Tips on Preparing Your Home for a Baby

Despite being one of the most rewarding things you can do, having a baby also comes with a lot of stress. To help take some of those stresses away, it’s essential to get your home prepared before the baby’s arrival. You won’t have to worry about anything around the home when the baby comes by preparing in advance.  

To help ensure you’ve got everything ready before the big day, we’ve created this list of tips on how to prepare your home for your new baby’s arrival. 

Prepare The Nursery

One of the main things on a lot of soon-to-be parents’ minds is the baby’s room. The baby will need someone to sleep, somewhere to put all of their things such as clothes, and somewhere to change their nappies. Although the baby may not spend much time in their room, they will eventually, so it’s best to get this prepared before the baby comes, so you don’t have to worry about sorting it out at a later date. 

Where Will Your Baby Sleep?

The baby will likely be in your room for the first few weeks or months. However, the baby will eventually move into their own room somewhere down the line. It’s important that the baby has somewhere to sleep in their new room when the time comes. 

You should start by preparing a crib in the nursery room. If you need to fit a crib together, it’s best to get this done before the baby’s arrival. Once your crib is together, insert a waterproof mattress pad and a sheet and blanket. It’s quite easy to set up the crib for your newborn, as babies aren’t supposed to have anything in the crib with them until they’re at least one year old. 

Prepare A Changing Station

In the nursery room, you should also set up a changing station so that you can quickly and comfortably change the baby whenever needed. Set up a changing table or mat and ensure you have all of the following items handy:

• Nappies
• Nappy cream
• Wipes
• Hand sanitiser
• Blankets
• Changing table covers
• Baby lotion
• Some toys for distracting the baby while changing

You may also want to set up a second changing table if you plan on spending a lot of time elsewhere. For example, if you’ll be spending a lot of time downstairs, it would be worth creating a second changing station in one of the downstairs rooms so that you’re not running up and down the stairs constantly for changes. 

Make Room For A Feeding Station

Babies tend to eat many times each day, particularly when they’re young. So when you are preparing your home for your baby’s arrival, it’s essential to have effective feeding stations set up. One downstairs in the living room and another in the nursery is a good idea. 

There are a few essential items that you should have in your feeding area, including the following:

• You will need a comfortable chair where you can sit for long periods of time during feeding
• A table is a good idea next to the chair so that you have somewhere to put things down if needed
• A nursing pillow is a good idea as this takes some of the strain off your body when feeding
• You should have several clean burping cloths handy
• If you are breastfeeding, be sure to have all of the necessary tools within reach
• Tissues are handy when feeding for small spillages or leaks
• Keep snacks and drinks handy as you may be sat there for a while, and you will certainly need to stay hydrated throughout the feeding process
• Keep something within reach for you to do while the baby is feeding, such as a book or the tv remote
• In addition to this, you will also need to create space in your cupboards and drawers for spoons, bowls, baby food, bibs, and baby formula milk.

As the baby gets older and stops eating during the night, it may be worth setting up a pumping station in the bedroom so you can pump during the night easily when needed. 

Make Some Changes To The Living Room

The living room is likely one of the main rooms in the house where you’ll spend time with your baby. This is where the baby is likely to often eat, sleep, play, and generally hang out. 

There are a few things you may want to keep in this area, such as a play mat, a bouncy seat, some toys and some games. 

In addition, it’s a good idea to have a feeding station set up in the living room as we’ve mentioned before. 

Prepare the Kitchen

The kitchen is another area that will need a lot of clear space for when the baby comes. If you are using feeding bottles, you will need to ensure you have plenty of storage room for the bottles and other parts. You will also need space for bottle brushes for cleaning and bottle drying racks on your countertops. 

In addition to this, you will also need to create space in your cupboards and drawers for spoons, bowls, baby food, bibs, and formula milk. When you make up bottles and food in advance, you will need to have some free fridge space to store these items.

When your baby is ready to move onto solid foods at around 4-6 months old, you will then need some space for a high chair or some other type of feeding seat. Plus, you will also need room for you to sit down in front of your baby during feeding times as standing can become quite tiresome. 

Gather Things For The Bathroom

You won’t need to do much in the bathroom, but there are a few items you’ll need to gather for when the baby comes. The baby needs to stay clean, so you may need to keep a baby bathtub, some shampoo and soap, towels, and some fresh clothes. It’s also useful to have a few baby bath toys available to keep your baby occupied during bath time. 

As an alternative to a baby bathtub, you may wish to use a bathroom or kitchen sink as a bathtub. However, these don’t provide the same type of support that a baby bathtub does. If you are planning on using a sink as the bathtub, be sure to have all of the essentials listed above close by. 

Sort Out Storage Space

Another thing that you need to consider when preparing your home for a baby is storage space. As we’ve mentioned, you will need to have a lot of extra space to make way for the baby’s things. It’s worth having a good sort out before the due date to get rid of anything that you don’t need or use around the home. This will create extra space for all of the baby’s things when the time comes. 

You should also consider some additional storage solutions such as storage containers for keeping certain items. You may also want to invest in some shelves where you can store additional items. 

Baby-Proof The Home

Before your baby arrives, you should baby-proof your home. Be sure to clear everything away that your baby could possibly choke on. The baby won’t be mobile immediately, but time will pass by quickly, so it’s best to get all of this done before the baby arrives. 

If your home has hard flooring, particularly in the living room or nursery where the baby will be spending a lot of time, it may be worth thinking about having carpets installed instead. Carpets are much softer and safer for small babies who are prone to falls and bumps. Fitting a new carpet is relatively easy and may not cost as much as you think. 

Safety gates are also an essential addition to the home before the baby comes. Your baby will very quickly become mobile, and we all know babies are extremely curious. It won’t be long before your baby discovers the stairs. Install gates at the bottom and top of your stairs to ensure your baby remains safe at all times. 

Clean And Organise The Home

The final step you’ll need to take before the baby comes is to clean and organise your home. Keep on top of keeping your home clean and tidy as you never know; the baby might come early. 

Ensure that everything is packed away so that you don’t have to stress about anything on the day of the arrival.

A deep bacterial clean is also a good idea shortly before the due date to ensure everything is as safe as possible.