With a wonderful daughter, I can wholeheartedly admit that life changes when you become a parent. But the first time around, it can certainly be an emotional and overwhelming journey to embark on. You have no clue what to expect and how you are going to handle things, and often the best advice is just to take each day as it comes and follow that maternal instinct.
But, before the little one arrives, you must prepare for the big changes ahead. I wanted to share with you four of the things you can do that you have complete control over during your pregnancy, and hopefully, this will help you tackle all stages of the preparation process.
Get your finances in order
I think it is fairly obvious that a new baby is going to it your finances hard, and once your newborn arrives, you just simply won’t have the time, the energy, or even the thought process to analyse your financial situation and make lasting changes. So do this ahead of time to ensure that you start your parenting journey on the right note. Look at your bank statements, make simple changes to reduce outgoings and take on any debt you have outstanding, and get a solid plan in place to repay it. Considering things like debt consolidation loans could be a great way to save you some money on your outgoings and interest payments. Freeing up as much disposable income as possible will help you to fund the things you will need, which brings me nicely on to my next point.
Be strategic with your newborn and baby purchases
It is so tempting to buy the whole baby store when you are pregnant for the first time, but all new mummies will agree that often, you don’t need half of what you think you will. Be strategic with your purchases and think of the essentials. Speak to friends for advice. You will also find that many people will want to help and buy gifts, so consider what you need to help you out with your own spending.
Meal planning and prep could be your saviour
Those first weeks of the newborn haze can pass you by without you even realising, so the last thing you want to be doing is spending those precious moments cooking in the kitchen or dragging yourself to the shops. A good idea is to meal prep and plan ahead of time and get some meals portioned and frozen ahead of time. This helps you on those days when you might not even manage to get dressed, yes they do happen, and at least you know you have a nutritious and tasty meal to enjoy.
Get as much sleep as possible
Finally, so many people will tell you to get as much sleep as you can before the baby comes, and often as a first-time pregnant lady, you ignore them thinking it isn’t as bad as they are making out. But the truth is, enjoy our sleep and rest when you can. Not just before, but also when your little one arrives.
I hope that this helps you to better prepare yourself for your newborn’s arrival.
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