7 Important Decisions To Make Before Baby Arrives

When you find out that you are pregnant there are a lot of things that need to be done, from decorating the baby’s room to buying all the things you will need for a new baby. There are also some very important decisions you will need to make before your baby arrives. You will need to research each one and discuss them all with your partner since you may have opposing views which you will need to settle before your little one gets here.

Here are some important decisions you need to make before your birth:

Birth Decisions

There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to the birth of your baby. The most biggest decision will be between a natural birth and a c-section.

If you are going to have a natural birth you then need to decide if you want to have a home birth or a hospital birth. Are you going to have a water birth or not.

You will also need to decide on whether or not you will have an epidural or other form of pain relief such as gas.

There are many other smaller decisions to be made and creating a birth plan is a great idea. This will cover what you want in terms of who will be there for the birth, if you will have a midwife and/ or a doula, if you want to have skin to skin with your baby immediately after birth, if you want to breastfeed immediately or not.

While your birth may not go as planned it is a good idea to have a plan set out for how you would like it to go.

There may also be some decisions that are taken out of your hands, such as having to have a c-section if you have triplets. If you have had a previous c-section your doctor may be reluctant for you to have a vbac (vaginal birth after c-section). You may decide to look for a doctor that specializes in vbacs or go with your doctor’s recommendation.

Breastfeed or Formula

This is another decision that all moms to be need to make. Breastfeeding your baby comes with many amazing benefits for both mom and baby, from a great bonding experience to the convenience and of course it doesn’t cost anything.

However moms that work can find it hard to continue with breastfeeding when they return to work making breastfeeding harder for them. Some moms struggle with breastfeeding even if they are at home, it takes practice and patience to get it right, and some mothers find that they cannot breastfeed their babies and have no choice but to formula feed.

Many moms also choose not to breastfeed for personal reasons, which is also fine. It is up to you on how you want to feed your baby.

Formula feeding can work out to be quite an additional expense but it can be a very convenient choice for moms that return to work. It can also be much easier on a new mother when she is not the only one responsible for feeding her baby. Letting daddy feed is a great bonding experience for him,  and granny, grandpa, aunties and uncles can also help out at any time.

If you are going to be formula feeding your baby you will need to decide which formula is going to be best for your baby.

Choosing an organic baby food, such as Happy Baby Organic Formula is going to be a great choice for your baby. Happy Baby Organic Formula is available on Amazon and you will also find an amazing range of organic baby food for when your baby starts solids.

Cloth or Disposable Diapers

Disposable diapers are much more convenient which is one of the main reasons that so many moms choose to go this route. While initially it will be cheaper to use disposable diapers long term the higher cost of purchasing cloth diapers will be much more cost effective.

Along with being cheaper in the long run, there are many amazing benefits associated with using cloth diapers such as being better for the environment, they don’t have any nasty chemicals that are dangerous for your baby and they are really much cuter. You can also reuse your cloth diapers for your next baby which will make them even cheaper for you!

Cosleeping VS Own Bed/ Room

While many parents worry about the risks of cosleeping there are many benefits associated with cosleeping, especially if you are breastfeeding your baby.

You will need to have a discussion with your partner how you will work the sleeping arrangements. Keep in mind that having a baby sleeping in your bed can impede your sex life, however you can have a closer bond as a family when you cosleep.

You can choose to have your baby in your bed, in a baby cot attached to your bed, or a cot in your bedroom. Alternatively you can choose to have your baby sleep in his own room from birth.

To Vaccinate or Not

This is one of those controversial topics that many parents have a strong view on.

Many parents believe that there are risks involved with vaccinating your children, with concerns about vaccinations causing autism and many other problems including deaths.

However there are risks associated with not vaccinating your children. While many diseases and illnesses that are vaccinated against are rare, they do still exist and you are leaving your child at risk.

There are also many illnesses that your child may get that are quite serious, however if they have been vaccinated and they get it then they it won’t be as serious for your child.

Death caused by measles has dropped from an estimated 550 100 in the year 2000 to 89 780 in 2016.

This is something that you will need to research and weigh up the pros and cons for each side before making your decision.

Circumcision or Not

Yet another very controversial topic is circumcision. There are many reasons you may want to circumcise your child, such as religious reasons if you are Jewish or Muslim.

There are also some medical advantages of circumcision which include:

• Less risk of an UTI for circumcised males under the age of 1 year old.
• Newborn circumcision reduces the risk of penile cancer since it usually occurs in the foreskin
• A study in 2002 found that male circumcision resulted in reduced risk of penile human papillomavirus infection (HPV).

However many people are against male circumcision. The AA (American Academy of Pediatrics) states that although the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks, these benefits are not sufficient to recommend universal newborn circumcision.

This is once again a very personal choice that you will need to research and decide what is best for your family.

Stay At Home Parent VS Working Parents

This is another biggie. You may want to be a stay at home mom, or perhaps a work from home mom so that you are at home with your kids and bringing in an income.

You may also find that your partner wants to be a stay at home parent while you work.

There are many benefits to being a stay at home parent, however many families need two incomes, especially with the added expense of having children.

As with many of these decisions you need to look at your personal circumstances and take into account what is important for you as a family. There are many moms that give up working for a few years while having children and then take up work again when the kids are older and more independent.