Bringing a new baby home is always a joyous event. If it’s your first, you’re likely nervous as well as excited, and you may not know exactly how to prepare beforehand. Here are some things to make sure you have done in your last trimester to help make the transition into parenthood go as smoothly as possible.

Design the Nursery

Designing the nursery is one of the most fun parts of a pregnancy. The first thing you’ll want to do is pick a theme. From there, you can go on to choose a paint color. You may want to have your partner paint or hire someone to do it as the fumes aren’t good for pregnant women. You’ll want to have a crib and changing table in there, and you should consider getting a rocking chair as well. Once you have the essentials, you can find cute little decorative items to make the room feel unique.

Start Baby Proofing

It’s never too early to start baby proofing. Your little one will be on the move before you know it, so it’s a good idea to get a jump start on things. Put protectors in all of the electrical outlets as little fingers tend to find their way in there. Put padding on sharp corners where your baby could bump his or her head. If you have stairs, you’ll want to make sure to install a baby gate at both the bottom and top. You’ll also need to find gun storage Toronto if you keep fire arms in the house.

Cook in Advance

Having a newborn is absolutely exhausting. You’ll be up at all hours, and the last thing you’ll want to do is go in the kitchen and cook an elaborate meal. The best thing to do is to cook some different dishes in advance and pop them in the freezer. You can then pull them out whenever you’re ready to eat them and not have to worry. It’s good to have these for when you need them, but you may also find that people drop food off for you.

This may seem like a lot to get done, especially when you’re heavily pregnant and exhausted, but it really will make things a lot easier once the baby comes home. If it gets to be too much, ask your friends and family members for help. Parenthood is hard, so lean on your support system whenever you need to.