Preparing for a baby
Bringing a new addition home to your family is such a special time. It is also a time of great change, and anything you can do beforehand to prepare is a bonus once the baby is born. I’ve compiled a list of things I’ve done to prepare, while we wait for baby number 3, which I thought might be helpful to share with any other expecting Mums!
I’ve found it helpful to keep everything together, so I’ve used one of my Padtastic notebooks; a notepad would work well too!
- Nursery: Decide where the baby will sleep, and start jotting down ideas if you wish to decorate the nursery. I’ve reused my older girl’s bassinet, rocking chair and change table, and added in a splash of colour. Keep it neutral or decide on a colour theme and find those cute pieces to make the room cosy and calm for your new little one!
- Car Seat and Pram: I am using the same capsule I used for my girl’s in the car, and it also attaches to our pram. Make sure the car seat you purchase is less than 10 years old, and is installed correctly. A tip for pram shopping (either new or secondhand) is to make sure it fits in your boot and is comfortable to push and steer.
- Baby’s clothes: The Bonds wondersuits are my most essential baby item, and I like to make sure I have lots of these in each size. I pick them up second-hand or when they are on special for around $10. Making sure you have enough clothes for a week means that even if you are changing outfits multiple times a day, you won’t have to wash every day. Make sure you wash all your baby’s clothes before packing your baby’s bag.
- Nappy bag/hospital bag for baby: I’ll be using a backpack for baby number three as I’ll need my hands free for the baby and my other kids (I’m quickly running out of hands!) Make sure you find a nappy bag that suits your needs and isn’t going to be too big or too small, and is easy to clean. Some of the items you may want to pack include: a swaddle/muslin wrap, a blanket if it’s winter, spare clothes (singlets, suits, socks, mittens, beanies), a bib, hand sanitiser, nappies, baby powder/cream, nappy bags, wipes, dummy, toy, spew cloth, a change mat, food/water once they are eating, bottles & formula and then space for your wallet and phone. These are basically the items you want to take to the hospital for when your baby is born as well.
- Hospital bag for you: Pack your hospital bag 3-4 weeks before your due date so that you are ready to go when the time comes. Some of the items you may want include: comfy clothes/nursing clothes, pyjamas, socks/slippers, thongs for the shower, toiletries, lollies for your support people while in labour (and any other items you’ll need for labour), heat pack, phone, phone charger, wallet, breast pads & maternity pads, dressing gown, books or magazines and I always like to take my own pillow and toilet paper too.
- Prepare your other kids: Talk about what your kids can expect when you bring the new baby home and explain that there will be times when Mummy needs to be feeding or putting the baby to sleep or times they will need to help out. My kids are now 4 and 2 and are very excited, especially as they see my growing belly and it’s been so nice to involve them in the process. I have wrapped 2 small gifts for them so that they receive a gift ‘from the baby’ once he or she is born, as I found this created lots of positivity last time with my eldest when baby number 2 was born.
- Cook freezer meals and stock up on essentials: One of the best things I did to prepare for my last two babies was to cook as many freezer meals as I could to stock my freezer, so that we could focus on settling in once we brought the baby home rather than worrying about what to eat and trying to cook dinner. Things like spaghetti bolognese, lasagna, soup, butter chicken, meatballs, rissoles, apricot chicken, cannelloni and pasta bakes freeze well and are easy to chuck a side salad or some veggies with for a healthy, filling meal. I also made sure I stocked up on essential pantry items, toilet paper, laundry powder, wipes and nappies as well, so I wasn’t having to run to the shop at inconvenient times. If your supermarket offers delivery or click'n'collect, these can be super handy once you’ve just had a baby too.
- Arrange for extra help: I find it hard to ask for help but it can definitely take the pressure off! Ask a family member or friend to clean for you once a week for a few weeks once the baby is born, and agree if they offer to chuck on a load of washing or pack the dishwasher.
Hopefully, these 8 tips will inspire you in your preparations for your new little one, and that it is a smooth transition as you bring your bundle of joy home. I’d love to know your top tips too – make sure you leave a comment and let me know!
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