As exciting as it is to add more life to your home, when you are expanding your brood, the numerous changes you’ve got to make to your property in preparation for a newborn can make you realise that a lot of things have to go- that your home is losing some life in order to make room for this new life! In addition to this, you may have a steep learning curve to prepare for parenthood, but also, the fact of the matter is that your home may not be baby friendly in the slightest. Let’s have a look at some of the things that are worth checking out in your home, as well as the things that are worth chucking out.

How Mouldy Is Your Home?

If you live in a new build, it’s not so much of a problem, but if you live in a home that has single glazing windows, or you’ve been meaning to get round to removing all the mould, dust, and mildew, now is the opportune time. We’ve got to think that if we suffer from allergies due to dust and mould, imagine what it’s like for a little person and their little lungs. Before we start to allocate a space for the cot, changing table, and all of the assorted accoutrements associated with a little baby, we had better get on our hands and knees and see if there are any parts of the home that are prone to mould or germs. The bathroom is the best place to begin, as mould can build up so quickly. You need to give your baby the best start in life, and this means getting rid of all of the potential areas where germs can fester. Have a look under your fixings, and lift off the top of the tap, is there a lot of mould in there? If so, you can easily buy bathroom supplies online so you’re faucets and sinks are brand spanking new and, more importantly, clean!

Do The Safety Check

While you’re down on all fours, you may as well take advantage of the opportunity to see what parts of your home are particularly unsafe. You might think that it’s a long time away before your baby is able to crawl and open cupboard doors that house cleaning products and toxic chemicals, but it will come round sooner than you think! If you have loads of cleaning products, medication, and similar items that are potentially hazardous, you should either move them to a cupboard that’s out of reach or consider putting a padlock on the cupboards in question. It’s at this point that you should check if your carbon monoxide alarms and smoke alarms are all in working order. If you’ve got a burglar alarm as well, it’s worth replacing all the batteries and testing them. After all, in the middle of the night, when you haven’t had a minute’s kip for approximately 28 hours, the last thing you want is the smoke alarm to go off because it’s near the end of its battery life!

Don’t Forget The Things That You Need!

If you’ve been packing your hospital bag ready for the main event, you’ve got to think about what you’re going to need at home to make life that little bit easier. The most important thing we have to remember is that there is a person relying on us to do absolutely everything. As such, the things that we are used to doing in life aren’t so easily done anymore! Something as simple as making a cup of tea you’ll have to learn how to do with just one hand! One meal could take you 3 sittings to eat, but also, the temptation to rely on takeaways and ready meals is all too common. After all, you need something quick! The best advice: if you want to maintain a healthy diet, batch cook meals before the baby comes along, portion them up, and put them in the freezer. When you eat unhealthy food, you feel so much worse, but imagine how you feel with lack of sleep. Having healthy meals will give you a fighting chance.

Another important thing to note is that you will feel at your wit’s end, and after the initial couple of weeks where you feel on cloud nine, it’s at this point where you’ve got to figure your way through this thing they call parenthood. As such, you’ve got to prepare everything before the baby comes along so that life is easier for you. Not just in terms of the food you eat, and the home, but also understanding when you are in dire need of a break. We all need time away, even if it’s for just 5 minutes. And you may feel that you are trapped in your home, but if you can make your home as baby-friendly as possible, as well as parent-friendly for you, it will make life that much easier, believe me!