Planning Ahead For Baby
Having a baby is often the most life-changing moment a mother goes through. And while it’s also often a beautiful moment, the United States also has the highest maternal mortality rate in any industrialized country. There’s a lot to navigate, and the truth is that it can be scary going in not knowing what to expect. Luckily, planning ahead and surrounding yourself with supportive people (and supportive people only) can be a massive help in feeling ready for the babe to arrive.
Choose a Hospital
One of the first things to do is find a hospital. Before touring or inquiring about their maternity ward, ask your insurer about your chosen hospital. It’s critical to determine if the selected hospital is in-network and covered by your insurance.
Additionally, hospitals have resources to access more information on birth plans, OB/gyno contact information, and what options you have available if you don’t want a hospital delivery. Medical staff will assist in finding the right choices for you as you prepare for your baby’s arrival.
Find a Good Budget
For any first-time mother, the critical thing to do right now is look over our expenses. Make an expense sheet with bills, monthly grocery budget, what things to cut out, and more.
By counting up your expenses, eliminating some, and adding on, you’ll get an idea of the perfect budget for when the baby arrives. Collaborate with your partner or family members to determine a budget that works for you and your infant.
Communicate With Your Insurance
Insurance companies will be confused if they find that you recently went to the hospital for delivery without inquiring about fees and other coverages. Communicating with agencies helps prevent unwanted costs that you’d pay out of pocket.
Contact your insurance provider, even if your employer covers it, and ask about expenses regarding labor and delivery, appointments for the baby, and other costs.
Prepare the Baby’s Room
As this is an exciting time for you and everyone else, you may wonder how you’ll prepare the nursery during your term. Even though building the nursery is difficult in later trimesters, it won’t be a challenging hill to battle on when you have a nine-month timeline to navigate your preparations.
A timeline helps find the most suitable time to buy and place items to prepare everyone for when the little one arrives.
Connect With Other Moms
One important thing to do now more than ever is to connect with other moms. Whether through social media or a community group, having connections with parents helps guide us through this new thrilling adventure of being moms.
Being a mom is an incredible superpower to have! Prepare for the baby with this list of things to do. Also, don’t forget to take care of yourself, such as by asking for help when needed, and have fun on this new adventure.
