Having a new baby is a blessing and along with that blessing comes changes. Whether it is the first child or the fifth, you can expect your life, your partner's (if any) and those of your loved ones to change in significant ways. One of the fundamental things to do when the baby is almost due is to get ready. So, how do you make sure that your baby's stay at your home will be comfortable? Here are some helpful tips on how to prepare your home for a new baby:

Set up the baby's room/nursery

Regardless of the size of your home, house or apartment, your baby will need a place to stay. Therefore it's important that you set up a room or space for your newly born and his/her supplies. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Ensure that the room has enough space for the bed, crib, bassinet or basket.
• Set the room in such a way that everything you'll need will be in close proximity to the changing table.
• Ensure you have sufficient functional storage space so as to avoid clutter in the room.
• Pick furniture with easy-to-clean upholstery
• Take measures for proper lighting to ensure that the room is conductive for the baby to sleep during the day and conductive for the baby when awake at night. This involves putting up a window shade or heavy curtain to fake the darkness during the day, and setting nightlight bulbs to give light during the night.

Decorate the nursery

Even though babies don't care much about what their nursery looks like, it's still a good thing to decorate it anyway. Here are some tips on how to decorate a new baby's room:

• If you decide the room could use some color, be sure to paint the nursery with a non-toxic paint.
• You can put up framed prints that are colorful to set a cheerful mood.
• Put up wall paper that is not only colorful, but also easy to clean/wash.
• Pick a gender-specific theme if you want to. If not, the theme can be anything from adorable baby animal portraits, pictures of beautiful places in the world, family photos, etc.

Buy the essentials

There are various items that you will certainly need in order for you to welcome your baby home. Depending on your budget, you can either buy new baby items or purchase them at second hand stores. The following are the things that you will need to buy:

• Bassinet, cradle or cradle that meets the most recent safety standards
• Bedding such as fitted sheets and a comfortable mattress
• Receiving blanket(s)
• Non-slip pad or changing table
• Bottles, bottle cleaners and nipples
• Baby wipes and wash clothes
• baby clothes
• Diapers and diaper pail for soiled diapers
• Baby wash and shampoo

Preparing your home for a new baby may sound like a difficult task, but it's undoubtedly a necessary step that will help you and your baby to easily adjust to the changes that are bound to occur. Most parents are always anxious that they wouldn't have enough to fit all the necessary stuff and you may be too. However, prior preparations will go a long way in ensuring that everything is perfectly okay when the baby arrives.