Preparing your home for a new baby might feel like a stressful time and can leave expecting mums feeling at a loss. It is normal for expecting mums to feel overwhelmed in the weeks or even months leading up to your baby’s arrival. If you’re unsure on where to start then take a look at our guide to help you prepare your home ready for when the baby comes.
Clean
When you enter the ‘nesting’ stage of your pregnancy, you will find yourself wanting to clean and tidy your home. Deep clean throughout your home, vacuum, dust, mop and anti-bac everything, pay close attention to heavy traffic areas such as door knobs, light switches and remonte, they tend to hold the most bacteria. If you are doing the cleaning yourself ensure you wear gloves to stop any harsh chemicals touching your skin and try not to strain yourself. For a treat why not hire a professional cleaner, this way you know it is done professionally and you can just sit back and relax.
You should also start to think about cleaning your baby’s new clothes and bottles. Pre-washing your babies clothes whether they are hand-me-downs or brand new is always a good idea as you never know what chemicals or dust particles might irritate your baby’s skin.
Open Windows
It is a good idea to air out your home before you come back from the hospital. Having the windows open will help you ventilate the air leaving it feeling fresh. Allowing fresh air in from outside will also improve the air quality within your home. If you have been cleaning or painting it will help clear out all the harsh chemicals that are left in the air.
Finish Any Building Or Decorating Work
If you are redecorating or renovating your home, it is important to complete the works before the newborn comes. Building and redecorating allow harsh chemicals and dust to enter the air and you don’t want anyone breathing that in especially a newborn. It can also be a hazard leaving unfinished work or tools around the house. If you are in the first or second trimester you have a little more time to get everything sorted before your arrival. This can give you some time to think about how to decorate your home. Paint your nursery in a neutral tone and add some decorative wall paper to make it feel childlike. You might be unsure on whether to have carpet or hardwood floor, yes carpet it softer to lay baby on but can start to smell when accidents happen on it. Opting for engineered wood flooring seems like the better option as it’s easy to clean and you can always put a soft cosy rug on top to get your carpet fix.
Prepare Meals
When you get back from the hospital you are going to be very busy adjusting to a new life, this is why we recommend pre making some of your favourite meals and freezing them then ready for when you need to eat. This way you get the benefits of a home cooked meal without having to make it and keep an eye on the baby at the same time.
Take a look at How Weaning My Baby Inspired a Healthier Me!