Getting your new-born baby home is one of the most amazing days of your life as a parent, but it can be quite overwhelming with the new responsibility, and there is so much to learn. While you are in the hospital, there is the support of experts and the staff available. But once you are home, it’s you, your family and the precious new member of your family. At this point, whether you are a new mother or have been a mother before, you will not have time to research on things for the baby. That’s why preparing as much as possible beforehand is a wise option, so you can fully enjoy the excitement and pleasure of being a new parent.
Welcoming a new baby is a momentous time for any family. But no matter what, most times moms and dads feel worried that they haven’t prepared enough or bought all the essentials for the baby. To be able to deal with the emotional side of becoming a mother – be prepared with the practical side beforehand. This means, in addition to all the other essentials, being prepared to protect you newborn against mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, malaria, chikungunya. If you are a first-time parent, you will soon realise that there is more to getting ready for a baby than preparing to change diapers, feed and cuddle.
Tips for Parents
Even before we get into sharing a list of paediatrician certified baby items and other baby-safe must-haves around the house, let’s have a look at some tips or pointers to keep in mind for parents.
1. Arrange for extra help – Do not underestimate the need for help around during the first few weeks or even months of having a newborn baby in your midst. The first few weeks with a baby can be overwhelming, physically and emotionally. If you’re lucky enough to have in-laws, friends or relatives who are willing to help out, it’s worth enlisting them before the birth. It is advisable to have hired help to support elderly in-laws and relatives if you can afford it. If you have older children, you will have to consider having some free time to pay attention to them.
2. Deep clean the house and organise the cupboards – About a week or two before the due date, you should take time to do one final deep clean of the house. This includes shampooing carpets, moving and dusting the furniture, clean the light fixtures, fans and air coolers. Check for any leakages, blocked drains and broken pipes as you wouldn’t get the time to fix these later. The dampness caused by these can result in mosquitoes which cause mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, malaria, chikungunya. At this point give your house safe and effective protection from all mosquitoes by using GoodKnight Fabric Roll On which can also be applied on beds, curtains and table cloths. House plants are also a common source for mosquitoes and the resulting mosquito-borne diseases. Next, organize the cupboards to ensure you know where everything is. Keep the baby things at a reachable level, easy to access for yourself, relatives or the help.
3. Don’t forget to clean up the outside – Clean up your yard and areas surrounding your house to have safe and effective protection from all mosquitoes, insects and pests. Ensure there is no place for stagnant water, the debris is cleaned up and clogged gutters are addressed.
4. Get contact numbers – Make sure you have all the numbers you might need in your phone. These will include the numbers for the hospital, the gynaecologist, family members, maybe even a transport provider!
5. Choose your paediatrician – It would be wise to choose a paediatrician beforehand so you can get to know each other. He or she will likely advise you what your expectations should be in the early days. They will recommend the paediatrician certified cosmetics, products and other items so you can stock up. One such product to be prepared with is GoodKnight Fabric Roll-On which can be safely used for babies less than two months on their prams and cots. Be prepared to give your newborn on-the-go protection against all mosquito-borne diseases with a personal mosquito repellent.
6. Organise a night out with friends – Parents should take time to have fun with friends before they busy themselves with parenthood. And as much as you may want to talk about the coming baby, you should make sure to ask about the friend’s life, too. Let friends know that though things are going to change, they are still important.
Things to be prepared with before your baby’s arrival
The 3 big-ticket items
The big-ticket items are the ones that cost you the most but are absolutely essential for safe and easy travel and rest for your baby and yourself. These items are to be chosen carefully, keeping quality and sturdiness in mind while maintaining a budget. These are also items that you could typically get as gifts from friends and relatives.
It may be possible to find an infant car seat and baby carrier in one. For these items, be sure to find something that is ultra-safe, easy to install, and uses comfortable fabrics – your baby will be spending a long time on these. Choose pretty colours as you will be showing around your baby in these most times. These items should be light so you can carry your little one around easily.
Whether you are at home or taking your baby outside, it is important to give him or her safe and effective protection from all mosquitoes. Goodnight Fabric Roll-On is paediatrician certified and baby safe. For babies less than 2 months old, you can apply on prams, cots and baby seats. It is made of 100% natural actives and gives up to 8-hour protection from mosquitoes.
Other nice to have Big-ticket items include a bottle steriliser, a baby monitor, a baby carry bag and a breast pump.
Baby’s Wardrobe
Don’t get carried away with the cute baby clothes. In the early days, you will need practical baby things that’ll keep your new-born comfortable. When it comes to clothing, these are the baby must-haves
Ensure these clothes are pre-washed with a mild detergent.
When it is raining babies’ clothes take longer to dry and can remain damp. Ensure clothes dry fully as dampness can attract mosquitoes. Give your baby on-the-go protection from mosquitoes by using Goodnight Fabric Roll-On. When the baby is more than 2 months, you need 4 dots only applied on clothes. It acts as a personal mosquito repellent and provides safe and effective protection from all mosquitoes for your babies.
Feeding Essentials
You will need to be prepared to feed your new-born at any time and anywhere so here are the important baby supplies to stock up:
Baby Hygiene and Skincare Supplies
The first thing you need to keep in mind to check for paediatrician certified brands and products to use for bathing and changing your baby. There are a few things you need to have:
While you should keep your baby clean at all times, it’s even more important during the summer and monsoon. Babies, like the rest of us, sweat profusely in a humid environment, which make them more attractive to mosquitoes. To provide safe and effective protection from all mosquitoes give your baby frequent sponges to keep the skin germ-free. In addition to this use a paediatrician certified, personal mosquito repellent like GoodKnight Fabric Roll-On. It is completely baby safe and the perfect support in your effort to provide your baby on the go protection against mosquito bites.
Effective protection from all mosquitoes for babies
As you prepare for your baby’s arrival you need to know all that you can to protect your baby against mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya:
The importance of a personal mosquito repellent for babies
Traditionally, In India the use of plug-in mosquito repellents and coils was common. These work indoors, however, it’s best not to use them around your baby. They may contain chemicals that are not safe to be inhaled for a new-born baby.
However, keeping babies safe from mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, malaria, chikungunya is very important. Lotions and sprays can be very strong for infants and there is the fear of them touching their safe and putting their hands into their mouths. Hence a good option is to use a paediatrician certified and baby safe fabric repellent like Goodknight Fabric Roll-On. For babies less than 2 months old, you can use the roll-on on prams and cots. Goodknight Fabric Roll-On is made using 100 actives such as citronella and eucalyptus oils, hence has no adverse effects when used even for babies. Goodknight Fabric Roll-On will not cause any skin allergy and one pack of Goodknight Fabric Roll-On, if applied on a child using 4 coin-sized dots every day, will last up to 2 months or 60 days. Using traditional mosquito repellents on baby’s skin is not recommended. A baby’s skin is too sensitive for most (if not all) of these lotions and gels. The use of mosquito coils and incense sticks is also suspect due to the adverse effect it could have on the baby’s respiratory system. So, it is vital to use a mosquito repellent that has been created to be baby-safe. Different mosquito repellents work in different ways. While most just repel mosquitoes, some of them can kill them. How long repellents stay effective depends on the nature and the concentration of the ingredients.
Before we go You’ve got a lot to do, mother-to-be! Between taking care of the doctors’ appointments, buying baby-safe items and managing everyone’s excitement, don’t forget to rest and enjoy this special period in your life. Good luck!
