I'm having a baby, what do I need?

Before the time of delivery arrives, it is important to have the basket ready with all the things that the baby and the mother will need during their stay in the hospital. Two midwives offer several tips to prepare everything you need without leaving anything left or missing.

It is soft, tiny and precious so, with the anticipation of the arrival of the baby, there is a risk of buying too many newborn clothes and arriving at the hospital with an excessive suitcase in which it is very difficult to find what is needed in every moment.

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Have it in advance to avoid stress

But it can also happen that, with the nerves of the moment, some of the most necessary items for the mother or for the baby remain at home during their stay in the maternity ward.

To avoid this, planning is very important.

“Around week 35 or 36, everything should be more or less bought and organized. A term delivery is considered to be that which occurs between 37 and 42 weeks. Although most mothers will give birth between week 38 and 41, it is advisable to have it prepared in advance to avoid last-minute stress”, recommend midwives Elena Tamame and Susana Bravo.

Both are responsible for "Susmatronas", a company specialized in physical preparation in pregnancy and postpartum recovery.

But what will the baby really need during the days spent in the hospital? The answer to this question will depend on the health center where you are going to give birth and the time of year.

Specialists from the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) remind that a stroller must be prepared to transport the baby from the hospital to home and, if the car is to be used, it is necessary to use an appropriate child restraint system.

Clothes

As for newborn clothing, AEP pediatricians advise that it not have ties, buttons or zippers.

“Clothing with velcro is better, easy to put on and take off. Likewise, it is preferable that it be made of natural fabrics since synthetic materials can cause skin allergies ”, they point out.

When preparing the baby's layette, Elena Tamame and Susana Bravo recommend including two outfits, one short-sleeved and one long-sleeved, three or four bodysuits, two or three pajamas (in summer only bodysuits), socks, and hats cotton, as well as a muslin or blanket, depending on the season of the year.

“It is important to ask if the hospital provides diapers. If this is not the case, they must be added, along with gauze or a natural sponge”, they emphasize.

“A trick to pack is to leave everything in bags with the prepared outfits. The last one that we will add will be the one from the first setting, since that way it will be ready as soon as you open the suitcase ”, they indicate.

Regarding this first outfit and what you should wear, the specialists indicate: “a hat, a diaper, a bodysuit or pajamas (they can be both if it is winter) as well as a muslin or a blanket. In this same bag, you should also include some large panties for the mother ”, they detail.

Also items that mom should bring

The midwives explain that the mother, for her stay in the hospital, will need underwear, preferably cotton or disposable. If you opt for disposable panties, you should avoid paper ones and choose mesh ones.

You would also have to include in your luggage "flip flops or slippers that are easy to remove and put on, a gown, comfortable clothes for when you leave the hospital, shower gel, shampoo and other personal hygiene items," they advise.

On the other hand, if the expectant mother has long hair, she cannot forget to add a ponytail holder.

“You should ask at the hospital if they will provide you with compresses and, if not, you have to put obstetric-type compresses in your luggage. You can also include some isotonic drink or water and your own pajamas or nightgown, if you want, ”they point out.

For their part, the AEP specialists emphasize that the garments that the mother takes to the hospital should be comfortable and easy to put on and take off.

In this regard, they say it might be helpful to wear one or two open-front nightgowns and a pair of nursing bras.

However, when preparing items for the hospital, both for the baby and for the mother, it is important to be restrained, they indicate.

“It makes no sense to pack an excessively loaded suitcase, since the length of stay in the hospital is usually a few days, usually two or three. In the event that it takes longer, the companion will be able to go home for all those things that the mother misses”, comment Elena Tamame and Susana Bravo.

Attention to bathtub, dolls and accessories

You also have to be moderate when buying items for the future baby, as many of them are not very useful and may not even be brand new. One of these items is clothing.

"Family and friends give away clothes for the baby and almost all of the same size, the small one, but that in some cases we are not going to get to use it," the midwives point out.

The same goes for shoes for the newborn. "They are very cute, that is true, but we should not use them since they are not comfortable for the creature at all," they point out.

The specialists affirm that another little useful item is the bathtub with a changing table placed in the room.

“The reality is that it is better to bathe the baby in the bathroom and not have to walk with the bathtub full of water in your room.”

The same goes for anti-roll cushions. “Although they are very fashionable, they are not recommended by experts, the World Health Organization (WHO), pediatricians or the FDA. They do not prevent falls, accidents or sudden death. In fact, they may increase the risk of these incidents occurring,” they warn.

Elena Tamame and Susana Bravo also do not recommend buying a pacifier, forehead, ear or infrared thermometer.

“We must use the adult one that we have at home to measure the temperature, since these thermometers have little reliability and are not useful at all. The same goes for the bathtub thermometer. It is better to use common sense and touch the water with your hand to check that it is warm and pleasant ”, they stress.

unhelpful products

Other objects that midwives consider not very useful are baby monitors.

“The reality is that the baby needs to be close to us for a long time and, when he is not, he protests. A baby monitor is not very practical if we are going to have the baby nearby”, they affirm.

With regard to dolls and stuffed animals, they believe that there is nothing wrong with having one. "But, be careful, do not fill the crib with them because they can be dangerous, as well as a source of mites and dust," they say.

“There are many items that we are hardly going to use. It is better to acquire them as we need them and not have too many objects for the baby that we do not need ”, they advise.

But preparing the home for the arrival of the baby goes beyond material things. “It is important to get home and not have things pending after two or three days in the hospital. Therefore, it is interesting that someone, while hospital admission lasts, go home and pick up, put the washing machine or attend to the pets, if we have ”, they indicate.

In addition, "an interesting thing is to find the fridge and freezer full of delicious and healthy food and thus be able to focus on the arrival of the little one", they conclude.