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10 Steps To Preparing Your Home for a Newborn Baby

When it comes to preparing for a baby, it’s no exaggeration to say that new parents have a lot on their minds and even more on their must-do lists, from a safe place to sleep to an unending selection of bottles and baby toys. If you can relate, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed by the financial responsibilities that come with parenthood.

Preparing your home ahead of time will assist you to avoid becoming overwhelmed later. There are numerous products that need to be accommodated in your home. Plan out where all of the items will go and how you’ll get them there at least a month before the baby arrives. This way, you’ll be prepared when the baby decides to arrive. Furthermore, you can see everything and it is a good time to try things out this way. You can make suitable changes if anything doesn’t work or if your mind changes. You may not have or utilize certain products right away, but it’s a good idea to think about them and plan for where they’ll go.

10 Steps to Preparing Your Home for a Newborn Baby — *This is a guest post and all opinions are those of the author. This post may also contain affiliate and/or paid links. Rest assured that we only work with companies and individuals that we trust. While some of those companies and individuals may work in the medical field, this post is not intended to be a substitution for medical advice. Always speak to your doctor if you have concerns about your mental or physical health.

It’s never too early or too late to begin making preparations for your new baby. You will be better prepared for your future financial demands if you create a solid foundation before bringing your bundle of joy home.

Before you start planning for your child, you should assess your financial status. If you haven’t already, make a list of your income, expenses, debt, and other financial commitments and begin to assess them. Maintaining a personal budget will help you figure out how you’ll pay for the new baby’s costs and where you should start saving. Don’t forget to set aside emergency savings in case of unforeseen bills or problems. The focus of your personal financial audit should be ongoing over your assets and obligations.

So, let’s get prepared your home for your newborn baby with these 10 steps.

Organize Your Baby’s Room

In the first year of life, a newborn goes through so many stages and changes. At different ages, babies begin distinct stages. So you want to think about and prepare each room in your house for a baby.

The baby will require a place to sleep, store their belongings, and change their diapers. Although the infant may not spend much time there at first, the baby will eventually use its own room.

You need to prepare a room for it, paint the walls, make some renovation and order furniture for your family new member.

Initially, you may want to keep the baby in a bassinet or in your room. It’s all up to you. As long as the infant is safe, do what works best for you and the baby.

In the nursery, prepare the crib. If you need to put one together before the baby arrives, do it well ahead of time. Then, in the crib, place the mattress, waterproof mattress pad, and sheet, and you’re done.

Prepare a Changing Station

Prepare and stock the nursery’s changing table with a variety of things, including the following:

- Diapers
- Wipes
- Cream for diapers
- Hand sanitizer
- Blankets
- Q-tips
- Changing table covers
- Ointment or healing lotion
- A few toys to keep them occupied during the transition.

You may also have another diaper changing station, depending on your home structure.

Prepare the Baby’s Wardrobe

Onesies, pajamas, socks, pants, and outfits should be stored in closets and dressers. Prepare a couple of each item that has been washed and is ready to be worn by the infant. However, because you don’t know what size the baby will be when he or she is born, don’t go overboard with the newborn clothes. It’s a good idea to have a few baby outfits on hand just in case, but retain the tags on a few of them so you can return them if you don’t need them.

5 Important Factors to Consider for Baby Onesies — .

Prepare the Feeding Area

A newborn eats frequently throughout the day, particularly in the beginning. As a result, multiple feeding spaces may be beneficial while preparing your home for a baby. A feeding station in the living room, nursery, and bedroom is required. You can feed the infant in the nursery if he or she wakes up in the middle of the night. You’ll feed them in the living room for the rest of the day.

Items to have on hand at a feeding station include:

- Comfortable chair
- Table
- Boppy to support the baby and make nursing more comfortable for you
- A number of burp outfits
- If necessary, use a nipple shield or other feeding accessories
- Kleenex
- A full jug or cup of water
- Snacks
- The remote, a book, your phone, or something to do while the baby eats, etc.

Prepare Area in the Living Room

With a new infant, this is the location where you will most likely spend the most time. It is the location where the infant will eat, sleep, play, and relax. A swing, floor or play mat, bouncy seat, jumperoo, pack n play, and different toys may be found in this section. Use the information below to create a comfortable space for you and your baby.

Prepare Area in the Kitchen

When it comes to preparing your home for a baby, the kitchen is another place where the baby will require a lot of space. If you’re utilizing bottles, you’ll need to set aside space for the bottles and parts. Your kitchen counter will be taken up by bottle drying racks and grass.

Then there’s the matter of finding storage for bibs, spoons, bowls, cups, baby food, and formula in cabinets and drawers. Made-to-order bottles and food will necessitate some refrigerator space. You’ll need space for a high chair and/or counter space for a bumbo or tabletop seat once your kid is ready for solids. Place items on hard, level surfaces away from the edge and any other potentially dangerous items that the infant might come into contact with.

Prepare Area in the Bathroom

You should maintain a baby tub, baby shampoo/soap, towels, and wash cloths in your bathroom for when the baby needs to be cleaned. When the baby becomes older, he or she will need something to do in the bath, so keep some bath toys on hand. A kitchen or bathroom sink can be used as a baby bathtub as an alternative to a baby bathtub. It simply lacks the necessary backing.

Prepare Area in the Garage

Another area to think about while preparing your home for a baby is the space required in a garage, porch or patio, or outside storage facility. Again, you may not have all of these goods right away, but they will be available soon. Strollers, small cars, toys, bikes, and a wagon will all require transportation.

Ensure Baby Safety at Home

Always consider safety first when preparing your home for a newborn baby. Things should be kept away from window blinds or shades with strings that could suffocate the baby. Place items away from windows where the infant could be exposed to the sun, as well as décor and furnishings that could harm the baby. The kid will not be mobile immediately away, but it will happen quickly, so it isn’t a bad idea to plan ahead.

Things that babies could get into and damage themselves with, such as diverse décor and knick-knacks, vases, and sharp furniture, should be moved and/or put away. Installing locks on kitchen cabinets, covers on outlets, and latches on drawers are some more useful safety precautions. Babyproofing kits for your home are available at stores.

Organize and Clean Your Home

Now that you have all of your baby stuff set up and ready throughout the house, give it a thorough cleaning before the baby arrives. With a new baby, you won’t have the opportunity to do this for a long. Clean up any messes or heaps and return everything to its proper location.

Then, restock on toiletries, paper goods, and other home things as needed. Be sure to stock up on diapers, wipes, and diaper cream with the arrival of your kid.

Preparing your home for baby in advance will make things simpler for yourself during this period. Do not put off getting ready, because he or she might arrive sooner than expected. Rather than panicking near the end of your pregnancy, be prepared and feel in command before the baby takes over.

Author Bio

Bianka Andrews is a financial professional at Instant Loan Online who enjoys writing and photography. Besides creating educational content on her personal financial blog, Bianka is a mother of two who likes to share her experience and challenges of daily parenting life.

4 Things to Do with Outgrown Baby Clothes

Your little one’s wardrobe lives up to the motto “out with the old, in with the new.” As your baby enters new stages, you have to decide what to do with their outgrown clothes. There are many useful ways to repurpose your baby’s outfits. Here are four things you can do with outgrown baby clothes.

Save Clothes for a Future Child

If you’re planning on having another child in the future, consider saving pieces that are in good condition and will keep your child warm and covered. If the clothing is something the baby will wear only around the house, some stains are fine.

Store the clothes in containers under a bed, in vacuum storage bags, or even in diaper boxes. Organize the clothing by size and label the containers so that it’s easy to find the right clothes when you need them.

Keep a Few Pieces for Nostalgia

You might want to keep a few items so that you can look back on specific moments in your baby’s life. Consider keeping clothing associated with important memories, like a fun playdate or get-together with family, or something especially significant, like your baby’s first outfit.

You can store these clothes in a memory box and pull the box out when you want to look at them. Or you can display them in a shadow box with some other sentimental photos or items. Don’t feel compelled to treasure everything your precious baby has ever worn—photos can do the trick, too!

Give Them to People You Know

You can give baby clothes to friends, family, and acquaintances. Seeing a friend’s baby in the clothes your baby once wore can bring you joy, making this a great thing to do with your outgrown baby clothes.

If you need baby clothes again in the future, the people you’ve helped will probably be happy to return the favor. Swapping clothes like this keeps well-loved, functional pieces in the mix while filtering out old clothes and introducing new pieces with minimal cost.

Donate Items to an Organization

You can donate clothes to a charitable organization, nonprofit, or church. These groups will pass on your high-quality items to families in need. While you should check the requirements of your specific donation site, you can also look at general recommendations for donating.

Donate clean clothes in good condition, free of rips and stains. Your facility can also tell you their donation procedures and whether they have a greater need for a particular type of clothing.

Keep It Up!

Like many aspects of motherhood, going through your baby’s outgrown clothing is a task you’ll do more than once. There are many useful places you can send your baby’s old clothes. You’ll avoid getting overwhelmed with clutter by periodically going through your baby’s wardrobe. Ultimately, this will help you reclaim space and focus on your baby’s current adventure.

How To Keep Your Children's Closets Organized

Author Bio

Christina Duron is a writer living in the Chicagoland area. Her passion for writing and mental health help create thought provoking and engaging pieces and hopes to use them to empower mothers and women to embrace the beauty of motherhood.

4 Biggest Benefits of Mobiles for Babies

Baby mobiles have been used since ancient times to capture young infants’ attention and help them fall asleep. Baby mobiles, often above cribs, strollers, and car seats, are more than just décor; they stimulate and entertain your baby. In addition, some kinds of mobiles, such as musical crib mobiles, can aid in their development. If you want to learn more about the perks of mobiles, here are the four biggest benefits of mobiles for babies!

Visual Development

Babies have blurry vision and can’t see objects further than 12 inches away. Since their vision is still developing, newborn babies rely on their other senses, such as hearing.

Musical crib mobiles are a great way to catch your baby’s attention. Babies can’t see well, but they’re so curious that blurry vision won’t stop them from looking for the source of the music. Learning to focus their eyes on a specific item—in this case, the mobile—can help stimulate their sense of vision.

Develop Motor Skills

Musical mobiles are also an effective way to help your baby develop their motor skills. Your baby will start following the musical mobile with their eyes. Soon after, they’ll start following it with their heads, and later, their arms.

If the music mobile has toys attached to it and your child begins to reach for them, that’s a sign that they have started developing fine motor skills! A coordinated hand-to-eye movement is an essential skill that kids need before they can learn to crawl and walk.

Should You Hire a Sleep Training Professional? — .

Promote Sleep

A musical crib mobile playing soothing lullabies or white noise can help your baby relax and fall asleep faster.

You can even develop a bedtime routine for your little one by turning on the crib mobile when you leave the room. Babies love routine, and knowing what’s next makes them feel at ease.

Reduce Boredom

If your crib mobile has toys attached to it, swap them out occasionally. This keeps things new and interesting so that your baby stays engaged.

While a baby mobile isn’t a necessity, most parents consider it a helpful tool for entertaining and soothing their babies. The biggest benefits of mobiles for babies include helping them develop motor skills, soothing them to sleep, stimulating their vision, and offering a source of entertainment.

Author Bio

What to Look For In Your Child’s Bedroom As They Grow Up

A child’s bedroom can be a lot more important to them than they are to an adult. Young people tend to spend far more time in this sort of space than their adult counterparts, with years of their lives spent playing, relaxing, and learning in the room that you create for them.

Of course, though, it’s not always easy to create an environment out of the space you have that encourages healthy development in your children. To help you out with this, this article will be exploring some of the key work that can be done to get more out of your child’s bedroom, all without having to spend a fortune in the process.

What to Look for In Your Child's Bedroom As They Grow Up — *This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate and/or paid links which means that if you click on one of these links and buy a product, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Rest assured that I only recommend products that I love from companies that I trust.

Babies & Toddlers

The first couple of years of a person’s life are crucial to their development. Babies need to be placed into environments that stimulate their minds, help them to learn, and will keep them curious, but you also need to make sure that your child’s bedroom is safe. There are several key areas that should be considered here. Decor doesn’t really matter to babies, as long as they have access to bright colors and interesting shapes. This will quickly change as your little one gets older, though.

Comfort

Babies have to spend a lot of time on their backs when they are first born, and this can often cause issues like sores to form. Comfort is extremely important at this age, making it well worth taking the time to make sure that your little one has furniture and accessories that will keep them feeling as comfortable as possible. Learning about things like different crib mattress sizes can prove invaluable as you go through this, enabling you to make choices that could save a fortune down the line.

Learning & Enrichment

People are often quick to emphasize how well-equipped babies can be for learning, and this is certainly the case. Unlikely older children, though, babies learn passively, and this means that they need to be in an environment that stimulates their mind. Colors and shapes can be used for this, with the decor in your baby’s bedroom being exciting and fun. Alongside this, it can also help to make sure that they are surrounded by toys that they like, with those that they can touch and feel being the best.

Safety

Safety is always a major concern for parents, especially when their little one is a baby. The furniture you choose for children at this age should always be as safe as possible, but this doesn’t stop here. You need to make sure that your baby’s toys are age-appropriate, that furniture is fastened to the walls to avoid any toppling, and that your little one isn’t exposed to anything else that could hurt them as they grow.

Young Children

A child’s needs will always change as they get older. While they may have enjoyed staring at pretty colors and shapes as a baby, their developing mind will soon be far too fast for that sort of thing. Instead, you need to find new ways to make your child’s bedroom stimulating, but you have to be careful to make sure that you don’t go too fast.

There are a lot of great toys on the market that young children will enjoy, with options that have an education angle usually being the best. Of course, though, kids will learn no matter what they play with, with toys like Lego proving that they don’t need much for their imagination to fly. Alongside this, it can also be a good time to start letting your child choose the decor in their bedroom at this stage. Many parents make the mistake of keeping the decor from when their child was a baby, though this can be a mistake that makes your child feel bad about their room.

Older Children

As your child reaches the next milestone, it will be time to start branching out and giving them more choice. Much like being a baby, there are several key areas that need to be kept in mind when you decorating your child’s bedroom. Most parents will be considering giving their children electronic toys at this point in their lives, and this can boost their learning potential even further if the right options are picked.

Toys

Older children may not feel like they need toys, but it will be easy to see how much they rely on items like this even as they approach adulthood. The toys you buy a child at this age need to be far more complicated than those bought for a baby, though, with challenges like puzzles providing great mental stimulation for a young person. Many older children will prefer spending time outside, but this only opens the toy potential even further.

Electronics

Alongside the toys they like, it’s also worth thinking about electronics. Computers can be extremely helpful to a young person when they are at school, giving them access to a wealth of tools and knowledge at their fingertips. Of course, though, these machines can also be dangerous. Video games can be excellent teaching tools, but they can also hinder a child’s education, making it worth balancing this out as much as you can.

Decor

The decor in an older child’s bedroom will always be less important than it is when they are young. In fact, many parents give their children a lot of freedom with their bedroom at this point, enabling them to choose the decor they want. If you haven’t updated this element of a child’s room since they were a baby, it will be crucial that you do it now.

Teenagers

Teenagers are one of the hardest groups to please when you are a parent. While you want to make sure that they have a good bedroom, you will also want to give them plenty of space in life, ensuring that they are able to grow and develop well by themselves. Of course, though, as a big part of this, you will also have to contend with their opinion in this matter, and this can make the whole thing much harder.

Independence

While they may not be an adult yet, teenagers certainly tend to act like they are. They will want to make their own choices when it comes to the way their room looks and works, and this means that you may have to take a step back to ensure that they can create a space that appeals to them. Of course, though, this has to be within reason, and you can even use this as a way to teach your child about moderation and spending.

Privacy

Alongside being independent, teenagers will also need privacy in their bedroom. Some parents will go as far as installing locks on their child’s door at this stage in their life, but simply making a habit out of knocking on the door can be enough. Alongside this, they also need their bedroom to be a good place to work as they go through their final years at school. Noisy distractions should be avoided, and you should make sure that your teenager is in a room that has enough space for them.

Furniture

Teenagers will often hold little value in things like furniture, but this only means that you have to work harder to make sure that they have what they need. They will be the size of an adult by now, and this means that they will need a bed, desk, and chair that suits their frame, along with having other pieces that help them to keep their room clean and tidy. Thankfully, you don’t really have to worry about attaching their furniture to the walls at this age.

Home Life

Most living situations aren’t ideal, with every family having aspects of their lives that they would rather keep behind closed doors. Of course, though, you can’t let the chaos of family living get in the way of your child’s education. Arguments, loud music, and other regular disruptions could have a long-term impact on your child that lasts much longer than their bedroom. Many parents choose to work hard to push this issue in the other direction. By offering support and always being there for your children, you can ensure that they do the best they can in school and with their future work.

With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to build your child’s bedroom into something that will help with their education as they go into the future. Of course, this isn’t just about making sure they like their bedroom; you also need to work hard to give them an environment that makes it easy to learn and develop.

How To Safely Decorate Your Nursery

If you’re like a lot of expecting moms today, one of your favorite parts of pregnancy is getting to decorate the nursery. Inspiration abounds for creating an Instagram-worthy space. Will you go minimalist, traditional, modern, or a little bit of everything? Do you want to choose a theme of woodland animals, or do you want to emphasize layers of neutrals?

Whatever the case, planning the baby’s room offers a perfect nesting opportunity and lets you showcase your own personal style. The only problem? Decorating typically starts with paint, and paint fumes can be bothersome for pregnant women.

If you’re itching to breathe new life into the nursery but hesitant about paint exposure, you’re not alone—but there’s good news. You can totally transform a former guest room or office into a nursery without any harsh chemicals involved. How? To find inspiration for safe possibilities to set up the perfect nursery space, keep reading.

Alternative Ways To Create Beautiful Walls

While paint transforms a room, so do lots of other decorating tools, including those without harmful ingredients. To beautify the walls of your baby’s room, consider these great alternatives:

Large artwork

Find a print or painting large enough, and you can make a major decorating statement in the baby’s room. Oversized art is not only perfect for injecting your taste into a room, but it’s also a natural way to cover walls you can’t paint.

Removable wallpaper

Today’s modern wallpaper designs go far beyond your grandma’s vintage style. They also can be removable, allowing for you to easily switch up the décor down the road as your baby grows.

A hanging tapestry

Not only can a tapestry impart an elegant or bohemian vibe to a room, but also its woven quality adds to the layers of texture in your décor.

Decals

Removable decals make it possible to accessorize walls with anything from star shapes to animal images to gold polka dots.

A large gallery wall

Similar to the idea of large artwork, a collected gallery of pictures visually functions as a unified whole. It’s also a great way to turn your favorite images, from treasured family photos to meaningful art pieces, into a nursery focal point.

Any of these ideas is a smart, paint-free way to decorate the nursery walls. That said, you can set a nursery’s style without having to hang anything. If you want to skip working the walls entirely, look for decorating options in other parts of the room.

Thinking Beyond Wall Decorating

Another way to skip the paint problem is to focus your decorating attention elsewhere. Create a show-stopping nursery with a different kind of focal point or color feature, be it a showpiece crib or custom curtains. Here are some possibilities you might enjoy:

A large rug

Whether you want to go soothing neutral or bold color, a large rug offers potential for grounding all the rest of your design. Shop around for a style you’re crazy about, and let it dictate decisions for the rest of the room.

Eye-catching window treatments

Few features elevate a room’s style like drapes. One way to decorate the nursery without paint is to focus on the window treatments. Dress your windows with full and fashionable curtains and transform the space.

Cloud and Stars Baby Girl Room Curtains Nursery Curtains image 0 — CuteTinyTr on Etsy

Colorful furniture

Wall color isn’t the only way to define a nursery’s color scheme. Consider brightly colored furniture, such as a painted dresser, a color in a compelling hue, or a bookcase displaying rows of children’s books as if they’re artwork.

Textiles

Throw pillows, blankets, crib sheets, or layered rugs all create coziness and comfort in a room, making them perfect for a baby’s space. In terms of style setting, they also come in all kinds of colors and patterns to suit every taste.

Getting ready for a new baby involves all kinds of decisions, but when it comes time to decorate the nursery, it should be fun! If you’re looking to revive a room without painting, use the ideas above to create a room you’re jazzed to give your little one.

Author Bio

Excited to share her love of home design and décor with readers, Jaclyn Crawford started with ImproveNet in 2016. As a staff writer, she enjoys chronicling the latest trends and ways you can make your home the loveliest it can be. You may also find her in ImproveNet videos, sharing tips and trends for your home.

The Importance of Having a To-Do List for Expecting Parents

Your entire life changes the moment you find out you’re pregnant. While the change can be exhilarating, it can also be overwhelming for first-time parents. When tasks at a job or school seem monumental, it helps to break them down into manageable steps. In the same way, although you can’t foresee all the twists and turns of your pregnancy, having a to-do list for expecting parents can help you cut back on stress.

Switch up Your Diet

What you put into your body will impact your baby’s health, so it’s good to reconsider what you eat from the moment you find out you’re pregnant. For instance, you should start avoiding undercooked foods, unwashed vegetables, and alcohol and start stocking up on nutrient-rich foods. Some go-to pregnancy foods include:

- Dairy
- Lean meats
- Sweet potatoes
- Cooked Eggs
- Dark, leafy vegetables and other iron-rich foods

Along with that, do your research to find alternatives to medications you shouldn’t take while pregnant. You’ll especially want to research medications that target morning sickness and other pregnancy symptoms.

8 Pregnancy Diet Tips for Growing a Healthy Baby — .

Start a Log

Documenting your journey should be first on the to-do list for expecting parents. Your symptoms will change throughout your pregnancy, from morning sickness to body aches to swelling in your ankles or hands. While these are perfectly normal, it’s good to keep track of your symptoms throughout your pregnancy. This way, if something does occur that is out of the ordinary, you will be able to pinpoint exactly when the symptoms started. Along with that, writing them down helps relieve some of the mental stress of your physical symptoms.

Prepare for Parental Leave

As a parent, you are entitled to a parental leave of at least four weeks in the U.S. For some, the idea of taking so much time off work can be stressful, so start planning your leave well in advance. Make sure to add this to the to-do list for expecting parents. Research your company’s policies, then talk to your employees or coworkers about what your leave will look like. If you delegate tasks for your absence, the transition will be smoother, and you will be able to focus more on your time with your baby.

How to Make a Postpartum Plan for a Smooth Recovery — .

Set up the Nursery

You don’t want to put off setting up your nursery for too long. The further into your pregnancy you get, the harder it will be to offer help with the design process, and paint VOCs can linger in the air for weeks. You don’t have to overthink the nursery’s design. Start practical by making sure your crib bedding is safe and babyproofing any cabinets. Then look at the decor. If you’re waiting to hear about the baby’s gender, you can focus on a gender-neutral theme or color scheme.

Pro Tip: Stock up on diapers! On the fence about whether to use cloth or disposables? Consider using eco-friendly bamboo diapers and wipes from EcoPea. They’re the best of both worlds.

Breathe

Perhaps the most important item on the to-do list for expecting parents is to simply relax. As much as you want to make sure everything is perfect for your new baby, you also need to be intentional about taking time to rest. A well-rested parent is better for the baby, after all. And as you relax, remind yourself that ticking every box off a new parent to-do list doesn’t determine whether you’re a good mother or father. You do.