baby
bringing home
When it’s time to bring your sweet little bundle home, things can become overwhelming. Here’s help.
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By Mysti Koontz
t the hospital, you can bask in the glow of your shiny, new infant. Nurses respond at the flip of a switch to answer any and all questions, and your meal arrives on a tray. It may not be fabulous fare, but it arrives on time, without any effort from you. If Baby is awake and you need to sleep, the little bundle of joy can be whisked away to the nursery until he needs to eat again. There are no floors to vacuum, laundry to do or trash to be taken out. If you weren’t sore and exhausted, it may feel like a mini vacation. Going home can be daunting for a new mom, especially if she hasn’t had much exposure to infants. Fresh parents pilfer through hospital materials looking for instructions on what do with their newborn once they are on their own. Dad may add to his wife’s stress by deferring to her, like she is already an expert on their new addition. Mom is hormonally off balance, and spent from delivery, so taking Baby home can feel intimidating.