Let’s face it, your new little tiny human has an

ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF STUFF!

You’re 8 months pregnant (feeling like you’re 25 months pregnant) and you have just had your virtual or drive-by baby shower with bags and boxes of gifts for delivered or dropped off by family and friends. Not to mention all of your purchases from Amazon and Target that keep arriving on your doorstep. I have heard of baby shower loot filling an entire nursery, 2 layers deep. The sheer volume of baby gear can leave some parents-to-be feeling overwhelmed.

And what happens when we’re overwhelmed and we’re strapped for time? We shove everything wherever in hopes that the magic fairy will come and take care of it all.

Am I right?

Not this time! You’re going to be PREPARED when your baby is born. You’re ready to tackle the task…..unless, of course, you’ve hired yourself a magical Postpartum Doula to work organizational magic!)

 

Let’s get started

 

Tip 1: Pull everything out of all the bags and boxes. Everything!

Now that you’ve made a giant pile of all of your baby loot, separate them by:

1. Size: clothing, diapers, sleep sacks, etc

2. Use: pumping, bottle feeding, diaper changing, etc

3. Location: where are you planning on putting these items in your home (kitchen, nursery, basement)

 

Tip 2: Organize each pile

Take each pile, fold it neatly and place in organizational containers. Baby stuff can be small, leaving it falling the drawers or closet. Here are our favorite supplies for organization:

• These drawer boxes from Ikea collapse until you need them, are washable, and keep baby items so neatly contained in a drawer. We like to Marie Kondo the heck out of baby clothes, keeping them accessible, visitble compact, and portable. These boxes are used for the items you will be using immediately.

• Store items that will be used later, placing them in zippered containers or plastic totes, under the crib (until baby figures out where they are). There are so many options from Ikea and Target. (Pssst…..these are great items to add to your baby registry!) Remember to make it easy on yourself to find the items in each box by labeling them.)

• Label, label, label. Don’t have a labeler? They are worth their weight in gold. We like the P-Touch and use it on EVERYTHING! We recommend labeling each drawer on the top of each drawer panel not on the face of it. You don’t want to ruin the finish. By labeling, you are guiding everyone (including yourself) to know where ALL the baby clothes go AND when your postpartum doula or nanny are in your home they know where everything is.

• Use hangers designed for baby clothes. This is another great baby shower suggestion. Hang up all of the outfits. We like to hoard the hangers that baby outfits come on because, not only do they have the size already on the hanger, but they hold the entire outfit. If the baby clothes are put together in outfits, you are more likely to find your baby dressed to your liking when anyone else helps out. We also like the size organizers so, at a glance, you know what sizes and how much of each size you have hanging in the closet.

• For items such as swaddle blankets, burp cloths, or baby bedding, fold and roll them so they can be placed upright in a basket or bin. Our favorite baskets are these plastic ones from Target. You can wash them in hot, soapy water to clean them, they are great for baby’s toys as they grow, they can be used for mini-laundry baskets all over the house, and for closet storage as well.

 

Tip 3: Put it all away

Now that you have all of your baby shower gifts organized, it’s time to put them all away. Closet stuff in the closet. Dresser stuff in the dresser. Changing table stuff at the changing table. Stuff for later stored away where you will remember where it is later. Don’t forget to place anything that is to be returned, with it’s gift receipt, in a bag by your front door.

Now that we’ve broken down the process of organizing the tremendous amount of baby loot you have received, take a weekend, have a little organizing party with your partner and get yourself off to a great start BEFORE your baby arrives!

Bonus Tips:

• We’ve created a Baby Essentials List to get you started. This downloadable list is our gift to you.

• If you have enough baby stuff and you are looking for something more useful: add postpartum doula services to your BabyList registry. Let your friends and family crowd source your postpartum and new baby care.

• Worried about the safety of in-home support? Schedule a complimentary phone consultation. We work with families all over the United States (and internationally).