Congratulations! You’re having a baby.
Getting ready in advance for your new bundle of joy is important because once your baby comes home, you’ll be preoccupied with caring for your newborn.
Let’s face it, with your full attention on your baby, you won’t be able to spend a lot of time getting organized.
Your new baby will eat, need to be changed, and sleep every few hours, throughout the day and night. So getting prepared in advance is crucial.
Here is a list of simple things to do to get your home and family ready for your new baby.
Getting the House Ready
There are a few simple things to do to get ready before homecoming.
- Do a safety check of your home. Check fire alarms and carbon monoxide alarms. Make sure they have batteries and are up-to-date. Check electrical outlets make sure you don’t have any loose wires. Buy some electric outlet safety plastic plugsand install them on all outlets, especially the ones your baby can reach. Before you know it your baby will be crawling. Get down on the floor and review your living space from the perspective of a crawler. What do they have access to? What needs to be covered and put away? Here is an extensive child safety checklist.
- Get any flaking or peeling paint sealed or removed by a professional, especially if your home was built before 1978. Dust from lead paint, which was banned from residential use in that year, can be harmful if ingested. If you are unsure when your house or building was constructed, find a company to test for lead.
- Get rid of clutter. Soon your countertops will have bottle racks and monitor equipment. Eliminate any unnecessary objects from coffee tables and shelves. Especially glass and other breakable mementos. Make room in your refrigerator and freezer for breast milk and formula.
- Organize the baby’s room in advance. From your baby equipment, furniture, to clothes, everything should be in place, available and fully functional in advance. Do not wait for the last days of the pregnancy to get started. Do not forget to wash all the new clothes you bought or received in a mild, fragrance-free detergent before you get home from the hospital. Have the clothes ready to pull out and use immediately. Sometimes, the baby will need to be changed multiple times a day!
- If you don’t already have your bills on autopay, set it up now. The first few months will be a blur. You will have to catch up with a new day and night rhythm, and you will want to focus on your little one. An important bill is easily forgotten when you’re tired or focused on your newborn.
Getting an Older Sibling Ready
If your new baby will have an older sibling at home, make sure to involve him or her in the process from the first months of the pregnancy to homecoming and after.
- Talk to your child about the new baby that is coming. Show your child how your tummy is growing and let him or her feel the baby kicking. It may help to read a book about what it’s like to have a little brother or sister. Here are some great examples: “I Am a Big Brother”or “I Am a Big Sister.”
- Buy your older child a doll for practice. Let him or her practice holding, changing, feeding, and tickling their doll. Guide them on how to act around a baby. They will love to learn! At Willowdale Children’s Academy, we put a lot of emphasis on role play. It is fun and a great way to learn and involve them.
- Think of ways your older child can help, such as organizing diapers, washing bottles or decorating baby’s room. Anything that makes them feel involved will be helpful.
Getting the Family Dog Ready
Do you have a dog at home? Fido will need some time to adjust to the new baby. Many families decide to have a dog trainer come infor a one- time visit on how to prepare your dog for your newest addition.
- Before homecoming, bring the first blanket or garment that was in contact with your newborn’s skin home and let the dog smell it. Sometimes, parents even bring the first dirty diaper at home and go through the same process of letting the dog smell it. Dogs create connections with the world through odors and smells.
- Teach your dog boundaries with the baby. For the first few weeks at home don’t let your dog set foot into the nursery. You are claiming that area and the baby as yours. The dog will have to be very calm and gentle to “gain permission” to see and smell the baby.
- Make sure that your dog gets plenty of exercise during the first few months once the new baby is home. Giving your dog a chance to run and be wild will set him up for success to be calm around the baby.
- Don’t leave the baby alone with your dog, no matter how gentle your dog seems when you are around. The baby could grab onto some fur and the dog could react by nipping or biting the baby.
Taking your new baby home is an exciting time in your family’s life.
Make sure to prepare your home so you can enjoy this special time as much as possible. In case you need more tips, connect with us.
