Before baby is born

Before baby is born is a good time to prepare for the many changes. Here are a few ideas:

In this chapter:

Health and support

Check your own physical, emotional and mental health. Start identifying who you can ask for advice and practical support for once the baby is born – friends, family, community, health care providers, or community services.
Identify support and services for times when stress increases in a particular area of your life.
Learn about the phases of your baby’s growth with your partner.
You can start building a unique bond with your baby, even before they are born: play and sing your favourite songs or music, talk to your baby or read a book out loud. Babies can hear outside sounds from around 25-27 weeks.
Support your partner to have nourishing food and opportunities to rest and relax.
Becoming a father can be an incentive to change some old habits and become healthier – consider starting an exercise routine, quitting smoking, or reducing drinking.
Attend antenatal appointments whenever possible and particularly during the last three months of pregnancy.
In some countries, fathers are not usually invited to attend their child’s birth. In Australia, it is possible and encouraged. Attend the childbirth, if you can, and go to parenting classes together to learn about birth.

Start thinking about what expenses you will have and what you need for your baby. Work as a family team and prepare a plan. This can reduce your stress later on.
You or your partner may consider taking leave off work and will have to think about how this will impact you financially. Talk about this with your partner and your employer to decide how much time you will take off work during and after the birth. Will you need to extend your leave after the birth? You can also ask your employer about sick leave arrangements in case you need to care for your child or partner at short notice. For information on Parental Leave see the Fair Work Ombudsman.
There are free financial counselling services in some states that can help you with planning your budget.
Ask Centrelink if you are eligible for Dad and Partner Pay

If your partner is eligible and/or has been taking English language classes (e.g. AMEP), encourage them to continue English classes throughout the pregnancy and once the child is born. It will be beneficial to you, your partner, and your child for your partner ti get better at English. Even if you are the only one working at the moment, you will both want to be capable of speaking with health providers, child care services, pre-schools (and later on, schools), and the wider community, so it is essential you both work on improving your English.
Child care services may also be available for young children to attend while their parent is attending an AMEP English class. You can ask your AMEP provider about this.

Create a safe home for your new baby to sleep and play in. For information on how to make your home safe, see Kidsafe: Home Safety.

Learn about keeping baby safe while sleeping:

Consult with your health care practitioner to get accurate information on feeding options and to help decide what’s best for your family.

To learn more about breastfeeding or to seek advice, ask: