Welcoming a new baby is one of the most exciting and overwhelming things for new parents. Every parent-to-be experiences some confusion about how to prepare their home for a baby, so you’re not alone!
You’ve probably already decided on having a baby shower and have begun accumulating diapers, wipes, bottles, and adorable baby onesies. However, besides stockpiling baby items, you should consider preparing your home so it’s ready to go after birth.
A baby truly takes over your house. Fortunately, this will provide you with some tips on how you can prepare your home for your baby to ensure the transition from the hospital to your house will be simple and as stress-free as possible.
1. Set Up the Nursery
Your new bundle of joy needs a room of its own. You will likely keep your baby in a bassinet or small crib in your bedroom during the first few weeks. However, eventually, you’ll need to make the transition to get them into their own room. A couple of months before your baby arrives, set up their nursery.
The nursery will keep all of the baby’s items in one place, including the crib, clothes, toys, diapering station, and other essentials. You can also set up a comfortable feeding and pumping area in the nursery. Setting up the nursery before your baby is born relieves some stress postpartum.
2. Babyproof Your Home
Although your baby won’t be moving around on its own very much in the first few months, it’s still a good idea to babyproof your home before the baby’s arrival. A few months go by quickly, and before you know it, your little one will be crawling.
Always think about their safety and your own safety. Secure heavy furniture to the walls, add padding to sharp corners, cover outlets, and put latches on drawers. Keep items stored up high and ensure there is nothing your baby can choke on within their reach.
3. Clean Your House
You likely won’t have the opportunity to deep clean your home for a while after you come home with your new baby. Use the time before you give birth to deep clean your house. Clear away clutter, organize baby items, and clean everything. This ensures everything is tidy and prepared when you come home from the hospital.
Get rid of bacteria, germs, and dust in every corner of your home. Enlist help from friends and other family members, too, so you don’t risk hurting yourself. If you have the resources, you can hire cleaning professionals so you and your family can relax.
4. Prepare Meals in Advance
Having a freezer full of food will make your life so much easier when you get home from having a baby. New parents don’t want to have to spend time cooking meals. While family and friends often bring meals to share with the new parents, that won’t last forever.
Do yourself a favor by preparing some meals in advance. You can make almost anything and put it in freezer bags to freeze, like lasagna, taco meat, soups, and more. That way, all you have to do is take it out of the freezer and put it in the oven, microwave, or slow cooker to heat.
5. Make Space for the Baby in Each Room
A baby will quickly take over every space in your home. Before your due date, create specific baby sites in each major room of your house, including your bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room.
Set aside spaces for playpens, toys, high chairs, baby feeding items, strollers, diaper bags, and a baby tub. This will help you stay organized for your postpartum period. You can also set up diaper-changing stations in multiple rooms to limit your movement from room to room after you give birth.
6. Plan a Space for Visitors
Spend a bit of time now before your baby’s arrival to plan a space for visitors. Although some new parents don’t plan on having visitors in the first few weeks after birth, others do. Some enlist the help of a grandparent or close friend to help with daily tasks in the house.
If you plan on having overnight guests, they’ll need a place to stay. Gather items like sheets, towels, and extra toiletries for your guest so you don’t have to frantically search for them once you get home with the newborn.
7. Stockpile Essentials
Stockpile all of your home essentials a few weeks before your due date. Create a list of items for the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, and bedrooms that you use regularly. Your list might include toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, non-perishable food items, pet food, and soaps.
Gathering items like this before you give birth limits your trips to the store after bringing your baby home. You can also stockpile baby essentials, like diapers, wipes, and formula.
Welcoming Your Newborn to Your Home
Having a baby is an exciting time. You can make the time after your baby’s arrival more enjoyable by preparing your home before the due date. Use these tips to make the transition into parenthood a bit easier.
