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De-cluttering Before the Baby Comes Home

As part of your preparations for the new baby’s arrival, it is worth giving some thought to the thorny issue of space. Unless you are remarkably organised, you and your family have probably accumulated a lot of clutter over the years. A baby – although very tiny – comes with an enormous amount of stuff, from bottles to bouncers, cots, high chairs, carriers, toys... the list really is endless.

Space assessment

Take a good look around your home. Where will you keep your baby’s pram when you aren’t using it? The pram or buggy will need to be near the front door, preferably on an easy to clean surface (it is surprising how much dirt a pram brings into the house). Where will your baby take her naps during the day? If you are going to keep a Moses basket or crib in your lounge or day-room, you will need space for this, as well as changing equipment, a play-gym or mat, a box for toys, and some kind of bouncer or recliner chair.

What about the kitchen? If you are bottle feeding or expressing, you’ll need room for sterilising equipment, bottles, cartons of milk, bibs, and muslins. Once you start to wean, your needs increases to include food, bowls and plates, spoons, and beakers. You will also need to do more loads of washing than before, and may need space near the laundry to collect the dirty bibs, diapers, muslin squares, and clothes. (Many new babies go through four outfits a day!)

Don't forget the bathroom! You may need to store a baby bath, toys, baby bath bubbles and shampoo, face cloths, towels, sponges and changing mat. If you can clear out some of your old bottles and potions before you bring the baby home, you will be thankful later!

Prioritize

Now you have assessed how much space you need, it is time to start clearing out some of the clutter. Take one room at a time and sort your belongings into three piles – keep, throw away, and charity. Charities are grateful for good quality clothes, toys, books, kitchen ware and ornaments. Many offer a collection service. From your throw-away pile, see if any items can be recycled. Most areas have banks for the collection of shoes, clothes, paper, and bottles etc.

Take another look at your ‘keep’ pile, especially if it is still quite large. Try applying the William Morris criteria – have nothing in your home you don’t know to be useful or believe to be beautiful!

Storage

If you simply can’t bear to part with your clutter, try storing it instead. If you have an attic space or basement, you could pack up items you won’t need to use for a while and store them out of the way. Clothes, linen and spare towels can be stored in vacuum bags, available from most home-ware stores. Not only does this save space, it also keeps the items fresh. Duvets, pillows and blankets can also be stored this way.

For larger items, such as furniture, it may be worth renting storage space in a storage facility. Self-store lock ups offer safe, dry storage, paid for monthly. This is a good option if you have furniture you know you don’t have room for now, but are sure you will need in the future – if you move to a larger home at some point, for example. Even though it will cost money to store, this can still be cheaper than buying new furniture later.

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Read our Diary Of A New Mum and discover what happens when Jessica-Ann comes home from the hospital and during her first year at home. This fun read is perfect for new mums and experienced mums alike! New episodes weekly.
Diary Of A New Mum

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