The Ultimate Home Preparation Guide For Expectant Parents

Finding out that you’re an expectant parent is a totally life changing experience, whether it’s your firstborn or you’re simply expanding your family. Being a parent is a huge responsibility that takes considerable thought and planning, and there are many important adaptations that you need to make to accommodate your baby’s arrival. Thankfully, figuring out how to adapt your family home ready for your newborn need not overwhelm you, as this guide includes everything you need to know to prepare for your little one in no time at all. So, if you’re interested in finding out more about how to prepare your property as an expectant parent, then read on to uncover a variety of handy hacks and top tips that you can utilize today! 

Stock Up On Baby Essentials

One of the first steps that you should take to prepare your home for your baby is to stock up on all of the most essential items that you’ll need on a daily basis. It’s much more difficult to get out and head to the store when you have a newborn to take care of, so having easy access to a cupboard full of the things you use most frequently will make the first few weeks and months far easier to manage. There are lots of different items that the average parent can expect to need for their baby, including hygiene products such as nappies, baby bath foam and wet wipes, medicines such as nappy rash cream and products for yourself like sanitary towels and pain relief. It can be a real nightmare finding out that you’re on your last nappy when the stores are closing in 10 minutes, so it’s much better to get your stock ready beforehand to make sure you don’t find yourself in an emergency situation! Don’t worry if you’re not too sure of what baby essentials you will need, as there are hundreds of different resources online and in book form that you can make the most of to begin your preparations. 

Create A Comfortable Nursery 

Creating a comfortable nursery should be your next priority, as your baby will begin to need their own space after their first few months inside you and your partner’s bedroom. Designing a nursery is so much fun, as you get to experiment with the style and let your creative juices flow to make something inspiring. You can choose to follow a trend such as one of these 13 gender-neutral nursery ideas for a stylish and cozy space, or just make it up as you go along by sourcing items as and when you find them! The color scheme that you choose to use inside your baby’s new nursery can have a big influence on the atmosphere of the room, so it’s a good idea to opt for soft, calming colours rather than overpowering tones like bright red. There are lots of important furniture items that you and your baby will need inside their new nursery, so start by making a list of the things that you have to purchase. This might include a cot, a changing table, clothing storage such as a wardrobe and toy storage to organize their games and entertainment. You can source these items from a variety of different locations, including specialist mother and baby stores, thrift stores or second hand shops and online marketplaces, and you can even choose to make some furniture from scratch by following a DIY tutorial to create some totally unique decor! Don’t worry if you don’t have a huge amount of cash to splash on your baby’s nursery (being an expectant parent is expensive!), as they simply need to be safe and comfortable in their new surroundings. 

Baby-Proof Your Home 

Your final priority when attempting to prepare your family home for the arrival of a newborn is baby proofing, as you have to make the space as secure as possible to make sure they will not be put in harm’s way. It’s important to remind yourself that everything is totally new for your baby, and they’re completely unaware of the potential risks and dangers that lurk around every corner. The responsibility is on you as the expectant parent to make a conscious effort to reduce these risks, allowing your baby to explore and investigate to their heart’s content. You can’t spend every waking second watching your baby to make sure nothing bad will happen to them, but you can take extra steps to remove the things that could do them serious damage. For example, removing objects placed on top of side tables and other small and unsteady units should be your first port of call. If your little one were to crawl into the table and cause it to shake and topple over, you don’t want the situation to be even worse by having a vase or statue fall down with it. Additionally, taking the time to cover up any sharp corner or edges that could pose a danger to your baby is recommended, as hitting their head against the corner of a chest of drawers will be extremely painful and upsetting for both you and your baby. Using foam attachments, bubble wrap or any other similar material to cover up sharp edges will give you peace of mind. You may also wish to invest in a healthy stock of plug covers that hide all electrical outlets within your home, as little fingers can easily make their way inside such spaces and risk electrocution. Locking away any cleaning chemicals that you have in your home should be your last focus, as such products are commonly stored beneath sinks in easily accessible places. Keep laundry detergent, bleach and any other chemical formulas in an unreachable cupboard that’s backed up with a child-safe lock for ultimate protection. 

Preparing your home for the arrival of a newborn has never been so simple when you can take the time to utilize some of the brilliant recommendations and ideas that have been carefully described above. There’s no time like the present to start getting ready to bring your little one home, so what are you waiting for?