Guest post by Katie Moore

The final weeks of pregnancy can bring mothers much excitement — and a rather significant lack of sleep. That’s why it’s a good idea take care of as many baby prep tasks as possible, well before the last month of pregnancy. If these tasks are left until the last couple of weeks, they will quickly go from being an exciting checklist to a more stressful set of chores.

The fun preparations for baby get to be made at right at home! Preparing a nursery in the home early on can also allow the last few weeks of pregnancy to be wisely spent resting. Below are some suggested steps for getting that spare room prepared to welcome home baby.

• Thoroughly clean out the room intended for the nursery, including the closet.
• Have help repainting the room or making any necessary repairs.
• Begin research on nursery furniture to be sure your purchase is up to the most recent safety standards.
• Buy and set up the nursery furniture. This can also help with a woman’s anticipation, and it helps her realize that there is a place for everything once the baby’s items begin to accumulate.
• Pick the crib bedding set for the nursery and wash it in baby safe detergent.
• Take the time to baby proof the entire home; it’s never too soon to start practicing safe habits.

Many people wind up spending too much money with last minute trips to the store in an effort to purchase all of these items. However, by starting to prepare earlier, it will help keep the budget in check and it can also be very fun to shop.

If someone is throwing a woman a baby shower, she may wish to request that it occur at least a month prior to the baby’s due date. This way, she can have more than enough time to shop for the extra items that were not received as presents.

Preparing for the fun stuff is the best part of pregnancy for many women however it’s important to remember that there are also many health related preparations to make as well. For example maintaining a healthy diet and exercise plan throughout pregnancy, determining what pain management options to utilize during labor and post-delivery optional considerations like cord blood banking. Cord blood banking is where the cord blood found in the umbilical cord is collected and stored for potential future use in a medical treatment.

Bringing a newborn baby home to a clean and organized home makes life easier for everybody. With numerous steps for organization and gifts for the newborn, mom-to-be will feel much better having everything fall into place as a result of her preparation efforts. Remember that the first few days when the baby finally comes home should be spent relaxing and getting acquainted with baby.

This article was written by Katie Moore. Katie is an active writer within the blogging community who discusses maternity, motherhood, prenatal health, childbirth and other topics within this niche.  If you have any questions or would like to connect with Katie please contact by visiting her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter @moorekm26.

You may also want to try out these 9 Effective Pre and Post Natal Exercises.