Preparing for your new arrival

OK...so I'm not trying to equate the anticipated arrival of your beautiful baby with a guinea pig; I'm equating it with the arrival of our latest arrivals: 3 guinea pigs! (Should have been 2 - one for each child - but I just couldn't leave the third one behind in the shop! Oops.)

It's been a while since I patiently awaited the arrival of my darling babies; most recently for our family it was the introduction of 3 new fluffy 'babies', in the form of our first family pets.

But the preparation was somewhat similar...bear with me, please!

You see, these guinea pigs had been very carefully planned, discussed, eagerly awaited...much in the same way as our children were when I was pregnant. And what do you when you're expecting a baby? You prepare yourself as best you can, not only for what it will be like and how your life will change when they arrive, but the introduction of a new aspect to your relationship or your family.

Now, we've been talking about getting guinea pigs for many months (maybe 9?!), then all of a sudden the decision was upon us...and it was all happening a bit quickly...it went from being a 'maybe one day' discussion to deciding to change the house around to accommodate them, driving all over the Island looking for them, frantically gathering equipment and food and things for them...and then...all of a sudden they were here!

We were not as prepared as we could be for THAT moment. They're here. Again, much the same as it was when our daughter arrived.

We were 'prepared', sure, when you think about the practical bits and bobs that you 'need'. Plus, we were educated; we knew how she would arrive and how we would react to that situation (labour and birth), but we weren't prepared for the having of a baby!

However, back to the piggies; we had done all we could, regardless of the sudden haste to get them here, to think about what their arrival would mean for our family. The changes they would bring. The love and care they would need, and not just from me, but from the children. We created their home. We educated the children too about what the responsibility of a pet required of them. We talked to them about it, we discussed, and we made sure that we were all as emotionally prepared as we could be...because, as I say, we can never know just how it will actually be. But preparation, both physically and mentally for a change is crucial.

THAT, we managed.

And THAT (babies now, not pets) is part of what we talk about and learn about during The Wise Hippo birthing programme. Class 3 helps you to recognise your anxieties about birth, having a new baby, or the changes it could make to your life. You get a special mp3 to help you adjust and feel confident about the changes that will come; subconsciously preparing yourself for that change. Of course, you also learn plenty of techniques to remain calm and relaxed about the change too (our techniques are not just for birth they work in many life situations too)...something I could really do with using next time a tiny rodent escapes under my sofa (3 times in 10 days!).

#wisehippo #thewisehippo #preparation #birth #labour #birthingprogramme #breathingtechniques #techniques #anxiety #confidence #confident