Reasons to Get Organized Before a New Baby Arrives

Life transitions often bring about the need to get better organized.  If you’re expecting a new baby, you’ll need to make room for all of the baby’s belongings, plus you are going to be heading into a time of physical healing, sleep depravation, and a complete change in schedule as you focus on caring for a newborn.  The good news is, you have 9 months to prepare!

Here are some reasons to get organized before a new baby arrives:

-To coordinate plans for your life in the first months after the baby is born. This can include postpartum meal planning (having friends drop by with meals during the first weeks), and making plans for completing usual chores such as cleaning, laundry, washing dishes, and grocery shopping during that time.

-To pre-schedule help with childcare (from your partner, family members or friends), so you can get sleep when needed.

-To already have a calendar system in place (paper or digital) to easily schedule the baby’s doctor appointments, your postpartum doctor appointments, times for visitors to meet the baby, etc.

-To organize your car, with a space for the car seat, a stroller, and portable storage for other supplies you can take on short trips for feeding, diapering, and clothing the baby.

-To set up an organized space in the kitchen for storing and washing bottles, and a system and space for storing breast milk, if breast feeding.

-To create storage areas for strollers, bouncers, play yards and toys.

-To set up a functional diaper changing area in your home.

-To make storage for bulk purchases of supplies like diapers and baby wipes.

-To set up baby bathing and grooming supplies in the bathroom.

-To make a laundering plan, if you’ll use cloth diapers.

-To set up an organized storage space for baby related linens, such as baby blankets, crib sheets, quilts, burp cloths, towels, and wash cloths.

-To have the baby’s clothing organized and sorted by size and season.

-To set up a functional and organized nursery.

-To be prepared for visitors to come into your home to meet the new baby.

-To plan for your own self-care time while caring for a newborn.

Decluttering and organizing your home, so that you feel comfortable welcoming guests, you’re able to easily find things and care for the baby, recover from childbirth, and focus on your own self care, will make a big difference in lowering your stress level during this life transition. By setting up a more functional and organized home before the baby arrives, you can spend more time enjoying your newborn. 

If you live in the Raleigh, North Carolina area and need hands-on organizing assistance or want a do-it-yourself plan to get better organized before your new baby arrives, I’d love to help you!  If you live elsewhere, I offer virtual organizing services via video chat.  Please contact me for a free phone consultation to get started.