Best organisation hacks to be prepared for new baby? What did you do?

[BabyCJuly]

Hi there all,

I really want to feel super organised before baby comes. I was wondering if you could give organisation ideas. I.e. what you had for upstairs and downstairs changing stations. Also did you have anything in these stations for yourself or in the bathroom i.e. if c-section or natural birth to help with pain etc?

I want to be surrounding by lots of stations haha! Pain-free station, changing station etc!

Thank you as always!!

We had twins and had a changing station in our bedroom, their nursery (which is next to the family bathroom) and downstairs because our house is over three floors. We had nappies, wipes, nappy bags, bepanthen, metanium and changing mat at each station. We also had a nappy bin (plastic bucket with lid) by the back door and in our bedroom. We also have some aveeno moisturising lotion in the changing station in the nursery for after their bath. We also put bibs and muslins in all of the changing stations for feeds.

I had a box upstairs and downstairs with - nappies/wipes/cream/nappy bags/bib/change of clothes. Changing mat went under the couch for through the day and I just used a little travel one on the bed if I had to change through the night.

Changing areas are easy to set up, even after the baby is born. My advise is to do a massive declutter of the whole house. Get rid of any useless tat, old, unwanted books/magazines, old clothes, unused kitchen stuff, the works. Your house will be so much easier to manage without clutter.

We had one changing station in our bedroom and then a portable bag we carried if outside the house. We used cloth nappies so having more than one pail made no sense to us. It was stocked with nappies, covers, liners, cloth wipes, powder, etc. Goldenseal for the belly button healing.

We fully baby proofed our home before the birth. The thought was we have more time to do this before than after.

In the upstairs bathroom, I had packets of sitz bath salts and herbs specially formulated for post birth to help the healing (needed because I tore). This was my biggest pain relief.

We had a sleeping cot for baby that was level to our bed and next to it.

Had a stock of 3 month to 6 month baby clothes for the season the baby was due in. Lots of wrappers to swaddle or throw over my shoulder to catch spit up.

My advise is to do a massive declutter of the whole house
This!

I'd say making sure you've got a stash of essentials like foil, food bags, loaf of bread in the freezer, tins of beans, loo roll etc There are some days when getting out of the house is just too difficult!

Pack your hospital bag early. I say this as someone who has never packed a hospital bag as the baby decided to make a completely unexpected early arrival 6 weeks early.

Would also agree with @Aquamarine1029 about decluttering although unless you’re going to chuck all the clutter in the bin this is difficult at the moment since charity shops etc are closed.

Had a cot in lounge so he could be with us during day and at night before we went to bed before moving him into the next to me upstairs - also a life saver avoiding stairs after c section

Changing mats and supplies both up and downstairs.

Bouncy chairs both up and downstsirs (later on obvs)

Perfect prep machine - god send

Get loads of ready meals (cook etc) or batch cook and freeze portions in advance so as you’re ready for witching hour (for the first couple of eeeks ours screamed non stop between 5-9pm)

Spritz for Bits by The Expert Midwife to help in the bathroom... apparently it’s amazing! You can even use it on section scars if necessary, and for general first aid later down the line.

Batch cook for the freezer so you're sorted for meals the first few weeks/months. Best advice we ever took!

Add a change of clothes to your downstairs changing bits for any spit up or accidents. Makes it easier than having to run back upstairs post birth.

I second having your hospital bag packed early! I ended up in hospital at 34 weeks, thankfully baby stayed in but it would have been handy to have for that stay anyway!

Hi,

We are getting ready for our first (32 weeks) and are in the same boat.

We are currently sleeping in what will be Little One's room (in the middle of decorating ours when lock down happened, so will be in LO's room for the foreseeable). While we are waiting to be able to get furniture for LO's room, we've got a hanging rail with canvas storage to sort into sizes/types. I've got fabric baskets from Home Bargains for feeding and changing stations - on of each for upstairs and downstairs, and will just duplicate supplies (nappies, wipes, creams, clothes, bibs, muslins, water bottle/snacks as planning on breastfeeding). Also got a basket to keep in the car with supplies in. Was thinking about having a couple of small postpartum care kits for the bathrooms, as well.

My midwife asked about my hospital bag at my appointment this week, and gave some suggestions about what I should take. Always a good place to start as can tell you what your hospital should provide. She empahsised snacks - she said there will be tea and coffee, but to bring my own 'good stuff'

Try having a look on Pinterest - I've gone through a few different lists, added all the common stuff to my lists, and then a couple of other bits and pieces.

We did cloth nappies so all changing was done in the nursery where the nappy bucket was. The bathroom is next door to any rinsing/flushing was simple enough to do.
I really didn't see the point of having more than one bucket on the go (also meant more than one bucket to disinfect every day).

Batch cooking for the freezer was a life saver. Bolognese, Lasagne, Meatballs in tomato sauce, veggie curry, fish pie, Chilli con Carne, Casseroles all freeze well.
Also make a list of very easy to put together dinners (things on toast, jacket spuds etc) as postpartum jelly brain can just make these things difficult to think of. It sometimes helps to have a list to jog you.

Stock up on all sorts of household stuff so you just don't have to think of any of it for a good while
Loo rolls
Washing powder
Kitchen Foil
Washing up liquid
Dishwasher tablets
Kitchen rolls
Bleach/disinfectant
Shampoo/conditioner

Also a decent stock of store cupboard foods
Tea bags
Coffee
Sugar
Tinned tuna
Beans
Mayo
Tinned tomatoes
Dried pasta
Rice
Cereal etc

For you:
Lavender and Tree tree oils (add 12 drops to a shallow 'sitz' bath to aid healing perineal stitches or tear daily). Alternate between the two.
A small stash of your favourite chocolate
Two bog standard V shaped pillow and spare covers for feeding (however you choose to feed, makes it more comfortable and secure), one to be kept upstairs and one downstairs. I borrowed a friend's fancy breastfeeding cushion filled with microbeads after DC3 was born and didn't think much of it. It cost about six times more than my standard V cushion and I much preferred mine. I also took it in the car with me when out and about and had to do a feed in the car, made it much easier.
Hand cream at every sink and in the changing bag. So much hand washing! My hands were raw without re-applying hand cream.

For the Baby;
Braun ear thermometer
Sudocrem
Calpol (just have it in and ready for the first vaccinations)
Metanium nappy cream (big guns for nappy rash, have it on stand by)
A carrycot for your pram to be used as a daytime bed downstairs
Isofix base for your car seat. Expensive but worth every penny.

Also, sign up to Ocado (or whichever supermarket you prefer)
I did this after DC2, the best thing I've ever done.
Absolutely no need to trawl around supermarkets with babies, don't put yourself through it.