If this is not your first child, you already know that the more prepared you are before baby arrives, the smoother his or her transition into your life will be. Here are my top ten tips to help you get ready for the big day...
1. Create Your Dream Baby Nursery
Getting the nursery room ready for your precious bundle is, without doubt, one of the best parts of being pregnant. It's so exciting and it's a wonderful outlet for all the love welling up inside you for this little person that you haven't even met. Don't wait until the end and rush this special experience. Start early and savor every moment of pre-bonding with your baby.
2. Gather Your Baby Goodies Together
Next to preparing the nursery there is nothing quite as thrilling as packing away those brand new tiny booties and onsies. Get hold of a good layette list and make sure you have everything you need well before baby is due.
3. Babyproof Your Home
You won't have the energy or inclination to do this after the six weeks of sleepless nights and sore body parts that come with your new born package, so tackle it now and get it done. It's so important for your baby's well-being and you'll find that the safer you make your home the more relaxed you will be about having a new little person around.
4. Choose A Baby Name
This is one thing you want to have done and dusted as soon as possible. It's not always easy finding a name that you and your partner agree on and that won't send some other member of the family into a ballistic fit. (Family can be funny that way!) It may take a while to find just the right one and it can be stressful - you don't want to add time pressure to the mix.
5. Organize Your Home
If your home is a bit cluttered, now is the time to make a change. For one thing clutter is not safe for babies - they get their fingers into everything. And if you don't want your papers and CD's being randomly re-allocated by pudgy fingers in a few months time you should do it now and have your stuff arranged the way you want it.
In addition, tiny babies come with a staggering amount of baggage for their size. In addition to creating a space all of their own you'll need to find nooks and crannies for things like their bottles, baby swing and play gym. Not to mention the stroller, carry seat, high chair...
6. Prepare Some Freezer Meals
The first few weeks after baby arrives whiz by in a bit of a blur - mostly because you haven't slept. Cooking is not going to be at the top of your priority list. However, if you are breastfeeding fast food is not going to cut it, neither is going hungry. Even if you are bottle-feeding, you still need to keep your strength up. Pre-prepared frozen home-made food is the solution. Just whip it out and warm it up.
7. Make Friends With The Internet
With a new baby to look after and not much sleep to do it on, time will be of the essence. Standing in queues at the bank or supermarket is not going to be fun. Do yourself a favor and set-up internet banking and shopping facilities now. Even if you only use them for a few months after baby comes it will be well worth the time it saves.
8. Think Convenience
There are many ways to make your new life with baby easier by making use of simple convenience items. Ideas include paper plates and cups, to cut out washing the dishes, and disposable wipes, for quick cleaning of bathrooms and kitchens when your mother-in-law is on her way over. Who has time for cleaning the bathroom when there's a new born in the house?
9. A Tumble Drier
A little expensive but I simply could not have survived the first few months and hundreds of baskets of baby clothes without my tumble drier. You know you sometimes have to change them more than three times in one day - right?
10. Pack Your Bags
This one goes without saying, but please don't leave it too late. You need to take a surprising amount of stuff with you - it's best to be organized in good time. 34-36 weeks is a good time to have your bags packed. Babies do have a habit of surprising us and arriving early. The more prepared you are for labor, the more relaxed you will be when it arrives. You don't need the stress of packing bags while you're trying to hold a towel in place because your water just broke!
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