Bringing a baby into the world and into your family is often a joyous occasion. It’s a time for growth and to sometimes bring family members closer together. However, having a baby during a pandemic could be frightening or challenging. There are a few things that you can do to prepare so that life continues as normally as possible for you, your partner, and your children.
Deliveries
Before and after you have your baby, you might not want to go to stores to get groceries or other items that you need. Staying home as much as possible can help decrease the chances of your baby or other family members getting sick with any kind of virus, such as COVID. Many grocery and retail stores offer a delivery service for a small fee. All you have to do is place an order for the things that you need. You’ll usually receive a notification when the delivery driver is near your home. Items can be left outside your door so that you don’t have contact with anyone, keeping your family even safer from the possibility of viruses. If you do need to leave your home, you can usually place an order and pick up items that are needed for your family, such as diapers or formula, instead of going inside the store.
Bonding
While you spend more time inside your home during a pandemic, use it as a way to bond with your baby. You can read books to your baby, give plenty of cuddles, and capture all of the first moments on video and in pictures. Take time to go for walks and get some fresh air while pushing your baby in a stroller. You could also go to a park so that you can get out of the house without being indoors with a lot of people.
Virtual Visits
Even though you might not feel safe going to see family members and friends to let them spend time with your baby, you can still include them in your baby’s life with virtual visits. Platforms that are available include Zoom, Facebook, and Skype. You can add multiple people to the video call so that it can be just like family members being in your home but without the risk of spreading viruses from one person to another. If people send gifts for your baby, you could have a baby shower in this format so that everyone can see what you get.
Holidays
Holidays throughout the year during a pandemic can be a bit different. Special events might be cancelled, and you might not be able to see as many people to enjoy the traditions that you have until it’s safer for your family. One way that you can keep things as normal as possible for your baby and any other children you might have is to help write a Santa Claus letter. Try to explain that Santa will need to use various safety precautions but that he will try to bring items that are on their lists for Christmas. There are websites that offer videos from Santa that your child might enjoy, or you could have someone you know dress up as Santa and have a virtual visit after you send your child’s letter. This is a time when you can let children know about the meaning of Christmas and other holidays and enjoy the new adventures with your baby during the first year.
Appointments
Although many doctors offer video visits during a pandemic, it’s important to maintain your postpartum visit and your baby’s first few visits to the doctor. Your doctor will likely want to make sure you’re healing properly after the delivery and can answer any questions that you have about birth control, nursing, or what to do if you feel sick. When you take your baby to the doctor, you can discuss necessary vaccines, how your baby is growing, and if there are any things that you should change with formula if this is how you’re feeding.
Working
If you need to go back to work, try to arrange for a close friend or family member to watch your baby instead of using a daycare. You could also ask if you could work from home until your baby is older so that you don’t leave your baby with someone else and so that you’re not around other people during the day as this could increase the risk of bringing viruses home.
Cleaning
Try to keep your home as clean as possible. Wipe down surfaces with antibacterial wipes or with bleach if there are surfaces that get very dirty during the week. Make sure you wash your hands throughout the day, especially before and after interacting with your baby. During your pregnancy, try to eat as healthy as possible, drinking plenty of water as well so that you stay hydrated.