Your mind and your new life: Your baby’s arrival is an adapting process that may feel overwhelming due to the sudden changes in your lifestyle. It’s common to experience intense and contradictory emotions simultaneously, such as fear and joy, concern or sadness and euphoria, which you can manage if you find the way. Some advice to keep emotional balance is to focus on what you can control, organize your tasks, create a significant and stable support network, express your feelings, and ask for help when needed. But remember, amidst all this, your well-being is crucial. For you to adapt better to your newborn’s routine, it’s vital for you to keep constant self-care strategies, have enough rest, and practice some activities that recharge your batteries, like relaxing exercises, conscious breathing, and mindfulness.

Pack the hospital bag: Whether you're pregnant or you're the IP, you should prepare a bag with all the necessary items for the baby's welcome, be very informed about what they require, and heed the recommendations of the health professional about the process. You must take enough newborn clothes, diapers from stage 0 or newborn, moisturizer and diaper rash cream, wet wipes, feeding supplies, and blankets for the baby, among other necessary toiletries. Also, if you are an IP, giving flowers or recognizing the surrogate mother would be crucial since this action makes her feel valued. Let's remember the great job she has just done.

Prepare your home: Along with shopping for the necessary items for your baby's care, you must prepare to acquire devices that ease the tasks of grooming, feeding, and monitoring your newborn. In addition, you should ensure that all the spaces in your home are safe and friendly for your child’s integral development. Professionals recommend an extensive home cleanse to reduce any risk of infection or disease spread by viruses and bacteria. On the other hand, if you have pets, it’s ideal that, besides cleaning their things, you are very neat and careful with their hygiene; keep all kinds of waste away from the spaces for your baby's things and, if necessary, you can take them to the nursery or entrust them to someone in your family for a few days while your baby receives immunization.

Don’t over-purchase: Before your baby’s birth, you must investigate how many things they’ll need for their development. Stock up on elements they take advantage of, which will support them in this stage. Also, avoid buying things you’re not using or many units of an item you may need for a few days. Make an initial budget for shopping the basics for your baby, ensure that you don’t miss anything, and, as time goes by, you can add more things according to your baby's needs. Remember that your baby will quickly grow, and buying too much could be unproductive.

Get help: A stable support network may be a protective factor during your baby’s arrival. Communicate with your family, speak to your closest friends, and with whomever you may count on during this stage; if you have a partner, find refuge in them and let in people who have good intentions to help or teach you during this process, advice is helpful, and learning becomes significant. There’s an African proverb that says, “It takes a tribe to raise a child.”, so don’t be afraid to build your tribe, select the members, and allow them to support you in caring for and educating your baby; this may promote your comfort and propitiate more self-care spaces. Your support network can help with tasks, provide emotional support, and share their experiences, making the journey to parenthood less daunting and more enjoyable.

Plan your meals: The Meal Prep strategy will save you a lot of time when cooking and allow you to invest much more in the care and emotional bonding with your baby. It consists of planning, preparing, and storing your weekly meals in labeled containers in advance, considering your nutritional needs. You should avoid food that spoils fast or can’t refrigerate. You can do this with some support network members and dedicate a day to it.

Prepare all the essential documents: After your baby is born, a series of processes or paperwork is needed to register them and ensure they have every benefit of being part of society. To avoid confusion and make these formalities fluent, you must prepare all the required documents before your baby is born. When you start life as a parent, time seems to shorten, and you may need clarification with all the paperwork.

Choose a pediatrician:: A health professional (pediatrician) whom you feel comfortable, secure, and confident that you can consult at any time for any signs, symptoms, or health problems your baby may manifest is a must. The pediatrician is not just a medical professional but a pillar of support for you and your baby. Pick a pediatrician that suits your baby’s needs and promotes your tranquility; think about if you want a female or male pediatrician, if they have emergency coverage, if they have an associated hospital, and if they have all the legal documentation supporting their quality of care. Most importantly, trust that whoever you choose will provide your baby with the care and treatment necessary for their well-being.