As your big day draws closer and closer, you’ll have a lot of responsibilities hanging over your head, but one of the biggest projects is preparing the house for the arrival of your newborn. When you get out of the car with your new baby in your arms, you want to know that you’re settling into a comfortable place that has all the necessary materials and precautions to keep you and your baby safe, happy, and healthy. If you want the best ideas you can always find them here.
Here are a few tips about some key considerations you should be making as you prepare for your newborn’s arrival:
Preparing a Nursery
Decorating your newborn’s room is one of the most exciting and memorable things you’ll do in the final months of your pregnancy. It’s a great bonding experience with your partner and family members, and it officially signals you welcoming new life into your house. That doesn’t mean it can’t also be stressful, though!
As you begin to prepare a room, there are several obvious pieces you’ll need: a place for your newborn to sleep, a place to change diapers, and a place to store clothes, bedding, and changing supplies.
When it comes to bedding, here’s a word of advice: your newborn is going to make a mess in there at some point. It’s only a matter of time. One of the best ways to simplify cleanup is to use a firm foam mattress in your baby’s crib. That way, you can pull out the rigid pad neatly and easily, rather than risking sloshing diaper contents or vomit as you clean. For exactly the same reason, you’re going to want several pairs of crib sheets on hand.
How you prepare your changing area will vary slightly depending on if you are using cloth or disposable diapers. Cloth diaper users will want a kit of about three dozen diapers with pins or fastening straps. If you’re using disposable diapers, hopefully you’ve accumulated a stockpile from your baby shower and well-wishing family members. If not, make sure you have a few packs on hand, but don’t buy up the whole store because your baby will be growing fast and you don’t want ill-fitting diapers around. Regardless of which kind of diaper you use, you will also want some sort of resealable pail or container with a lid that you can shut. For cloth diapers, this will serve as your laundry hamper. For disposable users, it’s a trashcan with a cover to control odors.
As exciting as setting up the nursery is, your baby probably won’t be sleeping in there overnight for three to six months. That means you will need to create a sort of “satellite nursery” in your bedroom as well. You need to choose whether you will to bring your nursery crib into the bedroom or use a miniature or collapsible crate for the first few months. You’ll also want to create a space to keep some essentials nearby such as a few emergency diapers and cleaning supplies.
Safety Considerations
Before you welcome your baby home, you need to make sure your house is a safe environment and stays that way. Begin by making sure you have smoke detectors throughout your house, including in the nursery. You should also make sure you have a working carbon monoxide alarm, since babies’ lungs are more susceptible to carbon monoxide poisoning. Even if you already have all these devices in your house, change the batteries and give them a test a few days before your due date, then make sure you change those batteries every six months.
You’ll also want some sort of baby monitoring system so you can be sure your newborn is safe when you’re in another room. There are many different styles of baby monitor currently available, ranging from classic walkie-talkie type devices to tablet apps with a camera function. Whichever monitor style you select, make sure you set it up and test it vigorously before your due date to ensure you know how to use the device itself and any associated software.
Your newborn will be crawling before you know it, so it’s also a good practice to start using childproof locks on cabinet doors and toilet seats as soon as you bring your baby home. Incorporating these precautions early will benefit you and your partner as much as the child by helping you get into the practice of unlocking and resetting them so it’s a snap by the time you really need to start worrying about it.
There’s so much more to having a new child than changing your living space, but if you don’t start there and do a good job before your newborn gets home, you’ll be playing a constant game of catch-up. By setting up a few essentials and planning for safety, you’re setting up both you and your newborn to have a wonderful first few months. Never miss to check the baby registry to fill your home with the best baby goodies.