20+ Things to Get Done at Home Before Your Baby is Born

Preparing to welcome your baby can be a very sweet yet equally busy time. There are so many things to be done, and some of them you would never even consider.

But don’t worry because we’re here to help you get everything done just in time. Take a look at these 20 plus things you should do before the baby arrives.

1.     Safety measures

It goes without saying that having a baby means baby proofing your whole house. Yes, it will take some time before your baby actually begins to crawl and explore, but why postpone something that can be done now? And before you know it your baby will be crawling all around the house (at around 6 to 10 months).

Baby proofing your home implies many different things but let’s start from installing things like smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors or if you already have those, check and change their batteries. Then, get yourself a fire extinguisher and learn how to handle it.

Cover all sharp furniture edges and corners, get non-slip pads under rugs. Safety plugs must be blocking all your open outlets! Lock and close all cabinets, drawers, and doors that your baby can easily reach.

2.     You’ll be using your kitchen even more from now on

Yup, the kitchen is another place in your home that will need a bit of reorganization. Additional baby things will need a place in the kitchen, those things include bottle rack, baby food makers, bowls and pacifiers. Even your fridge will need some reorganization.

Baby milk and formula will need to be stored in the fridge. Later, you’ll be adding baby food in that same fridge so it definitely might get cramped in there if you don’t clean it out on time.

Oh, and the baby chair also might need to be placed in the kitchen, so it would be nice if that too had enough space to be fit in there.

3.     Paying all bills and other things before baby comes

Prepaying bills before your baby comes can be a great idea. This is a genius way to avoid thinking about bills and when they are due for payment because you’ll be preoccupied with other things like giving birth or taking care of the baby.

This can be easily done all you need is to check with your bank to see if you can pre-pay all your bills or they can automatically withdraw money from your account in order to pay the bills.

This period before the baby comes is when you’ll be spending large amounts of money in order to prepare to receive your baby in the right way.

Money may become a problem at a certain point. To avoid running out of money, think about a loan. But not just any lone, the loan with low personal loan rates would be ideal.

This way you can borrow a loan and be sure that you’ll have low rates and you can easily track and manage your loan. A great way to prepare for your baby’s arrival and not worry about money!

4.     Get the nursery ready

Designing and getting your baby’s nursery ready is an exciting task. You can be as creative as you want when designing a nursery. If you’re going to be painting or placing wallpaper the nursery walls, make sure all this is done at least eight weeks before the baby arrives so that you don’t expose your baby to harmful fumes.

Once that is done, you can think about purchasing the basinet and the crib and other nursery furniture. When you have all that done, you can put them all together and see which layout works best for you.

5.     Stock up on all the necessary baby items

You’d be surprised how much stuff you need to buy before the baby arrives. But don’t stress, you’ve got enough time.

It’s time to stock up in things like diapers, baby wipes, clothes, blankets, and even baby clothes. Also, let’s not forget bottles, pacifiers and teething rings and other very useful items.

6.     Stock up on household items

There will be a lot of stocking up, so be prepared! Once the baby comes, the last thing you’ll want to think about is whether you have enough toilet paper or maybe you’re running out of toothpaste. So, the best way not to have to think about any of this is to stock up on household items.

Toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, toothpaste, laundry detergents, and other similar items should be stocked up in your utility and laundry room so you won’t have to worry about those, too.

The laundry detergent you choose should be appropriate for your baby’s skin. So, there’s another thing you’ll need to think about from now on.

7.     Stuff to stock up on for yourself

Moms too should be ready. Getting all done and ready before the baby comes can be quite overwhelming and confusing at times. And among all that confusion you can forget to actually think about yourselves (yes, we’re talking about you, moms).

Before the baby comes, you also should have all the essentials handy and ready for use. You’ll be needing things like afterbirth pads and comfortable underwear. Stock up on shampoos and conditioners as well as shower gels or soap-bars (you’ll need a lot of those).

8.     Invest in comfortable maternity clothes

Logically, what follows is also buying comfortable maternity clothes. We already mentioned comfortable underwear, but that’s not where this ends. You’ll need a bunch of nursing bras, leggings, large shirts, mom jeans, oversized dresses and clothes in general. Basically, anything that makes you feel comfortable.

Oh, and let’s not forget shoes. Mostly, all pregnant women settle on one type of shoes and those are sneakers. Your feet are bound to swell during your pregnancy and wearing uncomfortable shoes is not the solution. That’s why wearing footwear that provides you comfort and stability is the best kind of footwear.

9.     Keep a pregnancy diary

Through this emotional period of your life, keeping a pregnancy diary is a very convenient and beneficial thing to do. Some of the benefits of keeping a diary include the better organization of your time because the pregnancy period is known to be a bit difficult on your organization and concentration skills.

Also, keeping a diary will help you relieve stress. Writing down things that bother you or things that are on your mind is a good outlet. Similarly, a diary is a good way to keep track of your pregnancy and to write down your goals and expectations.

And ultimately, journaling your pregnancy journey can be a beautiful memory.

10.     Baby diaper bags

Having several baby diaper bags ready can save you a lot of headaches. With a diaper bag ready, you won’t have to run around the house looking for baby stuff.

So, before the baby comes, have at least three baby bags somewhere around the house. One should always be in the car!

11.     Get your own bedroom baby ready

In the first couple of weeks or even months, you’ll want to have your baby as close as possible to you. For this reason alone, you should get your own bedroom baby ready. This means that you should put the baby bassinet right next to your bed.

Arrange everything so that you have room to circulate around the bed and the bassinet. Also, make sure your nightstand is free of unnecessary stuff and that you have everything baby-related within a hand’s reach.

12.     Get your car baby ready

Getting your car baby ready is very important as your baby’s first car trip will be from the hospital to your house. So, it’s a smart idea to get the car ready to roll even before the baby is born.

The first thing is to thoroughly inspect your vehicle. Do the necessary repairs to make sure everything is safe enough to have your baby inside. Then, buy a good baby car seat and install it in the car according to your country’s regulations. For added security, you can purchase a baby care kit – basically, baby essentials such as diapers, bottles and wet wipes, and so on.

13.     Pack a hospital bag

Be sure to do this well before you’re due because you won’t have the time to think about this once your labour starts. A hospital bag should contain toiletries, a robe, towels, comfy clothes, nipple cream and whatever else you feel you might need during your stay at the hospital.

14. Pre-wash baby clothes

Don’t forget to wash all the baby clothes you bought or got as a present. Also, don’t forget to wash the sheets, blankets, towels and other things your baby will come in contact with.

This includes doing your laundry, too – comfortable clothes, underwear, and similar essentials.

15. Buy nursing stuff

Breastfeeding supplies are necessary, so don’t forget to stock up on those too. You’ll be needing anything from nursing pads to comfortable nursing bras and even milk storage bags. Oh, and absolutely essential – a breast pump. You’ll be needing that one for sure.

16. Read about pregnancy and baby care

It never hurts to read a book about pregnancy, childbirth or baby care. You can learn a bunch of interesting and useful stuff in there. So, make sure you have a couple of those just to inform yourself on how the things work.

17. Choose the right crib mattress

You can even imagine how important it is to have the right crib mattress. It’s of utmost importance for the baby’s health. So, when choosing the mattress make sure it is firm enough, that it’s made of right materials and that it’s a good size.

Additionally, make sure you get a mattress protection sheet – waterproof one would be great. Once you buy the right mattress, make sure you clean it and you wash the sheets before you put everything together.

18.     Baby changing station

The baby changing station should be ready and organized before the baby arrives. This means that you should have a changing table that has enough storage space. This is the place where all the baby essentials will be stored away, so it only makes sense that you buy a big enough changing table.

19.     Baby monitor

A baby monitor is a convenient little gadget that every house that is getting ready to receive a baby should have. The baby monitor is a radio system used remotely to monitor the sounds of your child.

It consists of a transmitter with a microphone, which you place near the baby’s crib. The other part of the monitor is called the receiver that has a speaker and that transmits the sounds made by the infant. This little gadget is highly convenient as you can hear your baby crying from anywhere in the house.

Similarly, there is a baby cam gadget too. This gadget has a video camera that shows you exactly what your baby is doing at any time.

20.     Garbage disposal

This time is perfect to stock up on garbage bags, and a bunch of them, because you’ll need them. Also, make sure you have a good garbage bin right next to the changing table.

And a hand sanitizer, have a hand sanitizer ready and within the hand’s reach. You’ll be reaching for one more often than not!

21.     Light blocking curtains and a fan

When designing and arranging the nursery, something that probably won’t come to your mind immediately, but is very useful are light-blocking curtains and a fan.

These type of curtains will be life-savers when baby needs to sleep during the day. Similarly, a fan can provide a room with enough ventilation, which can be very convenient for your baby’s health.

22.     Rocking chair – you’ll need it

Another piece of furniture that will be absolutely necessary and extremely convenient. A great thing to invest in is a good rocking chair. The rocking chair will be your best friend when you’re trying to put your baby to sleep or when feeding her.

Source: https://www.landofnod.com/bakersfield-rocking-chair/s440675

That’s why make sure to choose a nice and comfortable rocking chair that comes with a nice nursing pillow.

23.     Cook meals and freeze them

Let’s face it, once you and the baby come home the last thing you’ll be thinking about is cooking lunch. So, unless your partner is a great cook (good for you then!) the best thing you can do is prepare and cook meals in advance and then freeze them. This way you’ll have lunch ready, all you’ll need to do is heat it up.

Are you feeling overwhelmed yet? No worries, you have enough time to get all this done. Just stay calm, take a couple of deep breaths and start your baby prep journey.