Getting your house in order is one of the final things that most mothers do when they are expecting a little bundle of joy to make an appearance. Now that you’ve gotten through all the tips for couples trying to conceive and you know about everything from ovulation to fertility and from sperm counts to folic acid and miscarriages, you’ve finally conceived and your baby is due any day now!
Whether you’ve decided to completely move house because you need a bigger place or you’re updating your existing home in order to make room for the baby (after receiving plenty of advice for couples considering having a baby, including conception, menstrual cycles, and what to do during your pregnancy), there are still a few things you need to do to get your home in order before your bundle of joy is set to arrive. In this article, you’ll find a few things that you might want to do to get your home ready for the baby who can arrive at any moment, or at least in the next couple of weeks.
Find a bigger home.
In many cases, soon-to-be parents decide that they need to move to a bigger place before the baby comes because their current home is just too crowded. In this case, you should find a reputable realtor such as the realty company run by Venterra CEO John Foresi to help find you the perfect home. Venterra Realty can help you find the best home for you and your growing family. Parenthood involves being responsible, so you and your spouse finding a bigger house before the little one makes an appearance is being responsible parents for sure. Not just any home will do for you and your new family member, so to make sure you’re finding a great place, wherever you are in the United States, contact a reputable realtor like Venterra for support and advice about real estate options.
Run a safety check.
Now, that you’ve found a great place to live by talking to the real estate agents at Venterra Realty, it’s time to run a safety check on your home. While you won’t need it as soon as the baby comes home, it won’t be long until you have a baby crawling around trying to get into cabinets and anything else in his path. The last thing you want is to have toxins and chemicals where you are constantly on the go little one can get to them and get hurt. Babies become mobile almost overnight, or at least it feels that way, so running a safety check on your new home as soon as you sign the papers with your real estate agent is the best way to go.
Take any chemicals and toxins and put them up out of the baby’s reach long before the baby is born to be on the safe side. There are plenty of baby proofing checklists online that will tell you exactly how to babyproof before the little one arrives. Doing it now will be one less thing your spouse has to worry about when you’re in the hospital after giving birth to your baby girl or boy.
Target any red zones.
You’ll want to target any red zones in your home by cleaning and disinfecting completely before the baby comes. Believe it or not, the doorknobs and light switches aren’t the germiest places in your home, though many homeowners think that they are. Instead, you want to concentrate on areas such as kitchen sinks, dishrags, faucet handles, stove knobs, countertops, fridge handles, cutting boards, and toothbrush holders. Other areas to disinfect well are sponges and bathroom sinks. Give them a once over every day leading up to the delivery of the baby. It’s best to keep sanitizing wipes near target hot spots so that you can wipe them down every time you walk by and think about it.
Wash new baby clothes ahead of time.
Before you bundle your bundle of joy into blankets and cute newborn clothes, it’s important to wash them first. You want to wash them before putting them on your newborn to keep from any irritating chemicals or roughness coming in contact with their tender skin. It’s best to wash all of the baby clothes before you head to the hospital, as you don’t want to have to deal with it in your first days home as a new mom.
Invest in an air purifier.
As a new mom, you want only the best for your baby. Your chances of conception might have been slim but now that you’re expecting you’re full of joy and hope. It’s a good idea to invest in an air purifier before your baby comes home from the hospital. Your baby’s immune system will still be developing so it’s a good idea to have the air purifier to keep air-borne particles such as allergens, bacterias, and viruses that circulate through the cleanest of homes at a minimum. Make sure that you do your research and choose the quietest model on the market, as it will be going into the baby’s room and quiet is essential to a sleeping newborn.
Prep some freezer meals ahead of time.
As a mom, you want the very best for your newborn, but you also want the very best for your spouse and that involves eating right, while you’re in the hospital and in those first weeks when you’re a new sleep-deprived mother of a newborn. A healthy pregnancy depends on going to the doctor like you’re supposed to and eating a lot of fruits and veggies. These are important even after the baby is born, especially if you choose to breastfeed the little one.
While you’ll enjoy dishes from many well-wishers during the first few days of being home with the new baby, as a mom you’re going to want to prepare your own food pretty quickly. From hearty soups to pan sheet meals, you’ll always have a healthy home-cooked meal at the ready if you prep and freeze some meals ahead of time.
Deep clean your house.
Deep cleaning your house before you head to the hospital is a great idea as well. You’re not going to feel like doing it as a new mom, so doing it before you go into labor is the best thing. There’s no avoiding the chaos of coming home with a brand new baby, but it’s nice to start that chaos with a sparkling clean home when you do. Get your spouse to help you deep clean, from the bathrooms to the carpets and the walls to the floors, get it all clean ahead of time. You’ll feel much better about the house afterward.
Keep ahead of the daily dirt.
Once you’ve deep cleaned the house and are constantly disinfecting things, it’ll be easier to manage the daily dirt that comes with living in a home. Keep your daily routine of cleaning and everything should be spic and span when the baby arrives and you both come home from the hospital.
Rest while you can.
Even though you need to get the house in order and prepare for your new baby’s arrival, it’s also important that you take breaks and rest all that you can. Being a new mom is glorious but can be rough with a lot of sleepless nights in the first few months.
These are just a few of the things that you can do to prepare to be a new mother and prepare your home for the arrival of your own bundle of joy. Remember, rest all you can and the rest will fall into place. While there may never seem to be the best time to rest, you still need to, not only for your pregnancy but for the baby’s health as well. Make sure you’re continuing to take your folic acid supplement and your prenatal vitamins and you and your bundle of joy will be fine.
