A Practical Guide For Organizing Your Home Before The Baby Arrives
You go to the kitchen looking for a clean water bottle. You roam through your cabinets, but can’t find any. Meanwhile, all those adorable stuffed toys and little clothes overtake your living room, bathroom, and bedroom. Sounds stressful? You bet! Channeling your energy for strategic organization and planning before your baby’s arrival will come in handy. Here’s a room-by-room guideline for organizing your home before the BIG day.
Nursery
The nursery is your baby’s little realm. For the past few months, you have thought about how to make it as beautiful and comfortable as possible. And, while this is important, you should also think about how to make it practical for yourself and your partner.
- Diaper changing station. If you have space, you can set up a changing table. If not, you can place a changing pad on top of a regular dresser. Have a top and changing pad liners in case of any accidents. Set up a storage basket, shelve, or cabin with all the essentials: diapers (you’ll use around 10 per day), wipes, cream, lotion, and hand sanitizer.
- Bins and hampers. With a newborn baby, you’ll be disposing of mountains of dirty diapers per day and going through lots of dirty clothes. Make sure to place a bin and a hamper next to the changing station or any convenient area.
- Folding or hanging? It’s up to you! You can hang up clothes that wrinkle easily like three-piece outfits and dresses. You can fold and sort pajamas, bodysuits, and knit items in dresser drawers or labeled baskets. If you choose the latter, the best way to store clothes is by rolling them. This way, you can see each item clearly.
- Sort by size. Even before the BIG arrival, you’ll have a collection of baby clothes and shoes of all sizes. Fold or hang anything from 0 to 3 months as you’ll be using these the most. Anything else can be stored for later. To stay sane and as organized as possible, label boxes with each size and leave them in the closet. This will help you identify the clothes you need as your baby continues growing and discard clothes that get too tight.
- What about the crib? It’s likely that you won’t need it that much during the first few months. But it’s best to get one before the big arrival so you are not rushing around later.
Bedroom
Some parents opt to move their baby to their own room during the first months. This is convenient as you won’t have to walk from your bedroom to the nursery while you are still groggy and exhausted.
- Prepare your baby’s sleeping spot. If you rather have your baby close to you, then pick a Moses basket or bedside sleeper.
- Keep all necessities at hand. You can have a designated side table with bottled water, formula feeding, a bottle warmer, breast pads, and any other thing you’ll need.
- Make a mini-nursery. If you have a spacious bedroom, create a distinct nursery space. If you have limited space, don’t worry! Simply set a changing table and fill it with diapers, wipes, creams, lotions, etc.
Bathroom
Beware: your bathroom will start to fill up with “baby stuff!” This is the place where you most likely will be washing your baby, changing diapers, but also taking care of yourself postpartum. Organizing and stocking your bathroom will definitely be worth it.
- Line up washcloths and towels. Have a couple of additional towels and clothes next to your tub. This is important as you shouldn’t use the same washcloth more than once before washing it.
- Medicine cabinet. Get yourself a baby first aid or healthcare kit. They usually come with everything your baby would need if he or she is having an issue. Or, you could always create your own. You’ll need a cabinet, drawer, or box to keep a digital thermometer, alcohol wipes, medicine spoon, baby nail clippers, and any medicine your doctor recommends.
- Don’t forget about yourself! New mothers need to take several medical supplies to ensure their physical recovery. So, it’s great to have all of these at hand, and what better place than your bathroom?
- If you have enough room. . . Set up a changing station. Gather all of those diapering supplies in one cabinet or shelf, or store them in a designated basket.
Kitchen
You’re about to be surrounded by bottles, sippy cups, tiny spoons, and bibs. So, get ready!
- Delegate baby stuff to one place. Baby items can easily get lost among adult tableware. To avoid this, dedicate one drawer or cabinet to store all your bottles, bibs, breast milk storage bags, etc. You can even get a drawer organizer for this.
- Consider a special drying rack. As you will be dealing with tiny pieces (pump, bottle lids, and so on), you’ll need a separate drying rack or a special spot to air all those baby items.
- And what about formula and baby food? Shelve them! It’s best to keep everything in the same place. This way, anytime you need to feed your baby, you’ll know where to look first.
Living room
When you become a parent, your carefully put-together living room undergoes a transformation. You may want to get a baby gate so you can watch after your kiddo, or you’ll see plenty of toys and picture books scattered around. In any case, you can still have an attractive and baby-friendly living room.
- Diaper changing station. If you spend most of your time in your living room, having a changing station may be a good idea. It doesn’t have to be a huge thing, especially if you are expecting guests. Simply, put a changing pad on top of a dresser or get yourself a portable playard with a changing station.
- Toys and books. If you have a spacious living room, you may be thinking about transforming it into a part-time playground. If this is the case, you can invest in a piece of furniture with lots of drawers or a cube organizer so that it still looks like an adult room.
- Emergency backup. As you already know, newborns go through 10 or even 12 diapers a day! So, don’t forget to stock up on diapers, diaper bags, creams, wipes, and everything necessary for keeping your baby fresh.
- Cover “red” areas. Don’t wait until your little one is crawling around to start covering dangerous areas or storing poisonous items away. Gather all of the cleaning products and put them far away from little, curious hands. Cover all the plug sockets at child height. And, if you live in a house with stairs, make sure to purchase a baby gate that is tall enough for the top of the stairs.
Ready for the Big Day?
Following our tips will definitely minimize the stress of your baby’s arrival! You’ll be more prepared, less focused on practical things, and with even more time to get to know your little treasure. But remember, not everything is set in stone. You are free to experiment and play around. You may be surprised by all the organizing hacks you’ll come up with!
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