I just hit the halfway mark of my pregnancy and I’m starting to feel the urge to get things ready for baby. We are already fairly minimal, but I know that babies tend to come with lots of things (and sooooo many well-intentioned hand-me-downs and gifts). It’s important to me to declutter my home even more before we start adding new baby items!
5 AREAS TO DECLUTTER BEFORE BABY
MASTER BEDROOM
I anticipate spending many, many hours in my bedroom immediately after baby gets here. Spending the first week in bed, with baby, is one of the BEST things you can do to help your body heal!
I know that it will be so beneficial to me to be in a space that is cozy, beautiful and clutter-free.
Our master bedroom is little. Our queen bed already takes up most of the space.
While most of baby’s items (clothing, diapers) will be in the nursery, I suspect it will be helpful to have some items easily accessible where we’ll be spending most of our time!
We’ll also need to make sure there’s enough room for the bassinet to be beside the bed, since that’s the plan for the first few months!
I know I’ll have to be creative with storage space in a small room. And the first step to decluttering before baby will be decluttering what’s already in our room!
Depending on your space this might mean emptying out a drawer, clearing some space in your dresser, decluttering your bedside table, or even removing a piece of furniture to create more space.
I plan on using the Ikea Raskog cart for portable baby storage.
NURSERY
I know many people choose not to have a nursery, or simply don’t have the space for a nursery. Whatever the designated baby space looks like for your family, there’s a good chance it needs some decluttering before baby gets here!
Our nursery was a guestroom / catch all, junk room. We cleaned it all out because we knew we wanted a designated space for all of baby’s things!
Whether the baby is sharing a room with a sibling, will be in your bedroom for the unforeseen future, or has their own space – you’ll likely need to do some decluttering.
I think it’s a great idea to clear out some space for baby before you even start purchasing items, furniture or begin receiving gifts. This way you’ll have somewhere to put those new things and it won’t be overwhelming!
BATHROOM
We have one bathroom in our home and it’s very tiny. It’s going to take some creativity to declutter and make space for baby’s things in the bathroom.
We actually might opt out of having a baby tub, simply because space is so limited. Plus is there anything cuter than bathing the baby in the kitchen sink? 😍
Make sure that there’s room in your bathroom for any bath-time essentials that baby may need – towels, shampoo, soaps, lotions, etc.
STORAGE
Babies grow out of things very quickly! This means that you’ll regularly be putting away clothing, toys, or gear that they grew out of.
Before baby gets here, I’d love to have a loose plan in place for where we’ll store those items!
I plan on having storage in the closet for the clothing sizes they don’t fit into yet, and will be sure to purchase those storage bins before baby arrives. We have lots of space in our unfinished basement for additional gear + larger toys, but I know many do not have that option!
I actually recommend thinking about storage before you even purchase large baby gear + gadgets. When baby grows out of their $200 swing, where will you store it?
Maybe you’ll even want to consider borrowing items for this reason.
It might seem silly to think about decluttering these spaces ahead of time, but I would imagine it’s so much easier than trying to declutter between naps or with a mobile baby at your feet!
KITCHEN
Many minimalist moms, including myself, like to believe that baby won’t take over the entire home. But the reality is that within just a few months baby will be eating solid foods, sitting in a highchair, and will need their own things in the kitchen!
Take a few minutes before baby even arrives to declutter what you can in the kitchen and make space for any items you’ll soon have to add.
If you plan on bottle feeding, you’ll also need to think of storage for your bottles!
When I’m closer to my due date I plan on decluttering + tidying out the freezer and pantry so that I can have it stocked with prepared freezer meals. I also want to ensure we have space in case someone drops food off for us in the first few weeks with baby.
If you take the time before baby comes to declutter these spaces, you’ll thank yourself!
TAKE YOUR TIME
Don’t feel like you need to declutter ALL THE THINGS in one day.
Pregnancy is different for every woman. If you’re feeling exhausted (physically, emotionally OR mentally), give yourself grace to do what you can.
If you don’t get to all of these areas before baby arrives, you’ll be totally ok ☺️ But if you’re like me and have the urge to start nesting, decluttering is a great use of time!
I hope you feel encouraged to get your home ready for a new baby!
