There are few things that have a greater impact on the way you live your life than becoming a parent. If you’re preparing to welcome a new bundle of joy into the world, there’s every chance that you’ve got a to-do list as long as your arm. Every expectant parent is nervous and apprehensive, and feeling like you’ve got an endless list of jobs to complete can exacerbate feelings of anxiety. The truth is that it’s wise to plan in advance as much as possible, but there are lots of tasks that can wait until after your newborn arrives. If you’re preparing your nest ready for a new arrival, here are some tips that may prove useful.
Designing the nursery
Designing the nursery is one of the most exciting aspects of pregnancy. When you set foot in a room that is ready and waiting for a new occupant, it really dawns on you that your world is about to change and makes the prospect of parenthood seem much more real. When you’re planning your nursery design, take your time, look for ideas and think about the kind of space you want to create for your little one. If you know the sex, this may affect the decisions you make, but there are plenty of options to choose from if you’re working on a unisex room. Think about the colors and patterns you want to use, consider different themes, and make sure the room is practical, as well as aesthetically-pleasing. The nursery is a place your baby is going to sleep and rest, but it also needs to deliver on a functional level. Storage is incredibly important, for example, as children, even tiny ones, have a lot of stuff! It’s wise to invest in wall-mounted shelving units and chests and wardrobes that are secured to the wall to provide space for clothing, boxes of wipes and diapers, toys, ornaments, frames and books.
You can choose whatever theme you like for your newborn, but if you’re struggling for ideas, popular choices include animals, stars, clouds and the moon, teddy bears and popular characters from children’s literature, such as Winnie the Pooh or Dr Seuss. If you don’t want a theme as such, use different shades or patterns to add interest to neutral walls. You can use wall art, colored frames and rugs to introduce a colorway, for example. If you’re not sure whether you’re having a boy or a girl, colors like white, yellow, gray and duck egg blue are excellent options. Monochrome is also really trendy at the moment, and it’s easy to adapt the room as your baby grows. It’s always a nice touch to personalize your nursery. You may not have names yet, but once your new baby makes their entrance, you can make the room extra special and bespoke by ordering personalized blankets from sites like www.Makaboo.com and designing custom wall art featuring their name, their birth date and their birth weight. If you’ve opted for a moon and stars theme, you could go for a print of the moon phase on your baby’s birth date, for example. When you’ve chosen colors, prints, and accessories, turn your attention to setting the tone and creating the right ambiance. Add soft lighting using lamps or fit a dimmer switch and make the room cozy with throws draped over a rocking chair.
As your due date approaches, make sure you have all the essentials ready, so you can start using your nursery straight away. Even though your baby will be sleeping with you for the first six months or so, you’ll need the nursery for changing and dressing, storing clothing and supplies and playing with your new best buddy. When your baby moves through to the nursery full-time, ensure that the environment is safe by fitting a thermometer to the wall, using sleeping bags rather than sheets and blankets and plugging sockets with guards.
Preparing your bedroom
When you have a baby, you’ll quickly realize that you need to make adjustments to your home. Although you may have a dedicated nursery for your baby, you’ll find that stuff migrates to all corners of your home. Your bedroom will also act as your baby’s sleeping quarters for the first few months. In the run-up to your due date, it’s wise to equip your room for your new baby. Before you buy anything new, have a clear out, get rid of anything you don’t want or need anymore, and make as much space as possible. Remove clutter, open up the floor space and create an area for your baby’s Moses basket or starter cot. Fit a thermometer to measure the temperature and make sure it’s not too hot. Ideally, the room should be at 16-20 degrees. It’s really useful to have a comfortable chair to feed, and also to have easy access to light when your baby wakes in the middle of the night. If you don’t already have a side table or a bedside chest, it’s worth buying one and adding a lamp.
Your bedroom should be a serene space. This is important not just for your baby, but also for you. When you’ve got the opportunity to catch forty winks, you want to feel as relaxed and comfortable as possible. If your room is cluttered, the walls are too bright, or it doesn’t feel cozy, now is the time to do a bit of redecorating. Opt for subtle tones that will help you feel calm, use storage solutions to banish clutter for good, and avoid harsh lighting.
Childproofing your home
Your home may appear to be a safe haven, but once you have children, you may realize that it harbors several hazards. Your newborn won’t be crawling or walking for a while, but it’s always beneficial to make some child-friendly adjustments before they arrive. You won’t need stair gates or cupboard locks just yet, but take steps to ensure that you have smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms that work, clean the bathroom and remove any spots of mold, and address issues with damp. Damp patches are caused by excess moisture, and they can contribute to respiratory issues. It is possible to treat damp, and if you’ve noticed spots on the ceiling or the walls or there’s a musty smell when you walk through the door, it’s wise to seek expert advice. If you don’t already have smoke detectors or a carbon monoxide alarm, invest in these safety features now. Smoke detectors raise the alarm long before you can spot flames or smell smoke. Carbon monoxide is often known as a silent killer because it has no odor or color. A detector can help to ensure that you’re made aware of excessive levels of carbon monoxide in the air before you develop symptoms like dizziness, severe headaches and nausea. For more practical tips on getting your nest ready, take a look at https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-life/preparing-for-baby/9-things-to-do-to-get-your-house-in-order-before-baby-comes/.
Making your home more practical
When you become a parent, your lifestyle changes, and you may have a completely different set of demands when it comes to what you want from your home. Your house is no longer a nest for one or two people, and you’ll need to make adjustments to ensure that it delivers on a practical level. Family life can be hectic, and you may also find that you need a lot more space. If your due date is still a while away, it’s worth considering the layout of your home, and whether or not it would work for life with children. If you’ve got a tiny kitchen, for example, which is attached to a dining room, you may wish to think about opening up the space and making a large, open room. When you’re making up bottles, washing up constantly and you’ve got surfaces filled with sterilizers and bottles, the more space you’ve got available, the better. Open spaces are also better for when your baby is bigger and they’re sitting in a high chair to eat. It’s also helpful to sort your laundry room out before you bring your baby home. Babies go through an endless supply of vests and sleepsuits, so declutter, invest in some storage boxes, and ensure you’ve got plenty of hypoallergenic washing powder.
If you’re planning to breastfeed, it’s helpful to create an area where you can get comfortable and relax downstairs so that you don’t have to retreat to your bedroom every time your baby needs feeding. Choose the most comfortable chair, layer pillows and cushions, and add candles and soft lighting to help you and your baby feel calm.
Are you counting down the days until your due date? There’s nothing more exciting than having a baby, but it’s very common to feel like you’re running out of time to get everything sorted. If you’ve got a list of things to do, try and stay calm and prioritize jobs that need to be done before your newborn makes an appearance. Nesting is an essential part of pregnancy, and it can be a really special and enjoyable time. Take time to design your nursery, prepare your bedroom and get your home ready so that you and your baby will feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible.