Having a baby will inevitably bring many changes to your lifestyle. While most of them will be exciting, some of them are more likely to make you nervous, stressed-out, sleep-deprived, and all in all, exhausted. However, as with many other things in life, you can reduce all those negative changes by being well prepared. Therefore, if you’re expecting, here are a few things you can do to prepare your home – and yourself – for your bundle of joy’s arrival.
Get the necessary furniture
First of all, needless to say, your baby will need a place to sleep. Whether you choose to merge your baby’s room with your bedroom or give them a room of their own, your baby will still need a comfortable crib. You can also get an extra cradle so they can sleep next to your bed, and you can look into beds that grow with your baby too. Next, all babies use nappies, which need to be changed somewhere. Of course, you can, theoretically, use any flat area for that. However, for convenience and hygiene-related reasons, it’s best to get a nappy-changing station or a changing pad that you can place on top of your baby’s dresser. Additionally, you can also get a baby lounger so you can play and bond with your baby while keeping them relaxed and comfortable.
Don’t forget your own needs
Taking care of your baby all day and getting up in the middle of the night to feed them is going to make you extremely tired. This is why every bit of sleep you manage to get will be much more valuable than ever before. So, get a comfortable, ergonomic pillow, and make sure to upgrade your mattress. Just don’t skimp on the mattress – have no doubt that a good mattress will be worth every penny. Also, a quality king mattress will come in handy when your baby falls asleep while cuddling or when you want to watch your bundle of joy sleep peacefully next to you.
Get enough storage
Having a baby implies having a lot of baby care products, clothes, toys, and, of course, nappies. You can never have too many of those, and as your baby grows, their needs will grow as well. This is why you should think in advance and make sure your baby’s room (or corner) has enough storage options. Moreover, you should keep in mind that most of the gifts you receive from now on will be for your baby. So, no matter how much storage you think you’ll need, you’ll probably need a bit more. Additionally, consider adding a few extra shelves and decorative baskets for all the stuffed toys. Finally, don’t forget that you will need some extra room in your fridge too – first for the milk and formulas, and later for baby food. So, give your fridge a good cleaning and scrubbing, and designate one part of it for your child’s food.
Prepare the rest of your family
With a new baby on the way, everybody needs to be prepared for the changes. So, if you already have a child (or children), depending on their age, you might need to set some rules. For example, they need to know that they always have to be gentle with the new baby and sometimes even share their toys. Also, if you have pets that don’t have any previous experience with babies, it might not be a bad idea to play the sound of a crying baby from time to time, just so the pets can get used to that slowly. After all, they are a part of your family as well, and you want this new experience to be as stress-free as possible for everybody.
Childproof your home
Babies grow overnight and before you know it, your child will be crawling into every room they can get to. Also, it’s better to prepare your home now than later, when you’re sleep-deprived and unfocused. So, don’t wait for your baby to get mobile – childproof and secure your home right away. Secure any furniture that can tip over, cover all electric sockets, and put away all the fridge magnets. Your cleaning products should be locked away out of reach, and you should use magnetic locks for all the cabinets that are closer to the floor. Moreover, if there are any cords on the floor, try to cover them with your carpets and secure them as well as you can with tape. Also, as silly as it might sound, it’s not a bad idea to actually crawl around like a baby and see what you can reach. It might help you notice some things that you would otherwise overlook.
With a new member of the family on the way, you should start preparing for all the changes in your lifestyle. Of course, there will still be many surprises, and it’s impossible to prepare for everything. However, by childproofing your home, getting all the things you need, and making sure you have enough storage, you’ll be more likely to handle those surprises successfully.