Preparing Your Home for Baby: 10 Things You Probably Haven’t Thought Of

You are having a baby - yayyyy. Congratulations!

Let the nesting BEGIN!

When we brought home our first baby we were sure we had thought of EVERYTHING. Crib here, bassinet there, adorable nursery artwork everywhere!

And then the baby ACTUALLY came home….

Cue daily trips to Target, moving furniture, moving it back, trying out baby gear and LOADS of tears!

The adjustment period is WILD. My goal is to save you at least a few tears along the way by creating a space that is baby AND mama-friendly.

Here are my 10 SIMPLE tips - that you may have not thought of….

1) Main Floor Change Station

A change station on the main floor is sooooo handy – ESPECIALLY if you live in a two-story home! Our playpen lived right beside our couch, stocked with diapers, blankets, rash cream and spare onsies. I also recommend a small waste basket and/or diaper pail next to it. If I had to run upstairs to the nursery every time I had to change a diaper I would’ve gone BANANAS!!!

As our kids grew the ‘station’ turned into a small basket which now discreetly lives in the corner of our living room (but still comes in VERY handy)…

2) Designate a Basket for Outgrown Clothes

The speed at which babies outgrow clothes still blows my mind. While writing this my daughter probably outgrew a pair of pants.

I wish I was joking.

I suggest getting a large reusable bag, a tote or even a cardboard box, label it “too small” and keep it in the nursery closet. As the baby outgrows items just toss ‘em in. Once that’s full sort through and decide whether you want to keep, sell or give away, and handle accordingly. If you plan on keeping clothing items for a future child I suggest having a couple of empty boxes in the basement labelled with sizes.

3) Nursery Lighting

Keeping lights dim during night feedings/changes was HUGE for us. It should be bright enough that you’re able to do a quick change, but dim enough that it keeps them drowsy. Tossing on the overhead light every time you walk in the room at 2am is a recipe for disaster. You may only need this light for the first year so don’t stress if it doesn’t fit your décor perfectly – borrow from other rooms in your home, try out a night light or even play around with hallway lighting.

4) Create a Feeding Station (maybe two)

Whether you are nursing or bottle feeding (or both), it can include a TON of products in the early days - tubes, shields, pads, pumps, drops, bottles - it adds up quick! Depending on the layout of your house I suggest 2 feeding stations - one on the main floor (for daytime feedings) and one in the bedroom. Basically just a comfy chair - preferably near a TV during the day - with a side table and a small basket to hold the equipment. I suggest something portable that you can take from station to station.

So simple. Yet so helpful.

5) Be C-Section Ready

C-sections usually aren’t planned. Which is exactly why it’s worth taking into consideration when planning your first few weeks at home. Limiting stairs during recovery is recommended so having access to everything on one floor is almost essential. After my section I slept on the couch for several weeks. This will depend on the layout of your home but consider: reducing steps + easy access to a bathroom + easy access to the kitchen!

6) Prioritize the Nursery Chair

Chances are you are going to spend a LOT of time in this chair. Even long after nursing and bottles, we continue to read our bedtime stories in these chairs and I am happy we loved ours so much. This doesn’t necessarily mean expensive – we bought a classic glider second-hand and my mom re-upholstered it. I have a friend who even moved a single bed into the nursery for the early days – if you have the space it’s worth considering!

7) DECLUTTER, DECLUTTER, DECLUTTER

If you only take ONE piece of advice away from this, let it be this!

Babies are small.

The amount of clutter they create is NOT.

As you’re nesting, be ruthless about areas of your home that you can minimize. If you’re taking a maternity leave, that means your home is going to become your workplace. Having clear spaces will improve efficiency and reduce chaos - which goes a LOOOONG way in everyone’s day-to-day moods! During the few precious moments of peace after having a child I promise you won’t want to waste it sorting through lid-less food storage containers! Try a decluttering challenge to get you started!

8) Start Your Baby Box

Baby memorabilia accumulates FAST – Designating a baby box for those precious treasures will ensure two things:

In the midst of newborn chaos you can toss all your special somethings in there without them getting lost..… ”where is that *&%$ing hospital bracelet?!”
Only what FITS in the box is kept – this prevents you from keeping more than you can manage!

Here’s a peek in one of ours…

9) Hand Towels

This sounds weird - but stick with me….hand towels are the perrrrrfect size for diaper explosions, spit-ups, makeshift change pads, leaking and everything in between. There are tons of towel options these days but I am TEAM TERRYCLOTH alllllll the way. We had a stack on-hand at all times and I still use them for toddler mishaps! Don’t invest in anything too fancy – they might not survive the first month…

10) Newborn Tracker

Within hours of birth the questions begin - when did you feed last? when did they pee last? how long have they been sleeping? You will need some sort of system for tracking the newborn essentials in those early days. Check out our newborn tracker, create a system with your phone, or use a scrap piece of paper - whatever it is just make it easy for yourself - trying to recall the last time you changed a dirty diaper on 3 hours sleep is a form of torture.

Above all, focus on creating a home that is full of love for those inside it. Your baby doesn’t care what colour their crib sheets are - they just want a happy mama - who is available to hold them 23 hours per day ;)

Happy Nesting,

Mary Ann K. xo

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