The last thing a pregnant woman should have to experience is stress. Sadly, it’s hard to avoid during a time in history such as this. Your birthing plan is in chaos, you’re doing consultations by phone, and you’re starting to wonder if you are truly prepared.
The answer is Yes! You are more ready than you know. Overall, with the advent of new medical innovations, and the varied and far-reaching care that hospitals and birthing centers can now provide, you and your baby are in very safe hands.
Safer Online
It is much safer for you to be attending prenatal classes on the internet. There are a number of them available, and you can choose the ones with the teachers and timing that best suits you.
It can feel daunting, but the people who run these classes there to help you and answer any questions you may have.
In-Vitro Exams
Tests aren’t just for when your baby finally goes to school. If you are in the early stages of pregnancy, there are several exams and tests you can request to make sure that your baby is developing well. Depending on family history, your obstetrician might even suggest a few tests it would be prudent to take.
Update Your Insurance
With a baby in the mix, your needs are about to change drastically. Review and update your life insurance through an attorney’s help as soon as it is possible. It may be possible to add your baby to your existing policy, but if not, then you can apply for a new one that will recognize your baby.
You are making sure that your baby will be well-taken care of no matter what may happen. If you do not have life insurance, keep in mind that it is best to undergo the required health exam during the early stages of pregnancy or one year after birth.
Partner Matters
Hospitals and birthing centers have tightened their rules about who gets to be with you in the labor room. Make sure that your partner stays with from up to three weeks before the baby is due so that the hospital can be assured of their clean bill of health.
Even if your two isolate together, your hospital may still require that both of you undergo testing beforehand. Find out if this will be a factor or not early on, and you can prepare better for it. You want to have as smooth a journey as possible from your home to your labor room.
Maternity/Paternity Leave
Does your workplace offer leave for childbirth and aftercare? Does your partner’s workplace have the same? Find out and apply for this leave based on your obstetricians’ best guess as to when your bundle of joy may arrive. Try to arrange the start of your leaves so that the two of you can be together to experience the joy of the baby’s arrival and share the stress of sleepless nights.
Baby Citizen
Familiarize yourself and your partner with the forms and documents you will have to fill out when your baby arrives. There will be a birth certificate, social security forms, insurance notices, and many more.
It can be a surprising amount of paperwork to fill for such a brand new person, so be prepared and armed with the answers already noted down. If you feel that you and your partner will be too busy seeing to your baby’s needs, then choose a highly trusted family member or friend as the designated form-filler.
Pediatrician Picking
As soon as you have found a good obstetrician that you trust, begin searching for a pediatrician for your baby. You can vet recommendations from your doctors, your friends, and your family. Choose someone who seems to genuinely enjoy working with children as this will be the doctor who establishes how your child feels about going for medical checkups and procedures. If they like their doctor, you can be assured of relatively hassle-free and tantrum-free doctor visits.
Be assured that everyone, from your obstetrician to the nurses, is ready to do their best for you and your baby. There is a team of people prepared to ensure that your baby is delivered smoothly and into your loving arms.
The measures mentioned above are to reassure you that you have done as much physically possible as you can for your baby. Now you can relax and focus on just enjoying this amazing adventure that you, your family, and, most of all, your baby are about to undertake.
