Family

A Guide to Preparing for the Arrival of a Baby

The arrival of a new family member is always a time for celebration, and prior to bringing mother and baby home from the hospital, there are many things to prepare. While mother gets used to the idea of having a child, the father’s duty involves getting the family home ready for their arrival, and with that in mind, here are a few things that need to be acquired.

  • Bedding – While you could buy a traditional cot, most Australian mothers prefer a naturally-made Moses basket, which has many advantages. You can, for example, simply pick up the Moses basket when you are ready to move the baby for any reason, and moving around the home from room to room is very easy, thanks to the portable bedding. Of course, you will need some small blankets and a suitable pillow, and there is a foam mattress sewn into the bottom of the basket, which is a great idea. The Moses basket is handmade from natural products and can easily be sourced from an online supplier, and they are very reasonably priced.
  • Bathing Implements – You will need a suitable baby bath, and if you are having a baby shower to welcome mother and child, you will receive a good supply of towels, lotions, soaps and skin creams, all of which are required. Make sure that the bath is stable and has no sharp edges (quality baby baths are very safe), and mum really should have a say when looking at baby baths, or any item connected to the baby. Let’s not forget Bib dummies, which can be found within baby basket gifts.
  • The Nursery – Make sure that the room is well-ventilated, with blinds or curtains that block out all of the sunlight. If you are decorating the nursery, make sure you ventilate the room so that all of the paint smells have gone prior to the arrival, and soft, pastel colours are more conducive to a baby nursery. Lighting needs to be soft, with a small lamp near the sleeping area, plus a central light for essential task lighting. Try to create a warm and cosy ambience, which will help baby to sleep, and themed nurseries are all the rage at the moment, with many fine examples to be found online, should you need some inspiration.
  • Baby Alarm – It is a good idea to get one of these, and the times when you are both in the living room, you will be able to hear any noises that come from the nursery. Mum will feel much better knowing that she is monitoring the baby at all times, and for what it costs, a baby alarm is an essential piece of equipment.

With everything at home prepared, you can look forward to mum and baby arriving back home, and the baby shower will be the ideal welcoming tonic, as well as supplying many of the essentials that taking care of a baby demands. Mother will be very happy that she doesn’t have to worry about domestic preparations, and you could surprise her by keeping the nursery decoration to yourself until she arrives.

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