How did you prepare your home for the baby?

[jazzhands]

Hi! I'm 6 months pregnant with baby #1, and I'm starting to think about all the changes that will be happening after baby comes home. What did you do in advance to prepare for baby? I'm thinking along the lines of:

• cleaning
• organizing
• make-ahead meals (what did you make?)
• freezing desserts for company (like what?)
• stockpiling (what?)
• anything else?

I would appreciate all the advice from some of you who have done it before. What you did that worked, what you wish you had done, etc.

TIA!

[Avsfan]

Congrats on your pregnancy!
If I were you, I would think about all the mental changes that are going to be happening and although you might not be able to prepare for them, you could plan for them. ie:

-cleaning. It won't get done as often, nor as nicely, and you are going to be mentally okay with that!

-organizing. You used to have your newspapers, mail and closets organized, now you have diapers and wipes in each room, and have more priority to take out the garbage daily just to have a non-poopy smell. That is considered your exercise. =)

-make-ahead meals. I would advise in your 7th or 8th month, to make a couple casseroles and freeze them, but only things you know you already like. I did some chicken enchiladas and (I can't even remember now!). One casserole will go several days for dinners, lunches, etc.

- freezing desserts. Not on your life! Company's dessert is to see and hold your sweet baby. If you truly feel like you need to, make cookie dough, roll it up in saran wrap and freeze. When you know company is coming, slice some and cook for 10 minutes. Yummy smell, but not near as sweet as baby smell.

-stockpiling. Diapers, wipes, nursing pads, feminine pads/liners. That's the essential. Anything else is just bonus! Also toilet paper, paper towels instead of kitchen rags, paper plates, utensils, etc. Stuff you can throw away easy and don't have to clean! Oh, add laundry detergent to that stockpile list. You'll be doing a lot of laundry!

-anything else. Your baby will grow so, so fast. I know you've heard it before, but if you can learn it from others, then you'll remember your first baby's infancy. Once my first daughter was crying (nothing much) and I said out of exasperation, "why won't you just go to sleep?" The thought then came to me "You don't want her to sleep her life away, do you?" So I held her. Again. To everything there is a balance, but be prepared that your baby will take up most of your life in her/his first several months. Don't resent that.

Good luck!

[MrsPinecone]

• cleaning -- unless you hire someone, your house will never be as clean once the baby comes. You need to learn to live with that. It was a tough one for me.
• organizing -- do it now. See cleaning response.
• make-ahead meals (what did you make?) -- I didn't.
• freezing desserts for company (like what?) -- You company should be bringing YOU desserts, honey. If they expect you to feed and entertain them, they need to go to someone else's house where there is not a new baby.
• stockpiling (what?) -- everything. I have lived off the stockpile for months at a stretch while pregnant and while he was less than a year old.
• anything else? -- Congratulations!!!

[kimmymommie]

Hi! I'm 6 months pregnant with baby #1, --- congrats! how exciting!

• cleaning -like the others said, prepare yourself to not have a neat and tidy house!
• organizing organizing? what's that?
• make-ahead meals (what did you make?) I bought frozen pizzas, hot pockets, etc. Make your hubby cook!
• freezing desserts for company (like what?) Whaaaa?! Company coming isn't going to be what it used to be. Now you open a bag of Chips Ahoy and put them on a plate, and let others hold the baby!
• stockpiling (what?) Wipes, wipes, wipes! If you stockpile diapers, make sure you tape the receipts to the packages- there's no way to gauge how long baby will be in a certain size. Don't go by weights on packages- they're so wrong! Do the same with clothing- keep. the. receipts!
• anything else? Everything I thought I'd need- I didnt. Manufacturers and magazines make you think you need all the gadgets with the bells and whistles, and you don't! DD is 9 months, and we've gotten rid of the Diaper Genie, the Bumbo, we've never used a baby bathtub, wipe warmers are a pain, don't bother with a bottle warmer- just use a bowl of warm water- it takes 1/3 of the time, or less. Playtex VentAire bottles leak, I've literally cried over spilled (breast) milk. Oh- and everything you said you'd do, you probably won't, and the things you said you'd never ever do, you probably will.

Oh- and get your hands on an exersaucer. They're worth their weight in gold! The $50 one or the $100 one will entertain the baby just the same!

I am a relatively new mom (9months) so I remember all the things that I thought I needed, and I can tell you all the things I really use, or couldn't live without. PM me if you have any q's!


HTH!

[maree_strawberry]

Things You Need to Have for Baby


Baby Checklist - Newborn Needs - Preparing for your New Addition - Infant


Preparing for your New Baby


Getting Ready at Home


...just to give you some Ideas


Recipe Chic: Make Ahead Dinners

Freeze Ahead Main Dish Casserole Recipes - Freezer Casseroles - Make Ahead Casserole Entree Recipes - Freezable Casseroles

Make Ahead Recipes - OAMC - Recipes to Make Ahead of Time - Once a Month Cooking - Freeze Crockpot Leftovers


Meal Planning, Make Ahead Cooking, Freezer Charts - The Recipe Link

[misse]

Put a camera in your purse for those unexpected moments (disposable is fine)

Make time for your husband, they need lots of love and support too. My dh felt left out and inadequate. I started making little helpful jobs for him. Pick up milk, mail letters or bills, load dishwasher, sweep. I made it a point to tell him how important he was and how I couldn't do it without him.

When baby sleeps mommy sleeps.

Get a Johnny Jumper. Baby can jump in the doorway while you do dishes, vacuum or read a book. My boys used to jump while I took my bath. I could relax and watch them while I shaved or whatever. They are less than 20.00 at walmart.

Put outlet protectors in electrical outlets.
cabinet locks are good.

Keep the bathroom door closed when not in use. They love to flush and one of my boys fell in head first twice before i learned my lesson. Once he could have easily drowned.

Ditto on suggestion that you do not need alot of what you think you do. A 14.00 collapseable stroller is great for quick runs. Large strollers do not go between clothes racks well anyway and when it rains you get drenched trying to get everything in the car and have you ever had some strange person try to help you in the parking lot. It will make you paranoid.

If you do not have a debit card get one. They are great at gas stations when baby is in the car.

Put a roll of quarters in the ashtray of your car, wipes under the seat for messes. change of clothes in trunk for mom for when you get vomited on.

I did not have much freezer space so I got chili and soups, crackers, froze bread and lunch meat.

keep paper and pen by phone for quick phone messages or to jot down grocery list, or messages to dh if you are running errands.

My mother told me just because I had unexpected company did not mean i had to answer the door! LOL (sorry you must have come by while I was showering or taking a nap "yes i nap with the tv on")

[TheWoman]

In addition to making time for dh, I would like to add that you need to let dh take care of the baby sometimes. Even if he doesn't put the diaper on right, or he uses 37 wipes for a diaper change, or he can't figure out how the snaps on the front of the sleeper work, or you can get the baby to stop crying so much faster, you need to let him learn.

It is important that dh learns how to do it and that baby learns that dh can take care of her. One day you will get sick, or you will have been up all night with a sick baby, or some other thing where it will be REALLY helpful if dh can take care of things for a while.

And while dh is learning to do this stuff DO NOT nag him when he doesn't do it exactly the way you do. Even if the diaper is on backwards, as long as it doesn't endanger the baby's life or health let it go.

I learned this stuff the hard way with my first.





One thing more-don't worry about babyproofing the house just yet. Babies don't usually learn to crawl until they are at least 6 months old. There is no reason for you to be dealing with outlet covers and toilet seat locks when baby can't even hold up his own head yet.

[Leggett44]

I agree that the exersaucer was the best $10 yard sale investment ever! It was worth it's weight in gold!!! I even resold it for $40 at a children's consignment sale after we were through with it.

Please leave tags on baby's clothing until you are ready to use. My DH took all of the tags off our DD clothes before she was born. We never even used half of them, but we couldn't take them back to the store.

Stock up on diapers when they are on sale and when you can get them cheap...think and buy bigger so you will not be stuck with diapers that your baby has outgrown. Stick to the brand that you feel most comfortable with...not everyone agrees on which diaper brand is the best.

I bought and used a ton of bibs. They saved my DD clothes from being ruined by formula and food stains.

PJ's with snaps can be a real pain in the butt! Buy PJ's that have a zipper...they are much easier to deal with when you have a screaming or skirmming baby.

Sleep when baby is sleeping. It is sometimes very hard to do, but if you don't, you will be very sleep deprived.

Enjoy your baby...they grow so very fast!!!

[Sunny's Mama]

You can never prepare! But, I crawled on the floor to see what baby would see. You learn from experiences. Best of luck to you, it's greatest life change ever!

[MonkersMama]

I have a 4 yo DS and a 2 week old DD...lessons learned:

• babies need just the basics - food, love, warmth, and safety
• frozen casseroles - my mom made meatballs, meatloaf, chicken noodle soup, turkey dinners, bbq pork chops - consider fiber in your meals for post-partum "regularity"
• like the others above, stock up on diapers and wipers
• invest in a baby carrier or sling so you can use both hands
• bouncy chair on the bathroom floor
• if you will be breastfeeding - plenty of cotton nursing bras - Walmart and Kmart sell them for around $8