Congratulations, you have a baby on the way! You’ve probably already thought about the big stuff: diapers, car seats, strollers. But what else should you do to get your home ready for your baby? Here’s a list of things to consider before you bring your little one home.
1. Feed Yourself
![a large supply of food in a freezer]()
Once your baby arrives, there won’t be a lot of time for gourmet cooking. Get gift cards for restaurants, buy frozen meals, or prepare your own food and throw it in the freezer. “My husband is a terrible cook and I was too tired to do it, so frozen stuff on hand made it so much easier,” says Christine Miller, a mom of three in Newburyport, MA.
2. Feed Your Baby
![a breast pump kit]()
If you're breastfeeding, get a quality breast pump. You can rent hospital-grade pumps or buy a regular one. Make sure to get a nursing pillow so that you and your little one are both comfortable during meal times. However you choose to feed your baby, you should consider investing in some glass bottles so others have a chance to feed Baby too.
My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow, available at Amazon.com
Medela Pump in Style breast pump, available at Amazon.com
3. Get some sleep
![two baby cribs]()
You are going to be tired. Very tired. Exhausted, even. Getting up in the night to go to another room to feed and soothe your baby may seem impossible. Instead, get a co-sleeper (it attaches to the bed) or a bassinet so baby can be next to you, yet still out of harm’s way. You can feed her, then put her back in her bed and fall back to sleep yourself.
Arm’s Reach Original Co-Sleeper Bassinet, available at Amazon.com
4. Quiet Down
![a white noise machine]()
If you have a separate room for your baby, you'll want to make it as dark and quiet as possible. Consider buying blackout curtains or liners for your window treatments, so light won’t wake your wee one. If you live in a noisy area, think about getting a white noise machine or a soothing stuffed animal to block out the sounds outside.
Cloud B Sleep Sheep, available at Amazon
Graco Sweet Slumber Sound Machine, available at Amazon.com
5. Smooth the Edges
![a plate smashed next to a table]()
Let’s say you have a lovely grown-up house with sophisticated furniture made of glass and/or metal. Unfortunately, glass and metal aren’t particularly baby-friendly. Anything breakable or with sharp edges should be removed. If you can’t bear to part with it, put it far out of reach or wrap the edges with bubble wrap or plastic guards so that baby won’t bump herself.
Check out these at corner guards at Amazon.com
6. Lock it Down
![a baby touching a power outlet]()
Secure any furniture likely to tip and fall once baby starts to crawl and pull herself up. Cover all electric sockets. Get safety latches for any cabinets within reach, especially the ones with anything hazardous (although it’s generally good practice to put all dangerous materials way up high). Get rid of your magnets. Make sure you don’t have any dangling cords, either for window blinds or appliances. You might feel like a fool, but try crawling on the floor to see what dangerous things babies can find that you might not even consider.
7. Rockabye, Baby
![a black baby bouncer]()
It’s always nice to have a special place to rock (or glide) your baby. Find a comfy seat to put in a quiet place so you can sit and bond with your infant. It can also be a good idea to find a swing or a chair for the baby to rest in alone.
Baby Bjorn Babysitter Balance Chair available at Amazon.com
8. Fold the Clothes
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You may be feeling the urge to nest, which is perfectly natural and even more useful. Buy some diapers, but don’t overload on newborn sizes because infants grow so fast. The same goes with newborn clothing: you might want to wait until the baby is born to remove the tags on the newborn stuff. “I made the mistake the first time around of washing, folding and putting away all of the adorable newborn onesies and clothes people gave me only to find out that they didn't fit my 9-pound butterball,” says Anne Warren, mother of two in Hingham, MA.
9. First Contraction
![a mom kissing her baby wrapped in a swaddle]()
When you are getting the baby’s bed ready, make sure not to use any bumpers, blankets or pillows because of the risk of SIDS. Instead, you can swaddle your baby (which helps him to sleep) or use a sleep sack, which will keep him warm and toasty.
Miracle Blanket, available at Amazon.com
Halo SleepSack Wearable Blanket, available at Amazon.com
10. Keep an Eye Out
![a mom holding her newborn baby]()
Unless you live in a studio apartment, it will be difficult to see your baby all the time. You might want to invest in a baby monitor so you can hear when the little one cries. These days, you can get video monitors so you can see for yourself that she's sleeping soundly. Before buying one, consider the range for the monitor, the battery life, and the possibility of an intercom option so you talk to him from afar.
VTech Safe & Sound Digital Audio Monitor, available at Amazon.com
Motorola MBP 36 Remote Wireless Video Baby Monitor, available at Amazon.com