Adding a new member to the family is a big deal, and there’s a whole lot to do before the big day arrives. You’ll be getting plenty of advice from friends and family about choosing a pediatrician, stocking the nursery, and completing other items on the quintessential pre-baby to-do list. But you may not hear much about these three important baby preparation tasks that all new parents should take care of ahead of their due date.
1. Improve Your Indoor Air Quality
Asthma triggers and allergens in the home abound, including dust mites, mold and mildew, and excessively high or low humidity levels. Additionally, levels of a number of common organic pollutants are up to five times higher inside your home than outside, even if you live in an industrial area. To clean up your air quality, put these tasks on your baby preparation checklist.
- Get your carpets cleaned to remove allergens.
- Reduce your use of household cleaners, fragrances, and other chemicals.
- Thoroughly air out your home to reduce volatile organic compound levels.
- Wash all of Baby’s bedding and clothing in gentle, unscented detergent.
- Wash your own bedding in hot water and dry on high heat to kill dust mites.
- Change your HVAC air filter.
- Remove any unused chemicals in your home—including paints, pesticides, and cleaners—to reduce exposure to airborne pollutants.
- Have your home checked for radon, a naturally occurring, radioactive gas.
- Change your smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries.
2. New-Parent-Proof Your Home
Parents worry about child-proofing the home, but you’ll have plenty of time for that before Baby goes mobile. What new parents should worry about is parent-proofing the home. Groggy feedings in the wee hours mean you’re up and about the house in the dark, so installing night lights in frequented areas should be at the top of your parent-proofing list. Also:
- Remove tripping hazards in the home, including loose area rugs, cords, and unnecessary furniture.
- Make sure the stairway and hallway light bulbs are operational.
- Place non-slip mats on the bathroom floors and in front of the kitchen sink.
- Stock up on all of your essentials to cut down on midnight shopping trips.
3. Re-evaluate Your Finances
Any time you experience a major change in your life, such as getting married or having children, it’s a good time to take another look at your investments, savings plans, and insurance policies. As your life changes, these things often need to change as well. For example, you may want to:
- Divert a portion of your investment budget to a college savings plan or switch to investments that carry a lower risk.
- Increase your household budget now that you have additional monthly expenses, like diapers, co-pays, and lots of fun baby stuff.
- Update life and health insurance policies, now that there’s more at stake.
Texan Insurance has you covered, whatever your new insurance needs may be once your new bundle of joy arrives. Contact us today to review your coverage and make sure you have what you need.