Almost every girl, when she goes on maternity leave, thinks about what to do. All mothers and relatives say: rest and sleep a lot, then there will be no time. Doctors, on the contrary, advise to walk more. And the soul requires action. And who is there to listen to? In our selection, we have collected both banal and original tips on what to do for the expectant mother before the baby is born.

20. If you want arrange a newbourne photo shoot then look for information about photographers. On Pinterest you can find interesting ideas that you can implement together.

21. Read about HB diets if you are planning to breastfeed. Check out a few views and decide which one is closest to you.

22. Go to the pool... It is not recommended to go to the river at a later date, but if there are no contraindications, then it is the nearest pool. Thanks to the water, you will feel how the whole body relaxes and you become like a fluff.

23. Take part in a photo challenge... If you love taking pictures, then this task is for you! 30 days of daily photos.

24. More walk in the fresh air... This is good for the baby within you and will also keep you in good shape.

25. Choose a maternity hospital and conclude a contract with him. (In Belarus, the contract is concluded from 33 to 36 weeks). Or find useful contacts in medical facilities who you can turn to when the hour X comes.

26. Learn a new language... Many will say that little is kept in a pregnant head. Believe me, in the one who gave birth - even less. To keep your brain working constantly, learn a new word or phrase every day.

27. Meet friends... There are definitely close and dear people in life that you rarely see. Work, fitness, some other business. Now, during the decree, it's time to visit all your close friends and chat with them enough.

28. Buy a nice notebook... Or do it yourself. With the advent of the baby, you will want to record his achievements and keep them, without fail, in a beautiful binding.

29. Learn to do makeup quickly... It just so happens that with the birth of a child, we do not always have a lot of time for ourselves. And I want to look beautiful all the time. Therefore, it is better to know in advance that by tinting your eyebrows and eyelashes (or applying bronzer on your cheekbones, or ... each has its own version), you look as if you slept all night. And as if no one was hanging on your leg while you put on your makeup.

30. Make a personalized nipple holder... If you have not decided on a name, then just buy beautiful beads and try several options for putting them on a string. Even without a name.

My review will differ from most of the stories in this thread about natural childbirth.

This is because it is very difficult to recommend an objective assessment to such, on the one hand, divine, and on the other hand, primitive process, as obstetrics. We are all individual! And each childbirth takes place exclusively according to its own scenario.

Therefore, without unnecessary words and lyrics, I will mention in passing about my experience.

And I will share the topics in more detail:

!!! which helped me prepare for natural childbirth

!!! what to do in languid anticipation of the day X

!!! what to take with you for childbirth and the postpartum period

My pregnancy was unclouded. On the first day of the delay, a pregnancy test showed // ... For the next three days, I donated blood for hCG to make sure my pregnancy was progressing well.

The hormone, which begins to be produced by the chorionic tissue after embryo implantation, is already 6-8 days after fertilization of the egg and is one of the most important indicators of pregnancy.

I got registered at the antenatal clinic at 8 weeks. From that moment on, monthly trips (and later weekly) to your favorite doctor began: tests, measurement of blood pressure, weight, abdomen, etc. etc.

I escaped the hellish toxicosis. Until the 12th week, I sometimes felt nauseous in the morning, it happened very much, in transport, at the sight of some products. The abdomen was small, heartburn caught me only in the last weeks of pregnancy (Rennie saved), there was no edema, I had never been saved, I went on maternity leave on time - from the 28th week of pregnancy.

All the time before giving birth, I was modeling, imagining what the meeting with the long-awaited son would be like. I sat on mothers' forums, read the entire thread on this topic here, watched the video. The flow of information, in which one can often find a negative attitude towards natural childbirth, the description "in paints" of complex BiRs, morally excited me. The thoughts of something bad, alarming have settled in my head. I began to filter what I read and watch about childbirth. And she set herself up only for the good.

Irina Chesnova- a graduate of the Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov, candidate of historical sciences. Second education - a family psychologist. A mother of two children and the author of books for parents, written in an easy, lively language and carrying a great charge of optimism.

#I give birth! Crazy Mom's Notes.

In the style of a personal diary, Irina talks about her experiences as a double mom. About "how it happens" before, during and after pregnancy and childbirth. About what I have experienced, changed my mind and felt during this time. About what was done correctly, what mistakes were made, what lessons were learned.

#Kid: mom's happiness.

This book became my desktop and during pregnancy and after the birth of my son. I love this publication very much for the huge amount of useful information in it: a description of each month of pregnancy, baby development tables, massage of a newborn, an approximate menu for mom and baby, interpretation of analyzes, benefits and payments, a review of popular early development methods and a comprehensive program of educational games and exercises.

Many books and manuals have been written about motherhood and child development. And I recommend reading them during your pregnancy. WITHthe appearance of the long-awaited baby simply will not have time to study literature.

2. L. Petranovskaya "Secret support: attachment in a child's life".

A very useful and sensible reading by Lyudmila Petranovskaya among a huge number of books on psychology.

Reading the book, together with the author, you can follow the evolution of a child, turning from an infant into a teenager, by examples we observe crises of different ages, we see how the presence of strong infant attachment affects the formation of a personality, what problems may lie in wait and what traumas are born due to lack of due the way attachment is formed. The author's idea is very sympathetic to me:

It is necessary in the first years of a baby's life to give him support in the form of unconditional love, which will then support him throughout his life, will become for him the basis for a happy future.

3. T. Larionova "Breastfeeding. What could be better?"

No one has yet left the maternity hospital pregnant. But it is quite possible to "hang" in the abyss of difficulties one-on-one with a newborn. Hungry, screaming child, what could be worse. Therefore, I was firmly convinced that I would certainly breastfeed - after all, this is the best thing that can be for a lyalek. Only this process seemed to me somehow secret, intimate and complex.

It's good that I came across a book by a specialist doctor, a member of the Association for Natural Feeding, Tatyana Larionova. I read it 5 times, from cover to cover. The book contains a lot of useful information. Thanks to this, I am perfectly prepared for the meeting with my son. I am sure that the knowledge and skills that I have gathered from this book have helped me to maintain GW for more than a year.

4. Reality show for expectant mothers.

Perfectly distracted from gloomy thoughts and replenished my knowledge about childbirth, the reality show for expectant mothers "Pregnant". From the beginning of pregnancy to childbirth, the main characters Tutta Larsen, Polina Dibrova and Sasha Zvereva share all the intricacies of being in an interesting position. I don't like reality shows, but I watched it in one breath. An incredible energy came from the participants, a direct charge of positiveness and confidence that everything would go perfectly for me too.

5. Maternity hospital.

This is a series of documentaries, stories of real women who are preparing to become mothers. A kind of TV series, where you can directly watch the most intimate moment of human nature - the birth of a child! Look not faint of heart!

I want to say that I did not attend the courses for expectant mothers. But she went to childbirth prepared, in part thanks to the sources listed above.

What to do while waiting for day H.

Before the release on maternity leave, time flashed by. Five-day working week, relaxation on weekends, trips to the residential complex. With leaving for sick leave according to BiR, time has stopped. The languid expectation of the day of birth brought anxiety and anxiety. It was necessary to find something for the soul!

They became amigurumi... I learned to knit toys. Funny, miniature animals fascinated me.

I was not stopped by the myth that during pregnancy you cannot knit - the child will get entangled in the umbilical cord.

And I also bought things for my son, washed them, ironed them, put them in a chest of drawers.

Together with her husband, I chose the name of the baby. I bought a stroller, a crib, a changing table, diapers, etc. in advance. The main thing is a personal attitude, an attitude towards a favorable outcome, and then not a single myth will make sense!

At the 30th week of pregnancy, my husband and I took part in a photo shoot. This is a great way to recharge with positivity and happiness hormones. Photos taken in anticipation of a miracle are still touching and evoke nostalgic notes in our hearts.

Bag to the hospital.

I began to prepare clothes for childbirth from 33/34 weeks. At 36 weeks, my packages were definitely at a low start. I approached this matter especially carefully. But still I did not take into account some points. Therefore, in the first month after giving birth, I finalized my list (for the next time).

I will share my list with you. I would like to note that I do not pretend to be absolutely and the only correct package for the maternity hospital. This is just what came in handy for me during natural childbirth in a free city maternity hospital.

I put everything I needed in 3 clean bags. This is much more convenient than stacking a bunch in one bag. The packages were numbered and signed (first and last name).

Package 1. For childbirth

Upon admission to the hospital, your documents will be required, do not forget:

Passport
-Polis OMS
-SNILS
-Pregnant exchange card
-Natal certificate

In addition, I took to the delivery room:

Mobile phone, tablet
-Water for drinking
-Slippers are rubber
- Cotton socks 2pairs
-Shirt 1 pc.
-Disposable machine (if necessary)
-Towel
-Disposable diaper 5 pcs 60 * 90
-Toilet paper

-Wet wipes
- Hygienic lipstick
-Briefs and postpartum pad
-Robe
-Package to put away your outerwear and shoes.

For the baby: bonnet, socks, diaper.

Package 2. After childbirth

Snack (something sweet)
-Shirt for an emergency (in the maternity hospital, as a rule, they give out)
-Towels (for face, body and washing)
- Bathrobe (if not in package 1)
-Soap
-Shampoo
-Toothbrush
-Toothpaste
-Mug, spoon, plate
- Panty liners and regular night pads
-Briefs for fixing postpartum pads
-Pants are simple
-Bra or nursing top
-Bust pads
-Comb
-Scrunchy
-Disposable toilet seats
-Disposable diaper 3 pcs 60 * 90
-Toilet paper
-Nipple cream (I took Purelan)
-Bepantin baby cream
-Cream under the diaper
-Candles with glycerin (very cool help)
-Garbage bags
-Cosmetic bag if necessary.

For a baby: socks, a bonnet, anti-scratches, diapers 2-5 kg. (30 pcs. Is enough), wet wipes.

Package 3. For discharge

For discharge, I prepared the clothes in advance and left them at home. The husband brought the necessary things on the day when my son and I were discharged.

My birth.

Three days before giving birth, a cork began to come out: a small smearing brown discharge. Then everything stopped for a while, and at exactly 38 weeks after midnight the waters broke. It became clear that I was giving birth. Until that moment, my husband was not going to give birth with me, but seeing my anxious panic state, he announced his intention to go to the hospital together.

The ambulance quickly delivered us to the chosen hospital.

I was registered, the doctor looked, and together with my husband they sent me to the ward. Began a long wait for a meeting with his son. The contractions intensified only in the morning, the opening went slowly. The doctors were unshakable, did not interfere with the natural process. My husband eased my torment: he distracted me, watched the KGT, counted the contractions, rubbed my lower back. Without him, I would be desperate. By the time I was allowed to push, I was not myself: exhausted, indifferent, as if in another dimension. I just heard what the doctors were saying and tried to follow their instructions. Not without an incision in my delivery. For a very long time, the doctors gave my little angel a chance, but he got something "stuck"

At 13.00 I heard the cry of the most precious little lump. From that moment on, all the pain was gone, as if there weren't these 12-hour torments. The husband could hardly hold back tears. Our childbirth has become history.

Many women who are expecting a baby think about how to while away their time and what to do on maternity leave before giving birth. Naturally, after the baby is born, caring for it will take most of the time. But with a strong desire in your free time, you can find some more exciting ways of leisure. Sometimes, maternity leave can be quite lucrative.

What to do on maternity leave

So the very moment has come when a pregnant woman needs to go on maternity leave. Very soon you will have a long-awaited baby: a son or a daughter. He will need your care and endless love. Being a caring mom is great. But many women begin to feel sad and do not know what to do with themselves in the free period of time before childbirth.

But, in fact, everything is quite simple. Having gone on maternity leave, a woman is faced with an everyday routine and feels some dissatisfaction with such a life. Some lack self-realization, while others lack communication with people. If a woman is active by nature, then she should find a hobby to her liking. It will be an outlet for you while you are on maternity leave. A self-sufficient woman is much more interesting to her husband than an ordinary housewife.

Classes on maternity leave before childbirth:

Compulsory lessons

Pregnancy will go away very quickly. And so that after childbirth there is no fuss due to missing things for mom and crumbs, it is better to prepare everything in advance. This is the most basic occupation of a woman on maternity leave.

Buying the first things for a girl or boy (based on the results of an ultrasound scan), arranging a child's place, collecting a bag for a maternity hospital - all these are pleasant chores that take a lot of time. It is also necessary to decide how the baby will walk in a sling or stroller, where he will sleep in his crib or with his parents. All this should be decided before delivery and bought in advance.

You shouldn't forget about mom's comfort after childbirth either. You need to buy things for her too. Therefore, shopping for the home, the child and herself is a must for a woman.

Useful and interesting

If a woman is a mother for the first time, then after the birth of a child she will be interested in a lot of questions related to caring for herself and a baby: restoring the previous form, how to take a baby in her arms, can it be drunk with water, how and what to bathe correctly, what to do when the occurrence of colic and many others.

Of course, friends with children will be found who will advise and prompt, but the advice of experts should not be neglected. Therefore, it is best to attend courses for expectant mothers. There you can meet other pregnant women and learn all the nuances of caring for a baby.

Health for the baby and yourself

The last months of gestation, a woman is obliged to devote to her health. Long walks in the fresh air, visiting interesting places for which you previously did not have time (and after giving birth, it is unlikely to appear soon). Such places include: art galleries, exhibitions, theaters, museums, picnic trips with family and friends. All this is very useful for the fetus and the expectant mother. Being optimistic will have a positive effect on childbirth. For pregnant women, sports are also well suited: yoga and swimming. As a result, childbirth will pass without complications and easily, and you will also make new interesting acquaintances.

Leisure that you spend alone with your beloved is very invaluable. And especially before the lack of time and sleepless nights. All this is experienced by a woman in the first months of the birth of a baby. It is on maternity leave that a woman has the opportunity for her husband to arrange a romantic date, visit a cinema with him, go on an excursion to other cities, and try various culinary dishes.

Reading and self-education

Nobody has canceled the books yet. The husband is not at home during the day, and the weather is not always good, and sometimes you just want to relax on a soft sofa or armchair. But even such time can be spent profitably by taking books on parenting and caring for a baby. And if a woman has the skills of sewing or knitting, then she can begin to prepare a dowry for the baby: sew pajamas, knit a hat and booties, embroider a personalized pillow. Mom, together with needlework, weaves all her tenderness and love for her child. Some people prefer to educate themselves. In the decree, you can master the following types of activities:

1. Learn to play a musical instrument.
2. Finish driving school.
3. Learn foreign languages.
4. Finish courses.
5. To enter a higher educational institution for a correspondence course of study and get another higher education.

Whatever you choose from this, it will contribute to personal growth and subsequent self-development.

Creativity

Discovering something new and creative in yourself is an ideal activity for the expectant mother, who is in anxious expectation of the baby in the last months of gestation. Painting with watercolors, decoupage, knitting with beads - all this can be mastered with the help of video tutorials while at home. These skills can be used in the future to design an album with photos of your child. You can also attend hairdresser, makeup or dance courses. Many women in an interesting position spend time with benefit for themselves, mastering something new.

Pregnant businesswoman

Nobody said that it would be impossible to work while sitting at home before giving birth. Thanks to the World Wide Web, you can make money without leaving your home. Today there are many sites for remote work. Most women will like it and become a hobby for them. And most importantly, it will bring not only pleasure, but also profit.

The following vacancies are suitable for work on maternity leave:

1. Sale of cosmetics.
2. Decoration and baking of holiday cakes.
3. Working as a photographer.
4. Sale of handicrafts.
5. Handicraft workshops.
6. Translations.
7. Journalism.
8. Freelance.

Let's consider each option separately.

Official freelance

There are many offers on the Internet for work as a copywriter and designer, photo processing, advertising manager and others. If you have experience in any of this, then you can offer your candidacy. Pay for this type of work is generally good. Remote work does not require a trip to the office, you can do it while at home, at any time convenient for you.

Banal journalism

If you know how and love to write beautifully, then you can try to get a job in the editorial office of a magazine or newspaper as a freelance worker. But this is in the event that sometimes the baby can be left to someone else. You can get a job as a journalist on the Internet. Today there are many online magazines for girls and women.

Reliable translator

You can translate tests for students, articles, letters, or find another suitable option on the Internet. Knowledge of foreign languages ​​has always been valued in society. Find your niche in this activity.

Handmade

You have found a hobby for your soul and do handmade with great pleasure.

Part-time as a photographer

If you are very fond of photographing people and just landscapes, then you can try to create a personal portfolio of copyright photos and add it to social networks. It is possible that it is your work that will interest potential customers and you can make money on your talent.

Sale of cosmetics

This option is familiar to most women. You sell a product, and for this you receive a certain percentage of its value and points, which are established by the rules of the program. This will help you get your cosmetics at cost.

It is very important to get some sleep while on maternity leave. In the beginning, there were early waking up to work, and after the birth of the crumbs, sleepless nights await you. And a tired, frustrated and annoyed mother is an imperfect partner for a baby with whom she is in close emotional contact.

Naturally, it is impossible to get enough sleep in advance, but good rest will help restore nervous and moral balance, tone and improve mood, which will have a beneficial effect on the baby and mother.

What to do while waiting for your baby? Easy pregnancy ideas.

9 months of waiting is a long period in the life of future parents. But this time is necessary to make all the important preparations before the most important event in life - the birth of a child. And now, when everything is ready for a meeting with a small miracle, and the baby is in no hurry to see the light, mom wonders what to do to brighten up the waiting period. Physical activity is already unbearable, the test purchase has already been made, all the undershirts and bodysuits are washed and ironed ... And there is still a whole month ahead! What to do?

1. Get enough sleep.

This, at first glance, stupid advice does not lose its relevance. Even when it seems that there is no more strength to sleep, if sleep becomes a torment due to a heavy stomach, it's all the same: learn to sleep and get enough sleep. The ability to sleep in any position and under any stimuli is an important quality that will be useful to you after the birth of your baby. By two months you will learn to sleep while sitting, by three, you will learn to fall asleep for five minutes and get enough sleep. By six months, you will have acquired a persistent skill to interrupt sleep and continue it after a couple of hours, as if nothing had happened. However, uninterrupted ten or eleven hours of sleep will be an unprecedented luxury for you. Use it now.

2. Enjoy the time of the year.

The creativity of pregnant women is limitless. Now you are more than ever close to nature and cognize its mysterious power. While you do not need to run anywhere for work and while there is no need to continuously wind circles with a stroller, walk through your favorite park and enjoy the nature around. In the fall, you can collect a herbarium, in the summer - a bouquet of wildflowers, in the winter - bring an icicle home. Try outdoor painting or photography. You will succeed in a way that you yourself do not expect from yourself, because it is not only you who create, but also the little person you are carrying. Drawings and photographs can become a wonderful decor item in a future nursery!

3. Tie a hat for the newborn.

It's easy, even if you've never held a knitting needle in your hands. The surest way is to find your favorite scheme with a description in magazines and buy yarn with exactly the composition that is indicated in the description. However, if you want to improvise, fantasy is encouraged. You will need: knitting needles, a skein of yarn - best of all 30% wool and 70% acrylic, you can have the same ratio with cotton. 100% cotton is quite tough and natural wool is prickly. Acrylic gives natural fabrics softness, and besides, it does not cause allergies. The hat is knitted simply: dial about 50 loops, knit 4-6 rows with an elastic band (2 front loops and 2 purl loops), then the front surface, until you get a rectangle. After that, you can start to decrease the loops, knitting the front loops in two. Even a beginner knitter will need no more than one or two days for one hat. Make sure that the thickness of the needles matches the thickness of the thread. A hat for a newborn is a little more difficult to knit, but the hardest part is getting started. Everything will work out! And then it will be impossible to stop ...

4. Watch the movie "Kids" (2010)

This masterpiece of documentary films - a colorful and very touching work - will allow you to look with affection at the life of babies from all over the world and realize that some of the things that we may unconsciously fear are not at all so frightening and incomprehensible. For 18 months, renowned documentary filmmaker Thomas Balmes has filmed the lives of four babies from Japan, Mongolia, the United States and Namibia from their very birth. This film is the best manual for young parents, although there is practically no dialogue in it. Be sure to watch it with your older child if you are expecting a second!

5. Buy oversized pants.

It is a dubious pleasure to buy pants of an undefined size, but they will come in handy. The body after childbirth returns to normal only with time, and it's not so much about excess weight as about the load that will have to go through the process of childbirth. Muscles can become toned, edema can attack the body. It often happens that the size of the foot changes. It is very rare that you can fit into jeans of the size that you wear before pregnancy. When your family comes to pick you up at the hospital for discharge, your relatives will bring you the clothes in which you will go home. It will be great if your wardrobe contains oversized pants in some fantastic fancy color that you can fit in in any condition and which will undoubtedly bring an element of joy to an already amazingly joyful day.

6. Master the recipes for dishes baked in the oven.

When you are breastfeeding your baby, you will not have time to learn new dishes. A certain amount of skills in cooking tasty and healthy dishes in the oven will be a salvation for you on dieting days. Your grown baby will be happy to eat the same dishes. All the head is a curd casserole.

Required: 600 grams of cottage cheese 5% fat

2 eggs

3 tbsp semolina,

3 tbsp sugar or honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

zest of 1 lemon

400 grams of sour cream

Beat eggs and sugar with a mixer until creamy. Add cottage cheese, lemon zest, semolina, vanilla, beat until smooth and fluffy. Put the mass in a glass dish, without lubricating anything, level it, bake at 170 degrees for about 20 minutes. Beat sour cream with 50 grams of sugar until creamy, remove the casserole from the oven, grease liberally with cream. Send the casserole with the second layer to the oven for a maximum of 10 minutes. Cool and serve.

7. Learn to wind a sling.

The wisdom of carrying a child on yourself is a separate topic that we will certainly discuss separately sometime. Not everyone can overcome the fear of numerous lengthy guides on how to properly wind a sling, although in fact, a sling is a very easy-to-use device that will help you in critical moments: insomnia, colic, teething, stroller abandonment, business and travel ... Try winding the sling right over your belly! Why not. This is where your baby will be when you carry it.

8. Learn songs and nursery rhymes.

This luggage will be very useful to you too. If you start singing to the baby, just waiting for him, then the process of laying and lulling the newborn will become easy and pleasant for you. The baby already in the womb remembers the voice of the mother. Russian folk nursery rhymes are wonderful "nannies". But the list is not limited to them. There are a large number of English nursery rhymes and songs that you can purr under your breath while laying your baby down - they are called Nursery Rhymes. Gymboree Play & Music authoritatively declares: the sooner you start to immerse your child in the language environment, the easier it will be for him to accept a foreign language as a native one!

For example:

Little miss muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey;

Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away.

9. Boil natural soap.

Making soap is a relaxing and enjoyable process. The main thing is to stock up on ingredients that you can buy in online stores for home delivery. You have probably already managed to switch to natural cosmetics without fragrances and dyes, and such a homemade soap will create an irreplaceable supply for the future. This skill will also help you make quick and original DIY souvenirs.

You will need:

- Soap base (cube or block)

- Glycerin

- Base oil (for example: olive, cedar, almond, sea buckthorn)

- water

- a small ladle and bowl - or any other steam for a water bath

- kitchen stove

- preferably a glass cutting board, a knife

- molds for ready-made soap

The algorithm is simple: grind 200 g on a fine grater. soap base, first heating it a little; pour 5 tablespoons into a bowl. base oil, 2 tbsp. glycerin and put in a water bath. Warm up, stir, slowly add soap shavings, stirring occasionally. Then pour in about 100 ml of boiling water, also stirring. Knead the lumps. Remove the soap base from the water bath, add 2-3 drops of essential oil, mix. Now you can add a couple of drops of dye if needed. The mass turns out to be similar to shortbread dough. Grease the molds with olive oil, pour in the mixture, let cool and put in the refrigerator for several hours. Dry the soap removed from the molds at room temperature for a couple of days.

10. Read an important book.

You will not believe: right now, when it seems to you that there is no more strength left, and the brain is not able to perceive information at all, in fact, your memory works three times more efficiently. You will remember everything that happened to you while waiting for the little person. If you need to study or read something in the future, do it now. And you will definitely remember this for the rest of your life. And the subject of study will be associated with the most pleasant days - the days that bring the meeting with your child closer!

Gymboree Play & Music wishes you a happy and easy birth! We are waiting for you in our centers - our classes are held from birth and help you and your baby get to know each other better and build trusting relationships from the very first days!

At five in the morning on January 9, your obedient young father was drunk as a shoemaker, and the metro had not even been opened yet. Having somehow reached the house, I, of course, passed out, woke up drunk and went to the bar to drink further. Thus, I lost one of three days of preparation for the arrival of the child home. This can be forgivable if your spouse doesn't mind your alcohol addiction, and if you know exactly what should be ready for her return. This text is just about preparation.

Arrange a weekend at work

To do this, you will have to go on an uncontrolled day off or even take an urgent vacation - the latter is preferable, because the first 28 days of the baby's life, both you and your wife will be in a state close to preinfarction, and regular panic attacks will firmly take root in your daily routine (why, I'll explain in the next chapter, for now, take it for granted.) As a rule, in a good job, they will get into position and write you a day off. at least for a week, and working on a bad job is generally not recommended. We were lucky - the child was born on the January holidays, and the swinging period after two weeks of drunkenness in any company usually takes another two or three weeks. If you are unlucky, it is worth taking care of the vacation in advance, but keep in mind that the estimated by the doctors and the actual date of birth may differ by a week, or even two, that is, it will not be possible to guess a vacation in six months.

Every day you need to go to the hospital

If you have free time and you are relatively sober, go to the hospital. Firstly, your wife needs your presence: she was surrounded by strangers, it is unlikely that her ward is as cozy as at home, and besides, a screaming baby has just been taken out of her. This fact alone contributes to moral destabilization, and all this together can lead to postpartum depression, the consequences of which are really dangerous and unpredictable. Second, your wife needs a decent meal. Absolutely in all medical institutions on the territory of the former Soviet Union, the nutritional standards are the same, they have not changed since the Second World War. The food that is fed to young mothers is not that inedible, but at least unpalatable. The maternity hospital will definitely insist on a certain list of products that can be passed on to the mother, but they will not search anyone. Please note that the list of products was not created in order to torment the parents once again, but to prevent allergic reactions in the child. They will still appear - at least, doctors will call any rash on the child's body an allergy, although this is far from always true - but the less variety of foods a young mother has in the early days, the easier it is to detect an allergen and avoid it in the future.

Supergenerate clean up

Pregnant women usually wash children's clothes. Some do it every month, starting with the first, depending on when the items were purchased. In any case, things can be washed - all these undershirts, bodysuits and other socks should be perfectly clean. Washing is the tip of the iceberg. Further complications begin. Get rid of any dust collectors if possible: carpets, extra shelves, useless interior items. Of course, all this can be simply (although it is not at all easy) to wash and vacuum, but then you will have to do this work at least once a week, which is quite tedious. The ultimate goal of cleaning is not to give dust a chance. Try to get rid of harsh or just unpleasant odors - the child reacts sharply to this. Pay attention to the bathroom - if there is mold or mildew there, this rubbish must be destroyed by any means.

Prepare the children's area

Forget the nursery. If you have one, you won't be using it in the next couple of months. Well, or you will have to sleep there on the bare floor (because carpets are evil). Most often, pregnant women arrange the nursery so as to beautifully photograph and post on Instagram. There is usually very little practical benefit from this. Therefore, do adequate preparation.

Perhaps, after returning from the hospital, your wife will make a scandal about the fact that you did not arrange everything according to feng shui, but believe me, on the very first night at home she will thank you

Throw out the pretty cradle. Babies are cramped in them: most often there are high sides in which they are uncomfortable, and the cool motion sickness mechanisms never work. The child needs a bed. There should be a special hard mattress on the bed, it would be nice to put a special oilcloth on it (so that in case of diaper leaks, the mattress does not have to be thrown out), on top - a sheet. A child does not need a pillow for at least a year, it only harms posture. On the other hand, curious children want to see everything around them, so there are quite convenient devices - bolsters and pads that allow the child to keep his head and shoulders slightly higher than his legs, at an acceptable angle, and other gadgets. But it will be possible to buy it later.

Burn it up. Tell your wife that you accidentally dropped a cigarette on the cradle, for example.

Do not put toys on the bed. Firstly, the child will not rush to play with them in the near future, and secondly, these are also dust collectors. You can hang a so-called mobile over the bed - they are shamelessly expensive, but you can find a used one and wash it again. The toys hanging over the child occupy him, and over time he will try to grab them and thus train his hands.

Decide on a place. It’s hot by the radiator, it’s blowing by the window, and besides, it’s too light for the child to fall asleep during the day (this is a necessity for him). For a baby bed, you need a place that is dark enough at night and there is an opportunity to hide from the daylight, there is no obvious overheating or hypothermia, the bed should be close enough to your bed, because sending your wife to feed the baby into the next room is a mockery of her. Drafts should not be allowed, but air circulation around the crib should be regular.

“In winter, this place is close enough to the heater, but not close enough to make you sweat; in summer, it is just in the path of air currents from open windows, over there and over there; it is at such an angle from the TV that it is not straight, so the sound is good, but not so far as to create picture distortion ... I can go on, but the point is clear. "

There should be a changing table in the immediate vicinity - now there are quite comfortable tables that can be fixed right on the walls of the bed, but an ordinary chest of drawers can also come up, if only it is convenient to change diapers on it. Somewhere in the same area, you need to arrange consumables: diapers, napkins, disposable diapers, creams, special scissors for cutting nails. There will also be a first-aid kit - for caring for a newborn, you need potassium permanganate, brilliant green, cotton wool, cotton swabs, children's paracetamol as a last resort. Perhaps, after returning from the hospital, your wife will make a scandal about the fact that you did not arrange everything according to Feng Shui, but believe me, on the very first night at home, she will thank you.

Go shopping

Usually, the aforementioned consumables have already been purchased - with some of these things your wife went to the hospital, and there she was given a bunch of the same local vulture merchandisers. You need to buy important gadgets - that's the deal for a real man!

Air humidifier / purifier

The problem of dry air in rooms in Russia appeared due to central heating - in winter it is extremely dry in apartments. In addition to the fact that dry air itself is unpleasant, all sorts of microbes and viruses live in it with pleasure, and dust (which will still appear, no matter how well you fought with it) rises from its homes and climbs into the nose and eyes. It is quite difficult to understand something in the classifications of these devices, but personally, after digging up the Internet, I found out that air purification with ions is not that anti-scientific thing, but at least not very specific in showing the results. Therefore, I got by with the cheapest humidifier-steam generator. The child is happy. These things cost from 2,000 rubles to plus infinity. Think over the airing schedule at the same time: it is worth freshening the room several times a day.

Temperature and humidity meters

The temperature is simple - in the shops "All on 36/37/38" or "Household goods" are sold room thermometers. But there is no need to buy them, because if individual devices for measuring humidity are sold, they cost a lot of money. You need to take a home weather station that simultaneously measures both. Price - from a thousand rubles. The air temperature in the room should be at least 18 and not higher than 22 degrees. The correct humidity is 50 to 70%. A bath thermometer is also useful. It is better to start swimming from a comfortable 34-36 degrees. By the way, if you have not bought a bath for a newborn - and do not buy, this is a stupid waste of money. The point of bathing is not to wet the child (and not to wash it), but in the fact that the baby learns to open his lungs and control his muscles (it is easier to do this in water), so he needs to be in a normal bathroom. A circle for a bathroom is a useful thing, but not everyone agrees to them right away, at first you have to stand in a pose with cancer, but while the child is small, you can swim with him.

— Don't worry if the discharge is delayed. Usually they are kept in the hospital for three to four days (starting from the moment of admission). But they can also hold back if the pediatrician does not like the condition of the child (or the gynecologist - the condition of the mother). It happens that doctors simply do not have time to complete all the procedures, so they can stay in the hospital for a week. It is not necessary to panic, but you need to be aware of events and support your wife on a daily basis.

— Do not forget to bring all the things your wife needs for discharge. Outerwear, shoes, an envelope for the baby - your wife will give you the list even before the birth.

— Get ready to go after your wife. In our case, the discharge was even more spontaneous than delivery. They notified about this at 10, at 12 it was already necessary to vacate the ward. Therefore, keep your phone in sight, they can call at any time.

—Be prepared for a living hell to happen on your discharge. Do not get fooled by local photographers: keep in mind that the child will almost certainly yell like a cut-up because of the change of scenery, and if he also goes through the hands of all the relatives who came to the event, he will not let you sleep for the next three days.

- Limit the number of people on discharge. Best of all, to the required minimum, that is, you. First, they will all climb to touch the child, and no one needs it. Secondly, it is rather stupid to gather people for 10 minutes on the porch of the hospital, and then rush away in a taxi, leaving them to hang out on their own. Finally, after three days in the hospital, Mom doesn't look stunning enough to pose for the camera, so she will certainly tell you in private.

In previous articles:

- heartbreaking story of childbirth
- choosing a maternity hospital or hoping for luck
- second trimester, yes, now kicking
- "I'm not sexist, but ..."

In the following material:

- 28 days old newborn - how to get over it without a heart attack
- walking, bathing and feeding: what is the schedule
- bureaucratic nightmare: how many pieces of paper a child needs

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