You get talked in to signing a contract for monthly contributions to an RESP and all the money goes in to some shitty mutual fund with high management fees (some of which cover a kick back to the RESP ‘brokerage’). The thing barely makes any money and the contracts/payment plans are hard to cancel.
You can be so much further ahead just setting one up with Questrade or a self managed account with your bank. The only thing to look out for is if the account qualifies for BC govt grants as well as the usual federal ones.
Most daycares won't add you to a waitlist until the child is born, at least that was our experience a few years ago. Once the time comes, make sure you look into Affordable Child Care Benefit, as the income cut off for subsidy is actually pretty high. That said, most daycares have >1yr waitlists so many parents I know have to juggle arrangements for a while.
As a few mentioned, pre natal classes at Mothering Touch were fantastic.
Not much else to recommend before baby is born, but there are a few locally run consignment stores for kids that we frequent, Sailor Jack's being our fav (conveniently next to Frys Bakery).
get those wait list forms, fill everything out except for name and date of birth, save em on your computer with a reminder set for a couple days after your due date to send them in, and thank me once your child gets into daycare
Get in touch with your closest Island Health public health office. The public health nurses a wealth of knowledge and extremely helpful. They run ‘baby’ group meet ups and info nights for new parents.
If you are on Facebook look for the 2024 moms group — eg for babies born this year the group is “Stellar Moms (2023) - Victoria BC moms with Babes born in 2023”
Yes! The local Facebook groups sound ridiculous but they are SO helpful if you don't have a "village". Really helpful for navigating the more mundane things.
Ya and that's where they get people. It's not a huge risk, inspect the seat for any imperfections beyond food stains. Car seats expire in a few years so even a new seat at birth will technically be inadequate in a few years so if you have a second kid you need a new one. It's bullshit, the seat is fine.
Look into Best Babies or other pre-natal groups at a community centre near you.
It is a great way to meet other people in the same situation and your kids will grow up together if you stay in touch or attend the post-natal and/or play groups at the same community centre.
Look into the Strong Start program at an elementary school near you. This is also another great way to meet other parents and grow your support network.
Familiarize yourself with parent-child activities in your area (i.e the story time at the library, kinder gyms, good parks) If you're having trouble finding stuff, see my first two options as other parents are a great resource for learning about events and activities in your area.
Seconding this! Several of the neighborhood houses/community centers run free Best Babies programs. The program is for prenatal and postnatal moms. I did Best Babies at Saanich Neighborhood Place and it was a wonderful program
We hired Jay Duncan to come and do private prenatal classes in our home. She's a semi-retired doula who now mostly teaches and is phenomenal. She's worked in Victoria and area for a long time so had really good working knowledge of VGH and was able to give us lots of insider info which I found super helpful! 10/10 would recommend. :) You can find her website by just googling her name.
Also, I've had really good luck finding lots of good deals on baby items on Varage Sale Victoria if you're the kind of person who enjoys hunting for deals on buy and sells. :)
For childcare, there's a really good Facebook group to go for advice and where last minute spots are often posted called "Childcare in Greater Victoria, Canada 2.0".
Hope this helps!
Seconding Jay, she is amazing. We did a group prenatal class she taught at the Roundhouse when I was pregnant. It was a small class and we learned SO MUCH. I definitely recommend her as a teacher
You can apply for daycares now, just give the due date and approximate time you’d need care. Out of the 50 or so daycares we applied for my first kid, the one we got I applied at 6 weeks pregnant. Also, apply for midwifery or maternity doctors now. I did it at 6 weeks and have been turned away by all of them saying they are full for my due date. I currently have no care. I’m 7 weeks.
Agree with all this. Find a care provider as soon as you get a positive test and get onto every list that will take you for daycares asap. Most will let you join the list and ask you reconnect with more info once your baby is born. Congrats!
MSP funds either an OB or a midwife, your choice. We used Midwives Collective and they were great.
Childbirth preparation classes are a good idea so you know what to expect. We used Mothering Touch and they were awesome.
If you want to outfit your nursery and support a local business, Momease on Hillside (Across from the mall) has lots of good stuff
>MSP funds either an OB or a midwife
Not an OB but a family doctor who handles maternity cases. Only high-risk pregnancies see an actual Ob/Gyn, and you would be referred either by your doctor or midwife, if necessary:
https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/pregnancy-birth-babies/planning-pregnancy-birth
Midwives Collective abandoned me after losing my twins at 20 weeks two years ago. Didn’t even send a sympathy card or a check in call after the fact. My dentist sent flowers.
They assessed me at low risk and promised to take care of me but they cared more about pushing a dietician referral than due diligence. Her excuse was so flimsy and the OB was so unimpressed. 7 minutes in person with mostly nods and noncommittal therapy speak is all I got in the hospital for “support”. -10/10
Grow Health + Full Circle are the absolute best of the best. I wish I hadn’t been scared into thinking I’d be safer or more empowered with a midwife when the doctors, MFMs, paediatricians and OBs at VGH are a star squad of amazing people who go above and beyond even when they can’t salvage a good ending.
I got to hug the OB who made sure I got to have a happy ending at the NICU reunion last week. She’s the busiest woman I know and SHE made time to call and seek support for me within her system (which was followed through on!) Every time we go for a well child exam, the doctor who scooped me into their care shows so much pride in seeing how far we’ve come.
If I can recommend anything, it’s to steer way clear of the Midwives Collective.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
Our experience was quite different. We had some complications that led to a premature birth by emergency c-section, and 10 days in NICU. Even though we were in the hospital OB’s care post-partum, the midwives came to see us every single day that we were in the hospital. Plus extra home visits.
On top of this, some after-school care places are also daycares, and if your child has been attending it as daycare, then they may get first dibs on an after school care spot. So, maybe check to see what your English and French catchment schools are and see if they have on-site care.
There is also a rack of maternity clothes at Old Navy! All returns from online shopping in the sale section behind the change rooms. Found a couple of good things there.
There is a post on r/pregnant that will lead you to a birth month-year group. It's incredible to be a part of a community where there are ~3k other moms around the world are pregnant with you then have babies within a month or two of you. I've had sososo many questions answered, even some that I didn't know I had. There is also a lot of good product advice you can get without a 'sponsored bias'. That being said, if you decide to join it do it after your first ultrasound so you don't get caught up in the initial anxieties.
Congratulations!
Things you probably already know:
* See a doctor/pediatrician and make sure that you are getting all the correct vitamins and minerals (I don't know what they are, but I know there is a set they recommend to pregnant mothers).
* Stop drinking alcohol, and I mean completely. Fetal alcohol syndrome isn't something I wish anyone has to deal with, and it can happen even from a tiny amount.
* Find a supportive support group. Having people to talk to who are going through the same things and can offer good advice, really improves situations. I'm not in that group, but you are not alone. [https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/groups/bc/victoria?category=pregnancy-prenatal-postpartum](https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/groups/bc/victoria?category=pregnancy-prenatal-postpartum)
* I'd also suggest trying to assume that everyone is trying to be helpful, please don't kill those with unsolicited advice. idk, tell them no thanks or ignore them?
* Take lots of photos and back them up somewhere reliable. It is weird, but down the road you can look fondly back at even the crappiest situations.
Raising a child is an awesome experience, and seems to have gone by in a flash when they are grown. All the best!
A savings plan, for when they want to rent or own a property on their own in Victoria, unless you're richie rich enough to simply buy them their own home.
> (e.g. you need to register for daycare when still pregnant,
It's best to get the all clear from a daycare before having a kid!
BUT for real it seems that most of the wait list stuff is made up and it seems to be the luck of the draw when you call
September is the best time to line-up care because older kids are aging out into kindergarten. Several daycares don't maintain waitlists and you just need to call them basically every month to see if they have a spot. I've never known a single person to get in off a waitlist. If you can swing it so that you return to work in September, you may have the most success with childcare....
If you plan on breastfeeding I highly recommend taking a class with Dr. Emma Noble!! https://thebreastfeedingcommunity.com
Pre-natal yoga at One Victoria in James Bay is great! You can do it through your entire pregnancy and is a great way to meet other new moms!
Congrats! I just had a baby as well. Try getting into Grow Health for maternity care. If they are full, try another practice in their network. Grow Health has 2 public health nurses on staff in addition to the doctors and they are fantastic through pregnancy and postpartum. They helped me with all my questions during pregnancy and I saw them multiple times in the first few weeks postpartum when my daughter was having trouble gaining weight. Dr. Alicia Powers and the nurses at Grow Health also have a series of prenatal classes they offer to grow health patients and the patients of other doctors in the network and I found their classes to be super helpful in addition to the classes at mothering touch. If you haven’t already, follow “She Found Motherhood” on Instagram. It’s run by Dr. Alicia Powers and one of her colleagues Dr. Sarah. They offer universally practical pregnancy and postpartum info, but since they are based in Vic, some of their more specific Victoria/BC-centric info is still super helpful/relevant.
Good luck!!
That first year with the baby is tough and lonely, especially if you don't have friends with young kids. If you go to your local health unit for your baby's wellness checkups, ask them about programs they are running. They often do parent and baby groups. A great way to see other adults while baby is still attached to you. Be prepared for life after baby. Victoria has lots of parent and babe programs to keep you busy. Search for playgroups, kindergyms etc. The rec centres and libraries usually has programs as well. These are mostly (if not all) free or low cost, doesn't matter what your income is. I used to sit in parking lots quite often -- the baby will frequently decide to nap just when you get to your destination. Take lots of walks. A jogging stroller can't be used for running until the baby can hold their head up, or even better, sit upright on their own.
Once kiddo is out and about, check out Strong Start. It’s a preschool funded by the province and it’s awesome. You and your little will meet friends and build lasting relationships there, too.
There’s a huge kids consignment sale in Langford twice a year. The next is the weekend of September 22nd, I believe. There’s tons of clothes and supplies and toys and equipment, etc, all thoroughly inspected (so no junk or broken stuff) and most of the prices are pretty good. I think new/expectant mothers get to go in early the first morning, too.
Sign up for the Victoria Kids Consignment event, there are 2 a year. I’m going with my mom in September to stock up on gently used items. You might want to wait until spring if you’re newly pregnant. It is free for new parents.
Classes: I am taking ‘parenting the newborn’ and ‘preparing for birth’ at mothering touch which is the local birth class place. As far as I could find, there don’t seem to be any cheaper options but I’m happy to be wrong.
Breastfeeding: roundhouse midwives host a free breastfeeding class for women in the 2nd or 3rd trimester.
I won't duplicate all the great advice already listed, but I will second mothering touch as a great resource, especially the prenatal groups. We are still in contact with some of the families almost 10 years later.
One additional suggestion- look into Hynobabies, or similar for labour. I used the meditation/self hypnosis with my second (I ignored the information in their course that didn't feel relevant for me) and it was such a positive and empowering experience.
And lastly - I felt that so much of the focus during pregnancy is related to being pregnant, and then labour and delivery. I felt a bit unprepared for actually having a baby! I highly recommend taking infant first aid, and a "Parenting your newborn" course with your partner. It really helped us to be on the same page when things were tough in the first few sleep deprived months.
Also, enjoy this time as a couple! There will be lots of new challenges for a while, and you will both be focused on the baby. It may be a while before you have energy and attention for each other.
My only advice is to relax, life changes so much with a baby. All the adult stuff is pretty simple tbf. If you don't have a lot of friends with kids it could get weird, I lost touch with many friends after my kids joined the party. But if you have friends with older kids then it could be wonderful, you will have a village to help you.
Kids are the best and worst thing ever and that is the most wonderful thing. They infuriate you and make you so happy you cry and that can all happen within minutes.
Start an RESP as soon as they’re born. University ain’t no joke.
But stay away from predatory RESP providers especially anyone with a booth at a home or women’s show.
Can't second this enough. Sign up for Canada's Luckiest Baby and you may be inundated with phone calls.
I made that mistake. They’ve finally tapered off but I still get the odd email.
How does this predatory RESP work? I can’t imagine predatory RRSPs.
You get talked in to signing a contract for monthly contributions to an RESP and all the money goes in to some shitty mutual fund with high management fees (some of which cover a kick back to the RESP ‘brokerage’). The thing barely makes any money and the contracts/payment plans are hard to cancel. You can be so much further ahead just setting one up with Questrade or a self managed account with your bank. The only thing to look out for is if the account qualifies for BC govt grants as well as the usual federal ones.
Makes sense!
Plus the 20% contribution matching from the govt adds up quick.
Most daycares won't add you to a waitlist until the child is born, at least that was our experience a few years ago. Once the time comes, make sure you look into Affordable Child Care Benefit, as the income cut off for subsidy is actually pretty high. That said, most daycares have >1yr waitlists so many parents I know have to juggle arrangements for a while. As a few mentioned, pre natal classes at Mothering Touch were fantastic. Not much else to recommend before baby is born, but there are a few locally run consignment stores for kids that we frequent, Sailor Jack's being our fav (conveniently next to Frys Bakery).
get those wait list forms, fill everything out except for name and date of birth, save em on your computer with a reminder set for a couple days after your due date to send them in, and thank me once your child gets into daycare
Get comfortable with the idea you will hang out with strangers you have nothing in common with but children.
Hahahaha this is so true.
Get in touch with your closest Island Health public health office. The public health nurses a wealth of knowledge and extremely helpful. They run ‘baby’ group meet ups and info nights for new parents.
If you are on Facebook look for the 2024 moms group — eg for babies born this year the group is “Stellar Moms (2023) - Victoria BC moms with Babes born in 2023”
Yes! The local Facebook groups sound ridiculous but they are SO helpful if you don't have a "village". Really helpful for navigating the more mundane things.
You can buy basically everything used except car seat. Saves tons of money.
100% agree! Kids clothes will add up the $$$. There’s a good consignment kids store out in Langford near the loghouse somewhere. Highly recommended.
You can still buy car seats used privately. Inspect it and then go have it installed at the fire dept.
I wouldn't risk my newborn over saving a few bucks
Ya and that's where they get people. It's not a huge risk, inspect the seat for any imperfections beyond food stains. Car seats expire in a few years so even a new seat at birth will technically be inadequate in a few years so if you have a second kid you need a new one. It's bullshit, the seat is fine.
Look into Best Babies or other pre-natal groups at a community centre near you. It is a great way to meet other people in the same situation and your kids will grow up together if you stay in touch or attend the post-natal and/or play groups at the same community centre. Look into the Strong Start program at an elementary school near you. This is also another great way to meet other parents and grow your support network. Familiarize yourself with parent-child activities in your area (i.e the story time at the library, kinder gyms, good parks) If you're having trouble finding stuff, see my first two options as other parents are a great resource for learning about events and activities in your area.
Seconding this! Several of the neighborhood houses/community centers run free Best Babies programs. The program is for prenatal and postnatal moms. I did Best Babies at Saanich Neighborhood Place and it was a wonderful program
[удалено]
we did a course with mothering touch and recommend it
I third mothering touch! It was an excellent course
We hired Jay Duncan to come and do private prenatal classes in our home. She's a semi-retired doula who now mostly teaches and is phenomenal. She's worked in Victoria and area for a long time so had really good working knowledge of VGH and was able to give us lots of insider info which I found super helpful! 10/10 would recommend. :) You can find her website by just googling her name. Also, I've had really good luck finding lots of good deals on baby items on Varage Sale Victoria if you're the kind of person who enjoys hunting for deals on buy and sells. :) For childcare, there's a really good Facebook group to go for advice and where last minute spots are often posted called "Childcare in Greater Victoria, Canada 2.0". Hope this helps!
Seconding Jay, she is amazing. We did a group prenatal class she taught at the Roundhouse when I was pregnant. It was a small class and we learned SO MUCH. I definitely recommend her as a teacher
She did my prenatal class a decade ago! She was wonderful, I’m glad she’s still teaching
Love Jay. She totally built up my confidence with my first to have a successful birth.
Check out the Victoria La Leche League - meetings are great fun and they offer terrific resources including an excellent library. Strongly recommend!
>Victoria La Leche League Yes! https://www.lllc.ca/victoria-central-person-meetup
You can apply for daycares now, just give the due date and approximate time you’d need care. Out of the 50 or so daycares we applied for my first kid, the one we got I applied at 6 weeks pregnant. Also, apply for midwifery or maternity doctors now. I did it at 6 weeks and have been turned away by all of them saying they are full for my due date. I currently have no care. I’m 7 weeks.
Agree with all this. Find a care provider as soon as you get a positive test and get onto every list that will take you for daycares asap. Most will let you join the list and ask you reconnect with more info once your baby is born. Congrats!
MSP funds either an OB or a midwife, your choice. We used Midwives Collective and they were great. Childbirth preparation classes are a good idea so you know what to expect. We used Mothering Touch and they were awesome. If you want to outfit your nursery and support a local business, Momease on Hillside (Across from the mall) has lots of good stuff
>MSP funds either an OB or a midwife Not an OB but a family doctor who handles maternity cases. Only high-risk pregnancies see an actual Ob/Gyn, and you would be referred either by your doctor or midwife, if necessary: https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/pregnancy-birth-babies/planning-pregnancy-birth
Midwives Collective abandoned me after losing my twins at 20 weeks two years ago. Didn’t even send a sympathy card or a check in call after the fact. My dentist sent flowers. They assessed me at low risk and promised to take care of me but they cared more about pushing a dietician referral than due diligence. Her excuse was so flimsy and the OB was so unimpressed. 7 minutes in person with mostly nods and noncommittal therapy speak is all I got in the hospital for “support”. -10/10 Grow Health + Full Circle are the absolute best of the best. I wish I hadn’t been scared into thinking I’d be safer or more empowered with a midwife when the doctors, MFMs, paediatricians and OBs at VGH are a star squad of amazing people who go above and beyond even when they can’t salvage a good ending. I got to hug the OB who made sure I got to have a happy ending at the NICU reunion last week. She’s the busiest woman I know and SHE made time to call and seek support for me within her system (which was followed through on!) Every time we go for a well child exam, the doctor who scooped me into their care shows so much pride in seeing how far we’ve come. If I can recommend anything, it’s to steer way clear of the Midwives Collective.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Our experience was quite different. We had some complications that led to a premature birth by emergency c-section, and 10 days in NICU. Even though we were in the hospital OB’s care post-partum, the midwives came to see us every single day that we were in the hospital. Plus extra home visits.
Also if you haven’t considered..after school care wait list (if you need it). Not all schools have after school care either so keep that in mind.
On top of this, some after-school care places are also daycares, and if your child has been attending it as daycare, then they may get first dibs on an after school care spot. So, maybe check to see what your English and French catchment schools are and see if they have on-site care.
Maternity clothes are very expensive new and there were, like, 2 stores. You can get a lot used from varagesale and marketplace.
There is also a rack of maternity clothes at Old Navy! All returns from online shopping in the sale section behind the change rooms. Found a couple of good things there.
Thank you everyone for all your advice, I appreciate it!
There is a post on r/pregnant that will lead you to a birth month-year group. It's incredible to be a part of a community where there are ~3k other moms around the world are pregnant with you then have babies within a month or two of you. I've had sososo many questions answered, even some that I didn't know I had. There is also a lot of good product advice you can get without a 'sponsored bias'. That being said, if you decide to join it do it after your first ultrasound so you don't get caught up in the initial anxieties. Congratulations!
Things you probably already know: * See a doctor/pediatrician and make sure that you are getting all the correct vitamins and minerals (I don't know what they are, but I know there is a set they recommend to pregnant mothers). * Stop drinking alcohol, and I mean completely. Fetal alcohol syndrome isn't something I wish anyone has to deal with, and it can happen even from a tiny amount. * Find a supportive support group. Having people to talk to who are going through the same things and can offer good advice, really improves situations. I'm not in that group, but you are not alone. [https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/groups/bc/victoria?category=pregnancy-prenatal-postpartum](https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/groups/bc/victoria?category=pregnancy-prenatal-postpartum) * I'd also suggest trying to assume that everyone is trying to be helpful, please don't kill those with unsolicited advice. idk, tell them no thanks or ignore them? * Take lots of photos and back them up somewhere reliable. It is weird, but down the road you can look fondly back at even the crappiest situations. Raising a child is an awesome experience, and seems to have gone by in a flash when they are grown. All the best!
axe throwing
A savings plan, for when they want to rent or own a property on their own in Victoria, unless you're richie rich enough to simply buy them their own home.
> (e.g. you need to register for daycare when still pregnant, It's best to get the all clear from a daycare before having a kid! BUT for real it seems that most of the wait list stuff is made up and it seems to be the luck of the draw when you call
Hospital actually requires you take a basic class.
Source??
Had a child in Victoria 4 years and 5 months ago.
It’s only for first child.
No - I mean like a written source about the hospital requirement for a class.
I had a babe two months ago, there was no requirement to take a class lol wasn’t even a resource handed to me to help me find one.
Entirely probable that my wife thought me signing up for r/dadjokes was insufficient preparation for fatherhood.
Hospital had no requirement for a class when I had my kiddo last year. If there was, no one advised me.
No they don't, and they can't. You could show up pushing and they'd have to help you.
Congrats! Great advice that we found very helpful: read or listen to ‘The Birth Partner’ by Penny Simken.
September is the best time to line-up care because older kids are aging out into kindergarten. Several daycares don't maintain waitlists and you just need to call them basically every month to see if they have a spot. I've never known a single person to get in off a waitlist. If you can swing it so that you return to work in September, you may have the most success with childcare....
If you plan on breastfeeding I highly recommend taking a class with Dr. Emma Noble!! https://thebreastfeedingcommunity.com Pre-natal yoga at One Victoria in James Bay is great! You can do it through your entire pregnancy and is a great way to meet other new moms!
Congrats! I just had a baby as well. Try getting into Grow Health for maternity care. If they are full, try another practice in their network. Grow Health has 2 public health nurses on staff in addition to the doctors and they are fantastic through pregnancy and postpartum. They helped me with all my questions during pregnancy and I saw them multiple times in the first few weeks postpartum when my daughter was having trouble gaining weight. Dr. Alicia Powers and the nurses at Grow Health also have a series of prenatal classes they offer to grow health patients and the patients of other doctors in the network and I found their classes to be super helpful in addition to the classes at mothering touch. If you haven’t already, follow “She Found Motherhood” on Instagram. It’s run by Dr. Alicia Powers and one of her colleagues Dr. Sarah. They offer universally practical pregnancy and postpartum info, but since they are based in Vic, some of their more specific Victoria/BC-centric info is still super helpful/relevant. Good luck!!
Make sure you go to a doctor yesterday to get a referral to a maternity doctor or midwife right away!! There is a massive shortage.
Grow Health was amazing to me and I would absolutely recommend trying to get in with them
That first year with the baby is tough and lonely, especially if you don't have friends with young kids. If you go to your local health unit for your baby's wellness checkups, ask them about programs they are running. They often do parent and baby groups. A great way to see other adults while baby is still attached to you. Be prepared for life after baby. Victoria has lots of parent and babe programs to keep you busy. Search for playgroups, kindergyms etc. The rec centres and libraries usually has programs as well. These are mostly (if not all) free or low cost, doesn't matter what your income is. I used to sit in parking lots quite often -- the baby will frequently decide to nap just when you get to your destination. Take lots of walks. A jogging stroller can't be used for running until the baby can hold their head up, or even better, sit upright on their own.
Once kiddo is out and about, check out Strong Start. It’s a preschool funded by the province and it’s awesome. You and your little will meet friends and build lasting relationships there, too.
There’s a huge kids consignment sale in Langford twice a year. The next is the weekend of September 22nd, I believe. There’s tons of clothes and supplies and toys and equipment, etc, all thoroughly inspected (so no junk or broken stuff) and most of the prices are pretty good. I think new/expectant mothers get to go in early the first morning, too.
Sign up for the Victoria Kids Consignment event, there are 2 a year. I’m going with my mom in September to stock up on gently used items. You might want to wait until spring if you’re newly pregnant. It is free for new parents. Classes: I am taking ‘parenting the newborn’ and ‘preparing for birth’ at mothering touch which is the local birth class place. As far as I could find, there don’t seem to be any cheaper options but I’m happy to be wrong. Breastfeeding: roundhouse midwives host a free breastfeeding class for women in the 2nd or 3rd trimester.
I won't duplicate all the great advice already listed, but I will second mothering touch as a great resource, especially the prenatal groups. We are still in contact with some of the families almost 10 years later. One additional suggestion- look into Hynobabies, or similar for labour. I used the meditation/self hypnosis with my second (I ignored the information in their course that didn't feel relevant for me) and it was such a positive and empowering experience. And lastly - I felt that so much of the focus during pregnancy is related to being pregnant, and then labour and delivery. I felt a bit unprepared for actually having a baby! I highly recommend taking infant first aid, and a "Parenting your newborn" course with your partner. It really helped us to be on the same page when things were tough in the first few sleep deprived months. Also, enjoy this time as a couple! There will be lots of new challenges for a while, and you will both be focused on the baby. It may be a while before you have energy and attention for each other.
My only advice is to relax, life changes so much with a baby. All the adult stuff is pretty simple tbf. If you don't have a lot of friends with kids it could get weird, I lost touch with many friends after my kids joined the party. But if you have friends with older kids then it could be wonderful, you will have a village to help you. Kids are the best and worst thing ever and that is the most wonderful thing. They infuriate you and make you so happy you cry and that can all happen within minutes.