8 Things to do the day you leave hospital with your new baby

Bringing baby home from hospital is a pretty exciting day, you've been looking forward to this day for months and now it's here. Here are some fun and helpful things to do.

Whether you go for something fancy, or comfy, it's cute to dress baby in a special 'going home outfit'. Because babies are used to being in your nice warm womb, they can get cold pretty easily, they'll probably need a hat and socks or booties, warm clothes, and a blanket too.

If you have any wipes, pads, nappies, breastpads, or change mats left in your room, discretely pop them into your bag before you leave.

I read this in a book when I was pregnant, and honestly I thought that the author had lost the plot a little, but now I wholeheartedly agree that it's nice to show your baby around the house when you get home. Gently walk them around, call them by name and say things like 'this is our house, this is were we live. This is mummy and daddy's room, you'll sleep in here with us', as you take your baby from room to room.

Some people suggest taking something with the baby's scent on it (like a blanket or item of clothing) to the pet a day or two before. When you get home from the hospital you could have someone else hold the baby while you greet your pet. Here is an article about helping you prepare your pet before the baby arrives.

Hopefully someone else has done this for you, or maybe you were one of those super organised pregnant ladies and you have lots of prepared meals in the freezer. At least think about what you're going to eat before you get hungry, after giving birth, and if you're establishing breastfeeding, you need good nutritious food, something more substantial than a piece of toast. If someone offers to cook for you say 'yes please'! Which brings us to our next point...

When you have a new baby people will want to help, and mostly people enjoy helping- so let them! You might have offers of help from people you didn't expect, like friends, neighbours and colleagues, gracefully accept all cooked meals, offers to fold washing or clean the house- if you keep saying no people will stop offering, and it's a lot harder to ask for help than it is to accept it. Unless their way of helping is cuddling the baby while you stack the dishwasher, that's not helping!

Hopefully you had it installed by a professional (like us) but if you didn't then take a look at the diagram on the side of the car seat and check that the car seat is installed the same as on the diagram. We know that checking the installation is probably easier said than done- if you're leaving Birthcare in Parnell feel free to drop in and see us on the way home, we're just up the road at 161 Manukau Road, Epsom, and we're more than happy to check over your car seat if you're concerned.

Take lots of photos! One in the hospital before you leave, and one outside your house when you get home. Make sure you get yourself in the photo too, you may not feel that great, but you've just grown a human being!! You're amazing!! Trust us, you'll want to look back at the photos.