Having a baby is one of the most exciting times in any person’s life. If you are expecting, it is a good idea to get an early start on preparing your home for the new baby. There are so many things you are going to need to do, and it can become quite overwhelming, especially for first-time parents. With this in mind, we have compiled a list of tips that will help you get your home ready for the new arrival.

1. Get the Essentials

There are many items you will need for the baby’s room, beginning with a quality baby monitor. Other things you will need to stock up on include diapers, wipes, baby powder, baby lotion, baby shampoo, clothing, bottles or breastfeeding essentials, bibs, diaper pins (if you are using cloth diapers), and just about anything else you can think of that a newborn baby needs.

2. Decorate the Interior of the Room

It is always wise to decorate the room before the baby is born. That way, you will not be working around the baby and interrupting sleep patterns and other schedules. Look for cute decorations, always keeping safety as your number one priority. Start out with the basic furniture, including a crib, a changing table, and a dresser, and then work your way out from there. If you are local to the Washington, DC area and don’t want to do the room painting yourself, this painting company in Alexandria, VA can be of a great help, as they have certified professional painting contractors who can advise on the best interior design colors and styles for your baby room.

3. Add a Screen Door

You might want to think about removing the nursery door and putting up a wooden screen door. This ensures that you can keep an eye on the baby, but pets and guests won’t go in and disturb the baby. You can paint the door to match the room, and even add a decorative shade to finish it off. This will also help to keep the room darker.

4. Get a Rocking Chair

Rocking your baby to sleep is not only soothing for them, but for you also. So, you need a nice, comfortable rocking chair with a smooth motion. It is particularly important to have a good rocking chair at feeding time. Find one that will serve as a rocker for your baby, and a nice piece of furniture to have for many years as an heirloom piece you will cherish, and can be passed down from generation to generation.

5. Set the Temperature

The baby’s room should not be too hot or too cold. Make sure that you set a reliable and consistent temperature. The most comfortable temperature for a baby is that which is in the womb. You can’t recreate that, but you can come close with air conditioning and a space heater. You will have to play with the temperatures for a bit until you come up with the right temperature, and know that it will stay consistent.

6. Add Soft Lighting

Babies do not like harsh lighting. It is a good idea to install dimmer switches for overhead lighting, or you can also get dimming lamps so you can change the lighting as needed. Babies spend nine months in a dark womb, and they need to have a dark room so as not to scare them.

7. Baby Proof the Home

This is one of the biggest challenges when it comes to getting the home ready for a new baby, because there are so many things that need to be done. It is important to do this before the baby arrives, because it is highly unlikely that you will have time to do it afterwards. Prepare for the newborn stage, and then change things as your baby starts growing and getting more mobile.