Preparing Your Home For a New Baby

So you’re expecting a baby! Congratulations! There will be so much you now have to think about, and we’re not just talking about potential names! One of these things is preparing your home. But how to do this, and what is it exactly you need to be doing? Here are five important ways that you should prepare your house for your new bundle of joy! 

Create Your Nursery

First, the Nursery. If you’re lucky, you’ll already have lots of space in the home, or a room set aside for this exact purpose.

If you don’t have the room, think of ways you can make it. Could you transform your en suite into a nursery? This would be very handy as it would mean the nursery was right by your bedroom. If you have an office upstairs, could you move this to the shed in the garden? Wherever you do decide to make the babies nursery, don’t forget to think about sound. You don’t want them being woken up when they finally drop off to sleep! Avoid bedrooms at the front of the house, if possible. The sound of people arriving at your home –  guests or the postman, might travel up to their room, or road noise too.

Once you have a spare room, it’s time to get to work. Thanks to the internet there are loads of resources out there to help you design and develop your dream nursery. This article on the topic from Baby Centre has a great piece of advice for decorating; “Think child-like, not childish.”

Then there is the nursery furniture. You’ll need to decide on what sort of bed you want, be it a crib or a Moses basket, or something else. You’ll also need a wardrobe, and if you can, a bookshelf is nice for storing gifts, keepsakes and mementoes on. You can also pop your baby monitor here. Also, keep your digital camera here to capture any special, impromptu moments!

Free Up Some Space

We all save and store away items in our homes that we don’t really need. If space is an issue in your home, move your lesser used items into external storage. Space Maker Self Storage is one such company you may want to consider. You could store away the things you only use once or twice a year; like your Christmas tree and decorations, for example. Self storage is ideal because it allows you to come and go whenever you like, and extend your rental time if you need to.

Make Your Furnishings Safe

So, thinking about when your little baby is a bit older, you might not realise how many things in our home can be dangerous to babies and young children. We all know to cover sharp corners, but what about everything else? Take dishwashers, for example. They seem pretty innocent, right? Wrong! Once your baby starts crawling, if they get inside they will have access to knives, forks and dangerous chemicals. Parents.com has an entire section on babyproofing. Have a browse and you’ll find some handy hints and tips.

Also, think carefully about rooms that you can get distracted easily in. The kitchen is a prime example of this. Make sure that if you turn your back for a second, your baby will keep safe.

Be aware that as the baby grows, you will need to constantly re-evaluate different dangers.

Do A Deep Clean

A couple of months before baby is due, think about doing a thorough deep clean of your home. Get the help of friends and family if you need to! Babies are far more prone to infections that we adults are, as their immune systems are so much more delicate. You can relax after baby arrives knowing everywhere is super clean and bacteria free!

Think about Future Jobs

While you might be exhausted through pregnancy, you will be once you give birth too. Think about big jobs in the house that will need to be done within the first year of your baby being born. If possible, do them now. So, if you need to replace your roof or refit your kitchen, for example, stop putting if off. While it will be tough to manage whilst you are pregnant, you’ll be so glad you’ve done it! This also means that you’ll have more invaluable time with your baby when he or she arrives. 

If you manage this little lot, you will be super ready for your little bubba when they arrive. Have you any tips to add for preparing your home for a new baby?