Preparing for Your Baby’s Arrival: A Guide to Planning

Preparing for the arrival of a new baby can require a lot of time, thought, and effort. After all, you want everything to be perfect for when you finally welcome your bundle of joy into the world. But many expectant parents - particularly first-time parents - don’t know where to begin when it comes to preparing a nursery or purchasing baby supplies. But rest assured there are many resources available to help you through the process.

It’s a good idea to start baby preparations around the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy, as you should still have enough energy for preparation during this time, and you’ll still have a few months to prepare before the baby is due. To begin, you’ll want to prepare a place in your home for the baby.

Decide where the baby will sleep, and designate an area for the baby’s clothes and supplies before you start making purchases. However, once you’ve made these decisions, start purchasing some of the basics such as a crib, pram and car seat - ensuring, of course, that these items meet safety standards.

Next, start thinking about essential nursery equipment, such as baby bottles and nipples, nursing bras, and a diaper-carry bag - which you can fill with near-endless supplies of washcloths, receiving blankets, and extra clean clothes for your baby.

Something else you’ll need to buy a lot of is baby clothes. As an initial purchase, pick up about six to ten infant t-shirts or ‘onesies’. It’s likely that you’ll go through about three or four of these a day, so you might eventually feel that you can’t get enough.

Next, pick up about six or seven newborn sleepers; opting for either a gown or footed design. But keep in mind that gowns are useable for a longer period of time as they’re open and will fit your baby at various stages of growth. It’s also a good idea to buy a few hats for your baby, as newborns lose the majority of their body head through their heads. Mitts will also come in handy – pick up about two or three pairs – protecting your baby from scratching his or her face.

To keep your baby’s feet and legs warm, purchase about six or seven pairs of socks or booties, and about three or four pairs of pull-on pants. A lightweight jacket or sweater will also come in handy on colder days. Finally, pick up about seven or eight receiving blankets, as you’re sure to go through these very fast. Remember to wash all baby clothes, bedding, towels and washcloths with baby detergent before use.

Of course another major factor of preparing for the arrival of a newborn is making sure that you are mentally prepared to take on the responsibilities of a new baby. After all, babies are hard work and require a lot of attention.

As an expectant parent preparing for the arrival of a new baby, you’ll want to ensure you have all the essentials at hand. So shop for the basic items and practical babywear first, before letting your eyes wander to all the fancier items that you might not necessarily get as much use out of. If there’s a baby shower planned in honour of your baby, shower guests will usually purchase such novelty items anyway, so in preparing for your baby’s arrival, stick to the necessities first.