Having a baby

The following guide is designed to help answer some of the initial questions you may have about having a baby.

Before the Birth

Having a baby

If you have just found out you are pregnant, the first step is to make sure you are registered with a GP.  A GP will help confirm your pregnancy as well as give you help and advice on what you should expect, and even arrange for your first antenatal class.

Looking after yourself

Your doctor is sure to give you a lot of help and advice on what you should be doing to make sure both you and your baby go through a healthy pregnancy.  There are a number of websites that offer tips and advice on such things as healthy eating, help with giving up smoking during pregnancy and keeping fit, but one of the best is provided by BBC Online (external link).   They offer comprehensive advice in an easy to understand manner.

Antenatal classes

Your doctor might arrange for you to attend NHS antenatal classes at the hospital where your child will be born - even if you have decided on a homebirth, your midwife may well have booked you in to some classes.  Many classes will start about eight to ten weeks before your baby is due. They are normally held once a week, either during the day or in the evening, and last one or two hours and are the ideal way to meet other expectant mums, but also to put any worries you may have at ease. 

Parental leave

Odds are you don't know much about just what you are entitled to in terms of time off during and after your pregnancy - and most fathers don't realise they are entitled to time off at all. 

The Birth

Although your doctor or midwife will be happy to explain what you should expect when you go into hospital for the birth, a quick read of the information supplied at  the BBC website (external link) will help you understand a bit more about what is going on.

After the birth

Thinking about names

You may well have decided on a name long before your child is born, but many parents change their mind at the last minute, or simply can't agree on a name they both like.  There are a lot of sites designed to help you find the perfect name for your child.

Registering a birth

By law, you must register the birth of your child within 42 days of its arrival, the process itself will only last around 15 minutes.

If the mother and father were married at the time of birth, then either parent can register the birth. If, however, mother and father are not married then the mother alone can register the birth. Under certain circumstances someone other than the father or mother may be able to register the birth and in this case the registrar will arrange for the most appropriate person to do it.

To register a birth the following information is required 

• baby's date and place of birth, forename(s) and surname
• mother's full name, date and place of birth, current or last occupation and, if applicable, maiden surname and date of marriage - if the father is to be entered on the certificate then the same information is needed from him.

Registering a birth is free.

You can find more information at Cheshire County Council's website (external link) 

How to cope with new baby

Coping with a new baby is daunting at first, but you do get used to it as time goes on.  One of the best ways for you to cope with taking your baby home for the first time is to do a lot of preparation before the birth - read some of the many books about parenting that are available or talk to other mothers about their experiences.  You can find other tips here the BBC's parenting web pages (external link)

How to deal with...

Tiredness

One of the most common complaints of new parents is lack of sleep.  There's no easy answer to overcome the problem, until your child settles into a regular routine you're guaranteed to have a few disturbed nights.  Here are a few tips that might make you deal with that all too familiar tiredness a little better the BBC's health pages (external link)

Baby Blues

Although you don't hear about it too often, most women actually get 'Baby Blues' in the first week after childbirth, but the symptoms - feeling emotional and irritable - only last a few days.  Postnatal depression is a more severe form of 'Baby Blues' in that the symptoms don't just go away.  As with all illnesses of this type its better to tell someone how you're feeling and not suffer in silence.  Have a word with your GP, or if you're still in contact, your midwife and they'll be able to offer you help and advice.  If you'd like more information visit the NHS Online (External Link)  site (external link).

Illness

Most parents greatest fears is for their child to fall ill.  Your doctor, midwife or health worker will probably provide you with a range of leaflets explaining common childhood ailments and what you should do about them.  The government also makes a range of advice available on their websites and you can easily access information about reducing the chance of cot death (external link) and at what age you should prepare to have your child prepare to have your child immunised. (external link)

General Information

Benefits 

There are a range of benefits that may be available to you, from Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance to Incapacity Benefit and Child Allowance.  It is important that you find out about the specific benefits that may be available to you.  The Department for Work and Pensions provides all of the relevant information for you.

Childcare

If and when you decide to return to work you may have to arrange for your child to go into some form of childcare.  The government's ChildCarelink website (external link) will help you find the appropriate - and more importantly, the approved - childcare providers in your area.