baby. Whichever you decide to do, don’t feel pressured into choosing one over the other. You may have your parents or grandparents breathing down your neck to breastfeed. Yes, breastfeeding probably is the best option as your baby will get all their nutrition and antibodies from you but it can be tiring and stressful. This is especially true if you have been through a traumatic labor, the last thing you are going to want to do is struggle through breastfeeding a fussy baby.

 

Don’t worry if you have decided to breastfeed but are finding it tricky. The hospital or midwives will be on hand to give you advice and assist you with positions and getting your baby to latch on. Don’t panic if it seems your milk hasn’t come in, for the first few days after giving birth you will only be producing colostrum. If after trying you decide it just isn’t for you then the hospital can provide you with formula until you can get your hands on some. It might be a good idea to pack bottles and formula just in case things don’t go as you planned. 

 

Co-Sleep 

When you bring your precious little one home from the hospital, or once everything has been cleaned up and sorted after your home birth you will need to decide where your baby will sleep. Will they be in a Moses basket or rocking crib for the first 5/6 months or will they be in your bed co-sleeping. 

You can even buy cribs these days that attach to your bed for safer co-sleeping options. Co-sleeping with your baby in your bed has been associated with (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) SIDS so you want to keep them as safe as possible. 

 

Childcare Options

Finally, when your child is older, or if you have to go back to work you will need to think about childcare options. Do you have family members who have offered to help care for your little one or do you need to look into paying for childcare? There are many options for this, including nannies, childminders, nurseries, or live-in au pairs. Whichever one you decide on, finding the right one you can trust and get along with is a battle in itself. Make sure you do your research and check all their references and certificates.