Becoming parents for the first time can be an overwhelming experience. While the expecting mother is going through myriad changes herself, it is imperative to make relevant changes to your home before the baby arrives. Gazala pens down a few tips to prepare your home to welcome the newest entrant to your family.
The entire journey of being pregnant can be a memorable experience. While there are moments of agonising pain, there are also moments that are special and shared only between a mother and her child. As new parents, apart from the excitement of welcoming a new member, couples are often planning to accommodate their little one in their home. Here are a few simple tips that will help you make small changes to your home to make it more friendly for the new parents and the baby.
- Use noise absorbing the material in your home: Replace light and transparent curtains with thicker drapes, or add a layer of block out and noise dampening material along with the existing sheer curtains. These will not only help the expecting mother to catch up on her sleep, as often- sleeping can be a real challenge during pregnancy, but it will also help to keep the room less noisy and more cosy for your little one.
- Sleeping comfortably is a real task for expectant mother. Sleeping discomfort can continue after the birth of the little one too. Getting a pregnancy pillow, or adding a lot of soft pillows and cushions can become really essential for the comfort of the mother, especially after the baby is born. Stock up on soft and light pillows and cushions that you will need after your little one arrives.
- It is most ideal to opt for a cradle for your infant as it is a much safer option than making the baby sleep along with you. It provides more room for the baby and the parents too can sleep comfortably without constantly worrying about accidentally hurting the child in their sleep.
- Keep the cradle in a position where it is easy to access for the mother. Babies often wake up multiple times at night, and keeping the cradle away can be more exhausting for the mother.
- Use rugs around the cradle. It not only helps to visually separate the area but also helps in reducing noise and makes tiptoeing around the baby much easier.
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- Use storage pockets or small storage units that you can accommodate around the cradle for quick access to things that you may need. Stock up things like diapers, wet wipes, wiping clothes, clothes etc that you may need around the baby.
- If possible, try to use a corner or an alcove to house the cradle, a changing station, a comfortable chair or lounger to feed the baby on etc. It will not only help in making your room look less cluttered, but will help in creating a more private area for the baby. You could also use thin light curtains to segregate the two areas in your room.
- Storage is never sufficient in a home and definitely needs a boost when the baby arrives. Make sure that you either clear up unwanted clutter from existing storage units or purchase a new one to accommodate the items that the baby needs. You could either opt for something that matches the decor of your room, to eventually make it a part of your room or opt for a design that would complement the decor of the child’s bedroom in the future.
- While most people prefer to use cliché colours and decor ideas meant for different genders and age groups, it is suggested to opt for something that is more neutral- both in terms of gender, and age. Your child will quickly outgrow the Disney phase, and changing the themes ever so often can be a financial burden. Likewise, opting for colours like blue for boys, pink for girls is extremely old school and an idea best discarded. Help your child grow with a broader outlook towards life, and train them to not adhere to cliché societal norms such as these. The first step in that could be designing a gender-neutral room that will be the empty canvas to your child’s growth and creativity. However, if you do wish to introduce a hint of animation etc in your child’s room, one can always opt for decals etc as they are cheap and easy to add and remove as needed.
- Opt for furniture and storage items that can be folded or those that are movable and come with wheels. The ease in the movement will help you adjust your room based on the growing needs of your baby.
- Store away furniture and other items that you may no longer need or will not need momentarily. As you make room for your precious little one, you may have to declutter your home to not just make room for him or her but to also ensure the safety of your child.
- A woman after giving birth can be extremely fragile and should seek the help of family, friends or get any assistance that she can seek. Make room in your home for a relative or domestic help who can be available round the clock to help the new mother. Prepare your guest room or servant’s room with the essentials that the occupant may need for a comfortable stay.
- While a newborn is safe from any accidents, once your baby starts crawling and walking around- you will have to store away anything breakable and items that are sharp, heavy or those that can cause accidents. Children can often bring down objects upon themselves which might lead to accidents. Hence, this is one of the most important parts of the home decor that you must take care of, as your infant quickly grows to become old enough to explore the home.
- It is best advised to replace delicate tableware with sturdier counterparts. Opt for metal or unbreakable items for your table as fine China or glassware is not at all safe with a baby in the house.
- You will have to install safety doors at various points like kitchen entrances, staircases etc to ensure that your tiny toddler is safe.
- You also need to install door stoppers, edge protectors for sharp edges of tables etc to make sure that your baby is safe. Closing doors accidentally on their fingers, or locking themselves inside rooms or hurting themselves due to sharp edges of the furniture can be really painful for both parents and infants, and it is best-taken care of while expectant parents are planning the decor of their home.
These simple tips will help you prepare your home and make it comfortable for both the new mother and the child. It is most important to be patient, kind and understanding of each other, as pregnancy and parenting can be a physically and emotionally exhausting task for both the parents.