A Guide to Bringing Baby Home from Hospital
Taking your newborn home from hospital is a momentous journey that you’ll remember forever. First-time parents in particular might feel nervous when getting behind the wheel, but the following tips should see you keep your cool and enjoy this life-changing experience.
Safety first
To ensure baby’s first car journey is as safe as possible, make sure you’ve got an approved car seat. Safety carrycots are also recommended (and they double as a daybed for an added bonus). The seat should sit in the centre, and face the rear of the car. Install your chosen car seat ahead of time, so that when the moment comes you’re ready to roll!
Make it comfortable, too
Keep an eye on the air conditioning in your car – newborns can become overheated or too cold quite quickly. Babies cannot adapt to temperature change in the same way as an adult can and they can lose heat as much as four times faster than adults. Even a full-term and healthy newborn may not be able to maintain their body temperature in an especially cold environment but it is advised not to add an unnecessary amount of layers to the car seat and instead try and maintain a steady temperature throughout.
Plan in advance
Keep things simple by planning everything out before reaching for the car keys. Mums-to-be, when you’re packing your overnight bag before heading to hospital, be sure to select a comfy, loose-fitting outfit for the journey home.
Accept offers of help
Chances are you’ll have lots of people eager to meet your new bundle of joy, and there should be plenty of offers of help, too. Don’t feel like you’re imposing if you say yes to practical offers like cooking a meal or taking care of some washing – it will allow more time to bond with the baby.
Read more at https://www.vhiblog.ie/2017/01/09/a-guide-to-bringing-baby-home-from-hospital/
This blog is from VHI.ie
