Preparing for a Baby During the Pandemic

2020 has been a difficult year for many of us. But if you’re pregnant and preparing to bring a baby into the world, it may have felt that little bit more stressful for you. Being in the midst of a global pandemic is scary when you’re bringing something so vulnerable into the world and government guidelines and restrictions may mean that you aren’t always able to have your partner or another loved one by your side through the entire process. The good news is that many women have given birth and been absolutely fine – pandemic or not – so you can do this too! Here are a few pieces of advice that will help you to prepare for your baby in spite of coronavirus and Covid-19.

Practice Self Care

In order to look after your baby, you need to look after yourself too. Part of this involves following government guidelines closely. This will minimise your chances of contracting the virus and becoming ill. Avoid contact with people who are not a part of your household as best possible. Wear a mask when you visit public spaces. Try to keep a two metre distance between yourself and anyone who’s not from your household. Wash your hands thoroughly and regularly throughout the day. Use hand sanitiser when sinks and soap are unavailable. These are the same pieces of advice being given to everyone right now.You also need to take care of your mental health and emotional wellbeing. You may be feeling isolated, so make sure to keep in touch with friends and family on a more virtual basis – through text messages, calls, video calls and more. Know that there is support out there in the form of virtual groups, helplines and more.

Creating a Space for Your Baby

Seeing as we’re all having to spend more time inside our homes, this is a good time and opportunity to create a space for your baby inside your home. When your baby is newborn, it’s likely that you will carry them from one room to another with you, wherever you go, so you can keep a constant eye on them. You may also bring their crib or moses basket into your own bedroom so they’re not far away while you sleep. But it’s still a good idea to prepare their room for them in advance of them being born. Decorating and organising a space can take time and effort that you may not have available to you once you’re already looking after your little one. Creating their own space can also ensure you have a dedicated space to store their belongings in. It can house their cot, their teddies and toys, their blankets and throws, their clothes, their bibs, their changing mats, their nappy supplies, their milk formula supplies or anything else that they may need. Then, when they’re ready to sleep in their own room, everything will be ready for them without you having to dedicate days to sorting the space out. So, why not start creating it now? This can be a fun activity. Whether you’re repainting, putting together small pieces of furniture or rearranging things. Just make sure to be safe and don’t overexert yourself!

Prepare Your Hospital Bag

If your due date is getting relatively near, you may want to prepare your hospital bag in advance too! You don’t want to find yourself rushing around trying to get things together when your waters break and tensions are high. You also don’t want to have to rely on someone else to choose what you might need once you’re already in hospital. Preparing your bag yourself in advance is the best way to ensure everything you want is definitely included. You can find a hospital bag checklist for moms here.

Keep Up to Date with Changes to Guidelines

Different governments have different guidelines when it comes to hospital admissions and these can change on a regular basis. Make sure to keep up to date with them so you know what to expect when giving birth. This way there won’t be any surprises – or consequent stress or panic – as a result of things not going as you anticipated them to. Being fully prepared can help to make the birthing process more calm.

This may be a difficult time to go through pregnancy and giving birth. But you can rest assured you will be in safe hands and things will go as seamlessly as they can. Hopefully, some of the above advice will help to give you some guidance!