There are so many exciting details that come along with welcoming your little bundle of joy into the world, including getting ready to welcome them into your home. Whether you’re moving somewhere new to start your little family, you recently settled into your new home or you’re staying put in a place you know and love, there are so many things you can do to prepare your home for the arrival of your little one.
From babyproofing to simply making things easier for you to navigate as you care for your baby, you can find plenty of ways to make your home the best it can be by the time your due date rolls around. Here are some ways you can prepare your home for a new baby!
1. Make It a Shoes-Off House
This one might not seem immediately related, but keeping a shoes-off house can be a great shift to make with a new baby on the way. When people wear shoes into your house — even you — it can inevitably track dirt and germs inside, which can be inconvenient for busy new parents to clean and can risk bringing all kinds of nasty things into your home. Instead, leave shoes at the door.
2. Do a Deep Clean
Deep cleaning your whole place can be a huge relief when prepping for the arrival of your new baby. Whether you’re deep cleaning in order to declutter and downsize or you really just want to get the dirt and grime out of your home, doing a big sweep can not only help to get ahead of the game so you don’t have as much to worry about with a new baby, but it can also make your home a much better environment for a little one with a developing immune system.
3. Don’t Move Furniture Alone
Especially if you happen to be pregnant, and nearing the end of your third trimester, it’s important not to do too much heavy lifting on your own. Really, you should be resting and taking it easy while you wait for the baby to come. You don’t want to pull a muscle or hurt yourself, so if you do need to move furniture, make sure that you enlist the help of people who can lift heavy items.
4. Move Things to Your Reach
You may not need to think too much about childproofing just yet, especially if your baby is a newborn. However, it’s never too early to get a head start on organizing things. When it comes to shelving, you may want to think about moving things closer to your reach both for your own ease of movement and in preparation for your baby’s arrival. Take things off of super high shelves and lower shelves down on the ground in order to keep things within arm’s reach. This may seem a bit tedious, but you will be happy you did it later.
5. Clear Walking Pathways
This one is definitely more for the parents, and you will be happy that you paid attention to this one. Caring for children is often about doing a million things at once, which essentially means that you will always be holding something — that something often being a child! That means that it’s a good idea to clear walking pathways so that you can always see where you’re going and navigate your home easily. You don’t want to trip and fall or drop something important just because there’s too much clutter.
6. Make Sure the Nursery Has Thick Carpeting
Your nursery can be completely fun and fluffy in so many ways, including the floor beneath your feet. Both for the comfort factor and for the safety factor, having some thick and fluffy carpeting beneath your feet can make sure that if you drop anything, it stays protected. Additionally, this can help keep you warm throughout the colder months!
7. Get Rid of Dust
Dust and grime can be serious culprits of allergies, illness, and general irritation. In order to make sure that these things stay out of your life, it’s important to frequently dust, especially in areas where your baby will spend a lot of time. This can seem like a simple enough tip, but I can be extremely helpful to stay on top of.
8. Safety First
Just like any home should have necessary safety precautions, your home definitely needs a little bit of extra love if you plan on bringing a child into it. All of the necessary safety features that professionals recommend you have, it’s safe to say they’re no longer optional. Make sure that you have a fire extinguisher on every floor, a first aid kit handy, and a smoke detector oh that works!
Preparing Your Home for a Baby
There’s nothing more exciting than introducing a little bundle of joy into the world, and when you get your home ready, you can feel truly comfortable as you care for your new baby. Which of these tips do you plan to work on first?
