How to prepare your home for a baby’s arrival

One of the biggest events in a person’s life would be having a baby. A baby is a bundle of joy and blessings. But the arrival of one is definitely a life changing event. Not only will it disrupt the current lifestyle you enjoy, but the arrival of a baby would entail you to change your lifestyle to fit your baby’s needs. In order not to make you feel overwhelmed with all the changes, here are things you need to look into for your newborn’s arrival:

• Make a survey of your home and see if there are any things that need to be changed. In older homes, there could be wood chipping or paint peeling off. As babies are very sensitive, it is not good to have wood shavings or peeling of paint. Babies can be allergic to these things and might cause health issues. It is best to arrest these issues because they become actual problems.
• Should there be any renovation or touching up done, schedule it as early as three to four months before the baby arrives. Major renovations cannot be done, unless the expectant mother will move out of the house as the fumes of paint and the like are very harmful to her unborn child.
• For older homes, it is best to repaint some parts of the house because the paints used many years back contained lead. Should the paint start chipping off, lead is released in the air and that might be very harmful for any newborn. So it is best to find out as to when the house was last painted. If it is possible, check the kind of paint used. Should any painting be needed, it is best to use toxic-free, odourless paint.
• You need to start figuring out where you plan to place your nursery. Give it much thought as you would need to feed the baby at night. So decide as to whether you want an adjoining door between your bedroom and the baby or you would prefer the baby’s room to be far from your room so your spouse could take a rest. Add
• Aside from painting the house, you need to decorate your child’s room. There are certain colours that help stimulate the child’s mental growth and emotional state. Orange, yellow and green are some of the recommended colours as they promote calmness and give the room a homey feel. But most importantly, you need to ensure that the room is secure. Make sure that the windows have screens to keep out insects. It is also good to look into the placement of furniture in the room. Make sure that everything is within reach so you do not need to scramble around getting things for the baby.
• One of the most important things would be to baby proof the house. It is not fair to the child to just keep him or her in the room. The child needs to roam around the house to explore and get a feel of his or her surroundings. It is just essential that you baby proof the house. It will never be done completely as the child grows. But do the necessary safety measures for the newborn, such as placing screens in the windows.
• Stock your nursery with the essentials. Do not place baby gear and stuff all over the house. It will be too cluttered and you will get stressed looking for everything. Place everything in one area so everyone knows where to get the things for the child.

It is important to prepare your house well for your baby. That way you will all know how to move around and experience less stress. Remember a stressful mother means a stressful baby. So keep calm, prepare ahead of time and rest assured that your baby will fit well into your new home.