How To Prepare For Your Baby - Tips for First time Mothers

Getting your home ready for your new baby? Here are some pointers on how to manage those nesting instincts when they kick into overdrive mid-second trimester, and make sure the house is as safe as it is charming for your new bundle of joy.

Arrange the nursery

Probably the most fun an expectant mother can have when it comes to nesting is getting the baby’s room ready but, it’s easy to get caught up in the “adorable” mobile and the “sweet” hundredth set of crib bedding, and end up overlooking the nursery necessities. 

Make sure you have the following things before purchasing more decorative elements:

·   Crib or bassinet

·   Baby bedding

·   Blankets (2-3 to alternate when one’s in the wash)

·   Diapering supplies (diapers, baby wipes, rash ointment)

·   Diaper pail with liners

·   Changing table

·   A baby bath tub

·   Night light

·   Baby monitor

·   Rocking chair or glider

·   Chest of drawers for baby clothes

Other things you will need around the house include:

·   Baby bathtub

·   High chair

·   Baby Swing

·   Stroller

·   Car seat

These are the major furnishings and accessories necessary to prepare your house for a baby. Of course, more items like baby thermometers and medications are needed to make sure your house is thoroughly stocked. Use this checklist to make sure you have all your necessities.

Clean house

You won’t have the energy or the time to chase away dust bunnies or scrape that film off the shower door once the baby arrives. 

Do a thorough once over when you’re able to stomach it after the morning sickness has passed and before you’re unable to touch your toes (but still, leave the heavy-lifting and any major scrubbing to someone else).

Things to pay attention to while you’re cleaning include paint that includes lead. Some older homes may still have paint with lead, so get someone to strip the old paint from the walls and wood. 

If you are repainting rooms (or having someone else repaint while you supervise), make sure those rooms are well ventilated and that non-toxic paint is used.

Another thing to pay attention to while cleaning is what types of cleaners you are using.  You don’t want to expose yourself and your unborn child to powerful chemicals.  

Be sure to follow directions on the labels carefully and that when using the cleaners, to make sure the area is well ventilated. Ideally, use natural cleaners when applicable (baking soda and vinegar, for example).  

If you have a cat, pregnancy is a time to turn the litter box duties over to someone else.  Cat poop can carry a parasite (toxoplasmosis) that causes serious birth defects. 

  

And finally, an important detail that are easy to overlook in the hubbub of decorating the nursery and deep-cleaning the house: washing all the baby clothes, crib bedding, towel, washcloths, bibs, burpies, etc. in gentle, hypoallergenic detergent before using.

Here is another great checklist to use when making sure you have all your baby-proofing bases covered.

Create your own freezer meals

This tip is less about the physical space, but more about making sure your house feels like home during the months after birth. 

During your last month of pregnancy, if you’re able to cook, try to cook double what you normally make for meals and freeze portions for later. 

Enlist help from your husband or friends and family in cooking up large batches of food for freezing. Use freezer-safe bags and containers for easy storage (and clean-up!) and be sure to label each for quick identification. This way you can have home-cooked meals even right after you bring the baby home and are too exhausted to cook. 

Do your best to not move around furniture and other items too much in the last month of your pregnancy as you don’t need the additional stress of locating misplaced items or bumping into furniture that previously were elsewhere. 

Follow these tips to have a happy, healthy home to come back to with your new baby.

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About The Author:

Marcela De Vivo is the founder of Gryffin Media, and an accomplished online marketing professional with expertise in social networking, search marketing, and web analytics. She is the proud mother of 3 beautiful children for whom she has designed three unique bedrooms. 

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