There are often expectations on the part of many during the first day home with a new baby. Mom may be exhausted from the hospital stay, Dad may be trying to figure out the best way to help, relatives might be arriving for a visit and any siblings in the home are probably looking for extra attention. With all the different possible scenarios, it's no wonder a day that should be a joyous occasion for most families has the potential to turn into chaos.

So what's the best way to go about handling that first day home? Like most aspects of parenthood, there's no magic formula, but there are things you can do ahead of time to make the transition easier.

"The arrival of a new baby, whether it is the first or fifth, marks an enormous transition in the family unit, but also in each individual's life," says Michelle Branco, owner of doudoubebe.com, a boutique specializing in unique items for new moms, babies and siblings. "Mom has gone through a major physical event and Baby is learning about a whole new reality. The best advice for everyone is to keep in mind how enormous this transition really is and go easy on themselves and each other in the early weeks."

"I got more relaxed with each time," says Kathryn Sansone, a St. Louis, Mo., mother of 10 biological children and creator of www.shapeupmom.com. "I knew what to expect and what worked and what didn't work. For example, with the other siblings at home I needed more sleep to have energy for them."

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