5 Tips for Preparing Your House Before the Baby is Born
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Guest Post: Tot Squad
Bringing a baby into this world is stressful enough without having to think about all there is to do to prepare your house. From getting the nursery ready with furniture and a baby monitor to baby proofing every room, here are some things to keep in mind that you may not have thought of before.
1. Deep clean
I’m sure it’s difficult to imagine being down on your hands and knees deep cleaning the house at 9 months pregnant. But no one said you had to be the one to do it! Your spouse can help, you can enlist the assistance of a group of friends to tackle the job, or you can hire a company to come in and do it for you.
However, deep cleaning the house will make you feel so much more at ease about bringing new life back home from the hospital. You’ll feel at peace about germs, or lack thereof. Not to mention, once your little one is home, they’ll be closer to the floor than you are on a pretty regular basis.
It’s going to be difficult to keep up with cleaning, especially in the first few weeks, so having a good deep clean done before the baby comes will help a lot until you can get back into a routine.
2. Prep food
You’re also not going to feel much like cooking in the first few weeks after returning home, so prepping meals can go a long way toward keeping your new family fed and healthy. Make some crock pot freezer meals or some things that will be easy for your spouse to toss in the oven for you.
This can be a fun activity for you and your friends to do together, or something that you can do months in advance. Freezer meals will last for at least a year in the freezer, so there’s no need to worry about waiting until the last minute.
You may also be able to rely on a care calendar or a few drop offs in the days or weeks following delivery. Friends and family love an excuse to come see the new baby, so bringing a meal by is the least you can let them do.
3. Stockpile essentials
You’re not going to want to go to the grocery store for at least a week or two, and maybe more. Make sure every room of your house is stocked with the essentials. That means toilet paper, tissues, coffee, diapers, blankets, books, and everything else you need to feel comfy.
You may need your spouse to run out for a quick recovery bagel or a pint of ice cream, and satisfying the occasional craving is okay, but to run out of something you should have thought of beforehand is a waste.
4. Bathroom recovery survival kit
The hospital will equip you with almost everything you need to bring home, but take it from someone who’s been there before - you’re going to want to stash some things in your bathroom for the first week or so.
We’re talking giant pads, disposable underwear that are a size or two too large (and stretchy), Tucks healing pads (aah, sweet relief), Dermoplast pain relieving spray, Epsom salt for a sitz bath, a peri-bottle for a warm water spray, and some medicated cooling pads.
While you’ll come home with some, it’s often not nearly enough, depending on your birthing experience, and you’d rather have too much...believe me. You can always gift the extra to another expecting mom. She’ll be grateful.
5. Prepare your living room
Believe it or not, you’ll be spending the majority of your time in the living room. Sure, you’ll attempt to put your baby to sleep in your room or their nursery, but you’ll be up multiple times a night, and during the day, you’ll want to at least try to simulate being awake to get them on a schedule.
The living room, den, or another room in your house that you designate will be where you spend the most time being awake. There are several things you can do to make it a safe and enjoyable place for both of you to spend time.
Baby proof the space to make sure that when your little one starts moving around, they can’t get into things like outlets and cabinets.
Also create a breastfeeding and changing station so that you won’t have to keep going back and forth between the living room and their nursery. You’re already tired enough.
A designated tummy time spot is a great idea as well, because you’ll want them to begin strengthening their neck muscles. Equip the room with toys and books that your 0-3 month old will enjoy and you’ll be able to entertain them until you return to work or until you have the energy to switch out the toys with something for an older infant.
Make sure you have a baby wrap at home, too, because baby wearing while you’re at home and while you’re nursing is a joyous experience. Babies love being close to you and it frees up your hands to continue to do things while keeping your baby with you all the time.
Final Thoughts
Nesting is a normal feeling that every expecting mom gets, especially as it gets closer and closer to time for the baby to come. However, these things may be unconventional or things a first time parent may not think of.
Hopefully these tips help you prepare your house for a coming baby and you’ll be more ready than ever to enjoy your newborn without worrying about anything else!
This post is shared with permission from Tot Squad, your trusted providers for support with breastfeeding, sleep, nutrition, feeding and car seat safety.
Author Bio: Cristin Howard runs Smart Parent Advice, a site that provides parenting advice for moms and dads. Cristin writes about all of the different ups and downs of parenting, provides solutions to common challenges, and reviews products that parents need to purchase.