Congratulations, you’re expecting! Joining the parenthood world may feel overwhelming at first. With all the excitement of becoming new parents, the reality of all the work that needs to be done before the arrival of your new miracle can seem intimidating. Feeling anxious and nervous is normal, especially with such a significant, exciting change happening in your life. Lets assist in giving some new parent’s guide to preparing for their baby, read on!
Putting the nursery together, making home safety updates, and stocking up on baby supplies is a lot to do. Preparing yourselves for parenthood are all important ways to get ready to welcome your new family addition into your home. Continue reading below for guidance on how to prepare your home for your little bundle of joy.
Put Together the Nursery
Have you chosen a room to transform into a nursery? Whether it’s a guest room or a space that’s been used for storage, you’ll want to do some renovating and cleaning up so it’s ready for the baby. Painting the walls, updating the lighting, laying a carpet down, or installing a smoke detector in the room are all things you should consider. Once the renovations and cleaning are completed, start scrolling through Pinterest or crawling Google images for inspiration. Think of colors, patterns, and themes that jump out to you. Make sure before you dive into the decorating process that you find ideas that you love. You’ll be spending a large chunk of time in that room!
After finding decorating ideas for the nursery, you’ll want to start purchasing the furniture for the room. Start with the color or wood finish you want the crib to be. Once you’ve found a crib you like, you might also want to buy a rocking chair, dresser, changing table. A bookcase in the same color or wood finish as the crib helps the room flow. Remember, you have a few months to complete the nursery, so not everything needs to be done in one weekend.
Make Home Safety Updates
Making any necessary home updates is crucial for the safety of your baby. Start by creating a checklist of updates or fixes you’ll need to make. A checklist is helpful because there might be a few updates. One would be checking the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, as that can easily be forgotten. If you live in an older home, you might want to fix or replace the windows and doors if they’re broken or damaged. Consider installing soft carpets on hardwood floors, especially when your baby starts crawling. Do you have a home security system? Installing cameras by all the doors of your house for extra security is encouraged. Some systems even have apps that allow you to monitor the cameras when you’re not home.
It’s no secret that making necessary updates in your home can rack up a costly bill. With other expenses to handle, especially with a baby on the way, you might want to consider looking into helpful ways to cover the costs of the updates. As homeowners, you more than likely have equity that has been built up in your home. Looking into how to get a home equity line of credit is a great way for you to borrow from this equity. Requirements for a HELOC are having a good credit score of 600 or higher, responsible payment history. You’ll also need a reliable income that you can provide proof of. If you meet the requirements, you’ll be provided with the funds as needed. This allows you to put them towards your home improvements and other baby-related expenses.
Stock Up on Baby Supplies
The list is endless for baby supplies that you’ll need to stock up on to prepare for your baby’s arrival. Diapers, clothes, formula, if you decide not to breastfeed, shampoo, wash clothes, ointment, pacifiers, hooded bath towels. And don’t forget about all the equipment you might want to purchase, like a baby swing or pack and play. These supplies should be purchased well in advance so you know exactly what to pack in the hospital bag. That relieves some stress during the exciting but nerve-racking time when it comes. For the crib, you’ll want the best sheets for your baby. If you’re looking for a soft and breathable option for your baby’s skin, consider looking into a bamboo fitted crib sheet. Bamboo fiber is a popular option because it’s hypoallergenic. This is important especially to prevent mildew and bacteria from building up in your baby’s crib. Bamboo sheets and clothes are also great for babies with eczema or sensitive skin because of the gentle fibers.
If you decide to throw a baby shower, this is a great way to help stock up on all the baby essentials as well. Go to a nearby store or online that offers baby registries and add all the supplies you’ll need. This will be a huge help because many new parents don’t realize how expensive baby supplies and equipment are. Diapers for instance can cost anywhere from ten to fifty dollars or more depending on the size, brand, and count you get. To help stock up on diapers, ask your baby shower guests if they’d like to bring a package of diapers, they’ll be included in a gift raffle. Not only will this help you stock up on diapers, but it’ll be a fun activity to have at your shower.
Prepare Yourselves for Parenthood
Along with baby-proofing your home and stocking up on all the baby supplies, don’t forget to prepare yourselves for parenthood too. The first step to preparing for parenthood is not having unrealistic parenting expectations. You can try your very best at being perfect, but there will also be a few bumps and hiccups along the way, which is normal. To help you and your partner get ready for becoming parents and caring for your newborn to the best of your ability, consider attending birthing classes. Reading books for new expecting parents, and gathering a support network around you is important. You’re more than likely not going to get much sleep for the first few months, so don’t forget to rest up as much as possible before the baby comes.
Self Care is Important Too
Practicing self-care before and after the baby arrives is crucial. Taking baths, eating healthy, finding a new routine that works for you. Catching up on sleep as much as possible; are all great ways to keep your mental and physical health strong. You should also start discussing parenting duties. Sit down and have an honest chat with your partner about who is going to take care of what and when. This consists of nighttime rotations on who is going to get up with the baby. Discuss taking care of chores around the house, and the emotional support you both might need during the few long months ahead.
We hope you enjoyed learning about how to prepare your home for your expected miracle! Would you like to read more helpful content or learn about our luxury bamboo crib sheets?
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