Finally, the day arrives that you get to bring your new baby home! This is a very exciting time for your family but it can be a stressful event as well.
You and your baby are still trying to get to know each other and if you are breastfeeding it may be a work in progress. If so, that is very normal and you have lots of available resources (see article on lactation consultants and support services).
I give my new moms going home a few suggestions related to preparation. For example, make sure that both you and baby are fed before you pack up and get into the car so that no one is crying from hunger. Also, make sure that you have had a chance to wash up or shower while someone else holds baby because things tend to be very busy for the first couple hours at home and you will feel so much better!
Take time to think about who you want at the house when you arrive. It might be too much to have both sets of grandparents and/or a house full of nieces and nephews during those first couple of hours while you are trying to get settled in at home. Remember that you may not have slept well for 1-2 nights and have accomplished a major athletic event by giving birth.
It is nice if others have cooked a meal for you so that you can focus on a special homecoming. I find that couples do better if they have thought and talked about all this prior to the big event!
