When you have a baby, your life changes forever. Becoming a parent is one of the best things you will ever do- it’s exciting, terrifying, fascinating and miraculous all in one go. Best of all it really shows you what you’re capable of, how you can grow, give birth to and love this tiny person more than anything else in the world. Being a parent comes with a huge amount of responsibility, but thankfully you get nine months to prepare. In the early days especially you need to be incredibly organized and have everything you need ready to go. That way you’re free to get on with the most important job- looking after your newborn. Here are a few things to get organized when a baby is on the way.

Your Finances

Before you start to buy anything for your baby, it can be a good idea to take a look at your finances. Working out how you are going to afford things both now and in the future is crucial. If you or your partner (or both!) will be taking any extended time off work, will you be able to afford to get by. Is there any financial help available to you? Will you be using your savings? Once you know the answers to these kinds of questions you can begin budgeting and buy everything you need. 

Baby Items

For such a small person, babies need an insane amount of items. Clothes, bottles, toys, bibs, blankets, pacifiers and that’s just for starters. You will need a sterilizer, Moses basket, baby monitor, thermometer. A pram and a car seat are two big purchases for a new baby and are something that you will probably want to put some careful research into. For a pram, you need a model that’s easy to put up and down, and if you use public transport a lot, you need something you can fold down quickly. If you drive a smaller car, you might need to look into a model that can be folded small enough to fit. For your car seat, be sure to find one which has excellent reviews for ease of use and safety and compare different models. For example, you could look at the differences between Chicco Keyfit 30, Keyfit Magic, and Keyfit Zip. When it comes to buying baby items, your best bet is to write an extensive list with things in different categories. That way you can tick things off as you go along, and if friends or family want to help out, you can let them know what you have already to avoid them buying duplicates.

During the first few months of your newborn's life, it is a great idea to invest in newborn photos by Lollie Claire Photography. She will look after your newborn to the highest of safety standards while ensuring that all the little details are captured so you can remember these for years to come.

The Nursery

The nursery or your baby’s room is another important thing to consider before your little one arrives. The first step would be to give the room a good clean and repaint so you can see what kind of space you’re working with. From there you need to purchase some good quality furniture- a crib, changing table, and storage for their things are all important. Having a comfy chair where you can sit and feed them in the night is also worthwhile. While they won’t be up and moving around for quite some time, it’s important to think to the future too. Make sure windows can be locked with a key, and never install blinds with a string closing mechanism since they can be a choking hazard

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