Adding a new little one to your family is one of the most exciting life events, but also one of the most overwhelming! Give your future self a head start (and your current self peace of mind) by preparing ahead of time. Keep reading for 17 steps to get your house ready for a baby.
1. Make a Day of Birth Plan
A birth plan may seem unrelated to your home, especially if you’re planning for a hospital birth. However, there is a lot that happens in your home before heading out the door to meet your little one. When those first contractions hit (or your water breaks, it’s time for an induction, etc.), what are you going to do? Here are a few things to consider:
- If you have other children or pets, decide who will be taking care of them while you’re gone: If they will be watched at your home, make a list of some helpful information for the caregiver. If you are bringing them elsewhere, pack all of the essentials such as clothes, favorite toys, and medications.
- Make a list of everything you need to do/grab before heading out the door: This can include things like calling your doctor, calling a caregiver, changing your outfit, and grabbing bags for the hospital, children, and pets.
- Prepare your home for early labor: Unless you plan to leave immediately, you will likely be working through labor for a bit at home. You don’t want to find yourself in intense pain with all of your labor essentials packed away. Have items ready for this, such as a birthing ball, a labor playlist, or a relaxing candle. Have a plan for tracking those contractions and calling your doctor, too.
2. Prepare for Smoother Nights
Those first few weeks with a newborn are a beautiful time filled with endless cuddles, those sweet little baby stretches, and….not much sleep. The nights can get long, but there are a lot of things you can do in advance to make things go more smoothly. Here are some items to have by your side for those late nights:
- A safe sleeping place: Whether it’s a crib, bassinet, or pack ‘n play, be sure to have this ready before baby arrives. I have this pack ‘n play set up in our bedroom. Baby is just steps away, and so is a changing area!
- Birthing ball: This can be great for soothing baby to sleep!
- Extra sleepwear (for you and baby): Maybe those cute little newborn clothes are just down the hall, but that can seem like miles away during the middle of the night. Have a few extras ready (onesies, sleepers, swaddles, etc.). Nighttime feedings can get messy, so have some extra clothes close by for yourself, too.
- Burp cloths: You certainly don’t want to run out of these during the night.
- Pacifiers (if using): Keep a few and restock them before bedtime. They tend to disappear!
- Congestion relief supplies: We keep saline solution, a bulb syringe, and an electric nasal aspirator close by.
- Changing supplies (see list item 3 below)
- Feeding supplies (see list item 4 below)
3. Set Up Changing Stations
If you live in an apartment, one changing station is probably sufficient. If you live in a multi-story home, however, you’ll probably want at least a couple. You will want a changing surface (such as a changing pad, built-in pack n play changing pad, bed, or other flat surface), plenty of diapers, wipes, diaper cream, and a garbage/diaper pail. Secondary changing stations can be as simple as stuffing supplies into a storage bin.
4. Prepare for Feedings
If breastfeeding, educate yourself on the process. Set up your nursing area with a nursing pillow, water, healthy snacks, nursing pads, and nipple cream. If using breast pumps, make sure they are charged, clean, and ready to use. Wash bottles and fill with desired water amount if using formula. Buy formula if using for feeds or supplementation. Some babies are fine with room temperature milk, but have a bottle warmer ready if using. Be sure to have plenty of burp cloths available!
5. Prepare your Family
From kids to husbands to pets, everyone is going to be experiencing changes when baby arrives. Help make the transition smoother by preparing them in advance. This may include explaining that “Mommy has a baby in her tummy,” talking about new schedules with your spouse, and establishing some new boundaries for your furry friends.
6. Prepare for Guests
By no means does this mean dust the baseboards and plan a 5-course meal. Unless you have a no visitors policy for those first days or weeks back home, you may very well have some friends and family looking to meet your little one. Don’t feel obligated to “host” during this time. Instead, plan for this by deciding the following (as a family): When will guests be allowed to visit? Who can visit (only family, only a certain number of people at a time, etc.)? Who will let guests know when the family is ready for some quiet time?
7. Plan Meals
I was blessed with many meals from family and friends when we arrived home with our first. However, it sure was handy to have a few freezer meals on hand when that food was gone! Make a list of the absolute simplest meals your family can make (including instructions as needed), and be sure to have ingredients on hand. It’s okay to repeat favorites! Add a few freezer meals to the list if you have time.
8. Stock up on Groceries and Household Items
Aside from having groceries on hand to make quick and easy meals, you’ll want to make sure you’re stocked up elsewhere. Nobody wants to run out of toilet paper during those early postpartum days (or ever), and you certainly don’t want to run out of dish soap when you’re on your last clean bottle. Do a quick inventory of these items and stock up! Pet food, too
9. Get Your Medicine Cabinet Ready
With less sleep and more responsibility, you’ll want to be prepared for any sickness that’s thrown at you. If you’re nursing or taking other medications, ask your doctor what is safe for you to take if you have a bad cold, headache, etc. Spend some time looking into medications you will want on hand for your newborn, such as infant Tylenol and saline spray.
10. Organize Baby Clothes
Whether or not you know your baby’s gender in advance, you can still prepare those adorable little outfits. So far, we have kept this as a surprise for our children. I like to have gender neutral clothes clean, folded, and ready for baby, as well as a few outfits for each gender. I have a tote with newborn boy clothes, and a separate tote with newborn girl clothes. This way, when baby arrives, I can easily put away the few outfits I had ready for the other gender and empty out the tote that contains baby’s new wardrobe! Since it’s often a bit of a mystery which outfit baby will fill out, it may be good to have a few 0-3 month or preemie clothes at the ready as well.
11. Purchase and Assemble Baby Gear
Nothing is worse than reading instructions when you’re sleep deprived. While a car seat is a must to get baby home safely, there are other items you can prepare before their arrival. Cribs, strollers, carriers/wraps, and baby swings are all great things to assemble (and learn how to use) beforehand.
12. Pack Hospital Bags
Everyone’s favorite question: “Are your bags packed?” It is really important, though. Be sure to pack your bags early. Even if you’re still using some of the items you plan to pack (like those super comfy maternity leggings), add it to a list of items to be sure to grab before heading out the door. Stick that list right on top of the bag(s) so it isn’t overlooked by whoever is doing that last-minute packing. I like to pack 3 bags – 1 for me, 1 for my husband, and 1 itty bitty bag for baby. Mommy Labor Nurse has a great hospital bag checklist you may find helpful!
13. Prep Postpartum Care Items
While your mind may be all about baby these days, don’t forget to prepare for yourself, too. Be sure to have comfortable clothes (nursing-friendly, if needed), healthy snacks, medication, and those personal care essentials for recovery. I recommend having a personal care basket in each bathroom you may be using during your recovery, as well as a travel kit for those newborn doctor appointments.
14. Finish Lingering Projects
Sometimes nesting strikes and the motivation is high, but other times…not so much. It can be easy to bite off more than you can chew with home projects before baby’s arrival. If you have any lingering projects, try to finish as much as you reasonably can, and consider holding off on starting new projects you likely won’t be able to complete.
15. Make a Maternity Leave Plan
If you work in a corporate setting, this is likely already on your mind, or maybe even required. Before baby arrives, it can be really helpful for you and those you work with to understand where they need to fill in the gaps. Make a plan early, update it as you complete tasks and start new ones, and make it available to coworkers. This can be done in the home, too. Make a plan with your family so everyone is aware of expectations for meals, chores, and activities when the big day comes.
16. Make a To-Do List for After Baby Arrives
You can do your best to prepare beforehand, but there may be some tasks you don’t, or can’t, get done before your little one’s arrival. Some things, like employer communications, insurance updates, and scheduling doctor appointments, just can’t happen ahead of time. Make it easy to keep track of these by scheduling reminders for your sleepy, future self. Drafting emails beforehand can be helpful, too. Now for the fun part…make a list of everyone you’re going to share the big news with! As important as someone may be in your life, it can be easy to forget about them during the craziness of welcoming new life into the world.
17. Prepare Your Home for a Growing Baby
I consider this to be an optional but very helpful step. If you have time, you may want to get a head start on baby proofing your home, preparing the next clothing sizes for your little one, getting supplies ready for solid foods, and assembling new gear. This will give you less to worry about later, and more time to just enjoy the newborn days.
I hope this list has you feeling a little more prepared to welcome your newborn into your home. Subscribe to receive more of this helpful guidance!