As most of us know, the first month at home with a newborn can be quite an adjustment. I recently had my second child and even as a “seasoned” mom, I forgot how something as small as a 6lb. baby can turn your world upside down.
Luckily for me, I’m a type A planner. Knowing life at home would be considerably more difficult when my son was born, I planned ahead by doing most of the things I listed below. While life was still pretty crazy that first 4-6 weeks, it would have been even more so if I hadn’t done these things.
As I write this post, my son is about to turn 8 weeks old. The fog of the first weeks at home is finally starting to lift, so I figured it was a good time to get this written down, while it’s still pretty fresh in my mind! 
Here’s a list of things I did leading up to the birth of my son, which helped make that first month a lot smoother.
Freezer Meals – Stock your freezer with homemade meals you’ve made or buy freezer meals from the grocery store. Trader Joes is one of my favorite places for freezer meals. You’ll be so thankful to have something easy to pull out for one of your meals because once baby arrives, getting in the kitchen to actually make something will be the last thing you want to do!
Stock Your Pantry – Make sure you have plenty of essentials in your pantry and refrigerator. Having lots of easy to grab items, like granola bars or lactation cookies, was a lifesaver for me. It was also nice to have everyday items such as bread, cheese and paper products like napkins in bulk so my husband wasn’t running to the store when we ran out. As mentioned above, you’re not going to have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen or get to the store (nor will you want to) so having this stuff bought ahead of time will be really helpful!
Make Meal Clean Up a Breeze – Keep disposable plates and silverware on hand. This way in the early days with your baby, you don’t have to worry about loading or unloading the dishwasher or washing anything by hand. This may not seem like a big deal now, but once the baby is home you’ll be thankful for one less thing to worry about and clean!
Entertaining Older Children – If you have other children at home, consider stocking up on items to entertain them. I made sure to hit up the Target Dollar spot ahead of my due date for my daughter for inexpensive, yet entertaining items to pull out and keep her occupied while I fed, changed and took care of the baby in the early days. You’d be surprised how much a few items like a new coloring book or toy can help you out once you have another child at home.
Help with Older Children – If you have friends or family in the area, consider asking them to come over and not hold the baby, but help with your other children. I know most visitors make a bee-line for the baby, but having them spend time with my toddler was much more helpful! I had both my mom and sister spend a day in those first weeks playing with Emily so she didn’t feel ignored and it gave me some extra time to spend with my son.
Cleaning – I made sure to do a thorough cleaning of our home before the baby arrived because I knew it definitely wouldn’t be happening afterwards. This bought me sometime before my husband and I had to do a lot of cleaning again. If you have the means, considering planning for someone to clean your home in the weeks and/or months following the birth to take even one more thing off of your plate.
Recovery Area – Plan to have an area of the home where you can recover. If you have a two-story home, stairs are going to be a no-no for a while, especially if you have a C-section. Plan for an area on the first floor where you can rest during the day and night. I made the living room couch my go-to spot for both day and night for the first few weeks.
Diaper Change Area – Since our baby’s room was also on the second floor, I set up a diaper change station on our first floor. I stocked a plastic bin with diapers, wipes and diaper cream. I also added a beach towel to lay the baby on. This saved me from having to make a trip upstairs when I was still recovering.
Plan for Time Out – Even before my son was born I planned a night for my parents to babysit so my husband and I could have a date night. I picked a date when the baby was about 3 weeks old, when I would feel well enough to get out of the house for a while and the baby wasn’t so new that I was afraid to leave him. Even though we were only away for a few hours, it was so nice to get dressed (even in maternity clothes), do my hair and feel like a “normal” person again.
Mama Treats – This was huge for me! Nine months of pregnancy, followed by childbirth, recovery and then taking care of a baby 24/7 is a lot to handle. I made sure to have fun things on hand to “treat” myself when I was having a rough day. Some items I bought included dark chocolate, a bottle of my favorite wine and a new lip gloss. It’s amazing how something so little can give you a little pick me up. Before the baby arrives, think about buying a few small things you really enjoy that might be nice to have when you’re a sleep-deprived new mama and you need something to keep going!
If you’re a first-time mom, second-time mom or more, having a newborn is never easy. I hope some of these ideas make that special time at home a little easier on everyone as you adjust to your growing family!
Do you have any tips or advice to add to the list?
