How Jamie and Fillip Hord Prepare for Parenthood
As Jamie and Fillip prepare to be new parents, Jamie shares a few ways the Hord’s got ready for parenthood:
It’s funny the ebbs and flows during nine months of pregnancy. Some days you’re thinking “Omg it’s almost here!” and other days you’re like “Omg it’s still so far away” – but it never hurts to be more prepared than to wait until the last minute.
I worked up to 36 weeks, so I understand it’s a juggle getting everything set up while working full time – but it’s crucial to think ahead of time (especially with how back-ordered furniture and other items are during these times)!
Be sure to have a plan before placing orders, this way you know which items are going to fit properly, helping you avoid last-minute returns. Take proper measurements, tape out your space if you need to, and make sure your space flows functionally and is safe. For example, don’t put the crib by a window or over a floor heater, etc).
A big part of our jobs at Horderly is setting up nurseries for other moms, so it was great to already have the experience of knowing what things are as a first-time mom. However, if all of this is super new to you, make sure you are doing research or talking to friends or family members to get their recommendations.
Absorb as much new information as you can before the baby arrives but know that things might not always work out the way you have planned! Go in with a flexible, open mind as well.
Here are some ways Fillip and I prepped for Baby Hord’s arrival:
Read Books
Once we knew we were pregnant, step one was to educate ourselves and read as much as we could about pregnancy and raising a baby (plus, Fillip LOVES to read).
Here are three books we read that really helped us during the early stages:
Take Classes
We took four classes that we believe are crucial to prep for parenthood:
- CPR
- Labor
- Sleep training
- Lactation
These classes helped us first learn how to safely take care of baby in an emergency, and educate us on what to expect during moments like labor and delivery, sleep training baby and feeding baby. These classes helped us be more confident as we approach new parenthood.
Order the Necessities
We ordered our stroller, car seat and sink tub way in advance so that we weren’t rushed putting these items together – and so that if we didn’t like them, we could return and purchase new ones with enough time to assemble and prep for baby.
Baby Proof
We spent time baby-proofing our house before baby arrives so that we wouldn’t have to worry about it down the road. Some parents choose to do this later on once baby can walk or crawl, but we decided to get it out of the way early!
We secured any furniture around the house that could tip, made sure baby’s dresser was safe and checked that there were no items that could hurt baby during changing time.
Fill Out Registrations & Warranties
A lot of people don’t think to do this, but we registered big items like our furniture, stroller and car seat with the respective companies so that we’re notified if there’s a recall. If the item has a warranty and breaks before the warranty expires, we can work with the company to get a replacement.
Wash Baby Clothes
We washed all baby clothes before putting them away in the closet or drawers, and encourage you to do the same! It’s always best to give new clothes a wash before your little one starts wearing them. Baby clothes can easily pick up dust, dirt, and other irritants between the warehouse and your home – so it’s important to make sure what baby is wearing is as clean as possible to avoid irritating baby’s skin or having baby develop a rash.
Nursery Step Up
Baby might not be in here right away, but being ahead of the game and getting everything organized before baby arrives will take the stress out of doing this once the baby is here. In addition to washing clothes, Fillip and I totally prepped the entire nursery in advance of baby’s arrival including setting up the crib and putting sheets on the crib, setting up the changing station on top of baby’s dresser, adding decor to the nursery and displaying and containing baby’s toys and books.
Stay tuned for Baby Hord’s nursery reveal!
Complete Tasks Around Your Home
While prepping for baby has been time-consuming, there were also other tasks around our home we needed to complete in terms of general household maintenance and spring cleaning tasks. Things like that always linger on our to-do list, but we knew once baby arrived they may be indefinitely set on the back-burner.
Fillip and I made sure to schedule a time to get those household tasks done before baby comes so they wouldn’t be hanging over our heads. We completed tasks like cleaning hanging lights, and getting our couch and rugs cleaned.
Clean Car & Set-Up Car Seat
More recently, we got our car deep-cleaned and we set up our car seat! Once the car seat was set up, we took it to a local spot to get it checked to make sure it was set up properly and baby would be safe in the car seat – this was a free service!
If you have two cars, consider getting a second car seat base installed, so that you don’t have to worry about taking the entire car seat system apart and re-installing it if you switch cars.
Assemble Diaper Bag
Putting the diaper bag together in advance of baby’s arrival will be super helpful on days you need to take baby to a doctors appointment, or even for a quick outing.
When putting baby’s bag together, consider purchasing multiple items so that you have one for the diaper bag and one that stays in the house (i.e. diaper cream, changing pad, etc.) – this will give you the peace of mind that everything you need is already in the diaper bag, and you won’t have to run around the house looking for certain items every time you need to take baby somewhere.
If you need some extra help prepping for baby, but aren’t sure where to start, reach out to Horderly to schedule an in-home or virtual organizing session.
For more information on all things Horderly – including lots of great tips, tricks, and other #HorderlyHabits – check out our blog or reach out for more information!
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