Having a baby turns yours and your spouse’s world upside down. Nothing will ever be the same again once a baby arrives and with that comes a lot of things you must do not only to take care of your baby, but to take care of yourself and to remember those precious memories. It can get overwhelming remembering all of these new things you have to do and chances are you’ll probably forget something along the way (especially with the new mom brain). Luckily, we’re here to help you remember these 9 important items that you’ll want and need to do after your baby is born.
1. Write Down The Birth Story
One of the biggest mistakes I made after we had our son was that I didn’t write down his birth story within a few hours or days after he was born. I figured I would remember every single detail and ended up waiting a few months. Much to my surprise I ended up forgetting a lot and was really disappointed in myself. You’ll never want to forget even the tiniest of details from that day and writing them down will ensure that you, your husband, and your child will always be able to look back and remember how special that day was.
2. Find A Place For All The Baby’s Hospital Things
When you leave the hospital with your new baby, you’ll also leave with a handful of keepsakes as well from the baby’s hospital bracelet, to their newborn hat, to the placard that the hospital places in their bed during the stay. If you’re sentimental, you’ll want to find a safe place for all those keepsakes before you lose them or they get thrown away. You can put them in scrapbooks, shadow boxes, or even a memory box for your child to look back on when they get older. As long as they’re all in one place, they’ll be safe and not forgotten.
3. Report The Birth To Your Insurance
This is perhaps one of the most important things to do after you have your baby. You’ll want your baby to be covered on your insurance as soon as possible, so be sure to report the baby’s birth soon after it’s born. Usually there is a grace period where your insurance company will cover your baby for a short period of time before you officially have to add them (about 30 to 60 days), but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
4. Write Down All Your Questions
When you get home from the hospital and don’t have the expert nurses and doctors around 24/7 you’ll end up realizing how little you know about a baby. You’ll have a million questions come up through out the day and chances are by the time you have your baby’s next appointment, you’ll forget them unless you write them down. If it’s something urgent that you don’t feel can wait for the next appointment, call the doctor’s office and ask them directly.
5. Take Newborn Photos
Newborn babies change so much so quickly. One minute you’ll be cradling your tiny newborn and the next you’ll be holding your heavy 6 month old that never stops eating. You’ll never want to forget those tiny little characteristics of your newborn baby, so you’ll want to take newborn pictures. This will ensure that you will capture even the tiniest moments of your baby’s life. It will also allow you to take family pictures as well.
6. Send Birth Announcements
This isn’t a requirement and lots of people don’t do this, but if you want to send out birth announcements  it’s something you’ll want to order soon after your baby is born. You can use many online programs and companies like Shutterfly, Tiny Prints, and Etsy to print pictures and announcements. Usually people send these out within a few weeks to one or two months after your baby is born, so you have to do it quickly to ensure you can send them out on time.
7. Fill Out And Send In Paperwork
Many of the legal documents you need for your child, like their birth certificate or Social Security card, will require paperwork to be filled out and signed by you and your spouse. Most hospitals will give you this paperwork, but make sure you fill it out properly and send it in if they don’t. The hospital will usually be able to answer any questions you have for these and will most likely submit the forms for you. Just be sure to ask and double check with them so you can get your baby’s legal documents properly.
8. Start A Journal For Your Baby’s Milestones
Many times I’ll have friends ask me when my baby started doing this or that and no matter how hard I think, I can never remember. There are so many changes that take place in a baby’s life and your life during their first few years, and writing all those things down will ensure you always remember them. This is especially good for future children you may have so you can compare notes and see if your child is hitting certain milestones or not.
9. Enlist Friends And Family For Help
Having a baby is hard and a lot of work. DO NOT expect to do everything yourself during the first few weeks of your baby’s life. You will need help cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, and all the extra housework. Ask your family and friends to help you out. You can even schedule certain days with people once the baby is born to come over and offer their help. Seriously, don’t be afraid to ask. Most people are very willing to help a new mom with an adorable new baby.