How To Prepare Your House For A Baby
As exciting as having a newborn baby may be for parents, it doesn't change the fact that it comes with a lot of responsibilities. Some parents, especially first-time parents, make the mistake of waiting until the child is born before they begin to run around for some crucial items. Many times, by the time the baby comes, it becomes sorely apparent that there isn't enough time.
Newborns are very demanding and need constant attention. Not setting your house in order or preparing a nursery beforehand is a recipe for disaster. It's easy to get burnt out while only caring for the baby; talk more when you have to add emergency errands to your daily schedule.
Preparing for a baby goes way beyond buying diapers or baby food. That and setting up a solid nursery is a good start, but there are fundamentals you mustn't miss. Some lesser-known tips can help you parent like a pro.
In this piece, we'll delve into preparing your home for a newborn, so your experience is a pleasantly memorable one.
How To Prepare Your House For Your Baby's Arrival
Rearrange your home
This should be the very first step, even before you start hunting for baby supplies. Your home will soon be a semi-playground with baby gear and toys that will occupy some precious space. So you must take your time to declutter and rearrange your house, making sure to remove all junk.
Don't just rearrange randomly, but rather have plans for what baby items will be purchased and where they'll be placed. For instance, if you'll be setting up a nursery in your bedroom, create more space there than in other rooms. Not all items may need to be discarded; some may only need to be safely stored until they're needed.
When rearranging your home, it's also important that you optimize the process, especially when you've got all the baby items you need for the child. As much as you're trying to create the perfect environment for your child, you don't want every single room to look like a playground, with toys and baby items lying everywhere. You can use storage baskets, cartons, and chests to conceal some items. Not every room should look like a baby haven.
Stock Up On Supplies
This step cannot be overemphasized. There won't be a lot of time for things like shopping, cleaning, or even cooking once the baby comes. This is why you should get lots of supplies in preparation for the rainy days. Here are some important things to stock on:
● Food Supply: Once the baby arrives, there won't be much time for cooking or going to the store for groceries. In that case, you can stock up on cereals, groceries, frozen meals, and whatever is necessary for the first few weeks. You can also get restaurant gift cards and order meals. When we talk of food supplies for nursing moms, our minds will mostly think of baby food. However, a mother's feeding is just as important as her baby's, especially if the child is still suckling. Hence, food supplies should be available for both mother and child.
● Feeding Bottles, Napkins, and Other Feeding Kits: This is one aspect some parents leave out when stocking for baby supplies. You need to have the necessary feeding kits for your baby. Nothing should be lacking, from feeding bottles to pacifiers, milk storage containers, nursing pillows, breast pumps, and pads. Having these things in place will make feeding your baby easier and more convenient. If you can, get at least two types of feeding bottles and nipples since you don't know what your baby might prefer.
● Toys And Other Baby Kits: You certainly need toys if you want to distract your baby once in a while successfully. You can use that window of time to get some tasks done around the house or take a quick nap. Having a couple of rattles, soft dolls, and squeeze toys around will help keep your baby engaged. It would help if you also bought diapers, babywear, and other essentials.
● Washing and cleaning kits: There will be lots of stains in caring for your baby. A smart move is to have adequate cleaning agents and tools at hand, so you can carry out any emergency cleanups that may arise.
Set Up A Monitoring System
Babies can wander a lot, and sometimes they wander into danger. This is usually the case when they start crawling. It is a smart move to set up some sort of monitoring system that will alert you when your baby approaches danger zones or when he wanders out of the crib. You won't always be there to keep an eye on your toddler, so you need all the help you can get.
Even if you can't afford CCTV cameras or video monitors, a simple alarm would do. For babies that haven't begun to crawl yet, you can get a simple monitoring device that'll alert you when your baby starts crying.
Design A Nursery For The Baby And You
When setting up a nursery, the mistake most people make is that they set it up as though it's for the baby alone, again leaving the mom out of the equation. A nursery shouldn't just be convenient for your baby, but you as well since you'll spend most of your time with the baby. Here are some tips to setting up an ideal nursery for you and your body:
● It Should Be Spacious and Hazard-free: Ideally, a nursery should be spacious, with little or no hazards. If you are using your bedroom as the nursery, make sure you don't place the baby close to any hazards like electrical cords, wall decor, and other things around.
● It Should Be Well Ventilated: Your baby needs fresh air, 24/7. If you can't get sufficient air via the doors and windows, you should opt-in for an ac unit. However, you must go for the quietest ac unit possible, so it doesn't disrupt your baby during nap times with humming noises.
● It Should Be Near You: As you well know, babies need constant attention. This is why your nursery should never be far from your room. If you don't have an entire room to use as a nursery, you can create space in your bedroom, mount the crib, and install other items that'll make your child comfortable. The important thing is that your child is always close to you. Experts even suggest that it is best to set up a nursery next to you in your bedroom. This way, your precious baby will never leave your sight.
● It Should Be Well Organized: Now, this goes beyond being clean or tidy. Your nursery should have the necessary furniture, kits, and storage solutions to provide convenience to you and your baby. Aside from the crib, which is paramount, you need chests to store baby stuff, containers, baskets, bins, and the rest. Having these things in place will make you easily locate items and dispose of waste (used diapers, napkins, etc.) properly.
● It Must Have A Crib: A crib is the most important piece of furniture you need to acquire. It is advisable not to go for metal cribs, as this poses a hazard to the child. Wooden cribs are safer for babies. For versatility, 3-in-1 cribs are recommended for new babies. These types of cribs can be converted to a toddler's bed and a daybed.
Babyproof Your Home
This is the most important project you have to carry out before your baby's arrival. Here, you have to make sure every area in your home is safe for the baby. For this procedure to be truly successful, you have to be meticulous about it.
You may even need to go down on all fours to see all the corners and items that can hurt your baby. This act of babyproofing your home is ideal for when your baby starts crawling.
Here are some things you can do to babyproof your home:
● Put child-safe covers on electrical outlets.
● Employ safety gates to restrict the baby from certain areas like the stairs
● Anchor your furniture to the wall, especially in the nursery
● Install safety locks and latches on cabinets
● Conceal stove knobs
● Install a soft carpet or rug to create a soft landing
● Remove glass objects or keep them far away from the baby.
● Soften or conceal sharp edges of chairs, tables, etc.
● Keep toys and other baby distractions within reach.
● Remove/unhang heavy items from walls, especially in areas where your baby plays.
Preparing your home for your baby may be very tedious, but the rewards are worth it. Once you've baby-proofed your home and set every other thing in order, you can rest easy and spend quality time with your precious baby.
Blog credit via hvacjudge.com