Prepping the Home for Baby

Baby

When women are pregnant, it’s natural for them to want the home ready for a new baby. Doesn’t matter if it’s the first one or the fourth, it has to be done. Late in the pregnancy, there is a stage known as “nesting” when moms-to-be have that urge to be sure that everything is ready. Before you get to your nesting stage, we would like to share with you the top things to have in your home and ready for your new family member.

4 Items that will Help You Welcome Your Baby Home

Bedding

There are tons of options when it comes to cribs and cradles on the market. No matter which you choose, you want to be sure you have the ideal cradle mattress placed inside. The mattress should be firm, since too soft means that a newborn could sink and then suffocate. Aside from the bed and mattress, you will need; mattress protector, crib liner, sheets, and a blanket.

Diapers

There are tons of baby accessories we could talk about but let’s be real honest, you are going to need diapers and plenty of them! The first big decision is if you choose to use disposable diapers or cloth ones. With environmentalism such a hot topic, cloth diapers have been making a big comeback. Lots of families are purchasing and washing the cloth options in order to minimize their impact on the environment. Be warned, this can be a very time-consuming adventure. Because of this, we are seeing a rise in diaper laundering services pop up all over the country. Cost for these services are comparable to what you will spend on disposables. However, many families still want to use disposables and it’s a perfectly fine option that we are lucky to have.

If you choose disposables, you can easily stock up on all sizes during your pregnancy. All disposables “expire” so do not open the packages until you are about to use them. A word to the wise, don’t stock up on newborn diapers. One package at most will be enough because your baby will grow out of them very quickly. Some families never even use the newborn size at all.

If you choose to use cloth diapers, you will want at least 20 and up to 30 diapers on hand. Newborns will go through an average of 10-14 changes in a 24 hour time period. This will slow down once a baby begins sleeping through the night and their eating habits change.

Onesies

Onesies are a closet staple for the newborn! They are relatively the easiest piece of clothing to dress your baby in and they are excellent for diaper changes. How many you need will depend on your preferences for laundry and the cute factor. Newborns grow fast so stocking up on a variety of sizes will be in your best interest so that you will always have something for the baby. Babies also spit up and drool a lot so you are going to change your baby’s clothes a lot. Many moms find that if they plan for 3 outfit changes a day, they can get away with about 20 onesies in each size and limit their laundry days to once a week.

Wipe Warmer

There has been a lot of discussion about the necessity of a wipe warmer. Can you live without it? Yes! It’s not like clothing or a bed, it’s an accessory that some of us love and others hate. So why did it make this list? Because some moms love it. One mother of three told us she didn’t have a wipe warmer until her 3rd child was born. For her, it made diaper changing pleasant and she wished she had one for when her older two had been born. Pro tip: Don’t fill the warmer up all the way. Fill it up halfway to ensure you won’t dry out your wipes. As the baby gets older, you might be able to retire the warmer.

When it comes to prepping for your new loved one, remember to focus on the absolute necessities that cover clothing, food, diapering, sleeping, and transportation. Anything after that should be entertainment and what makes your life easier. 

Reader Question

What is one must have item that you would recommend to expecting moms?

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