How to Keep Your House Clean with a New Baby

When you first come home from the hospital witih a new baby you have several challenges. First of all you've just been through a major assault on your body. Yes you have something wonderful to show for it but your body has still been through a seige, physically and hormonally. You are now faced with around the clock demands. Baby needs don't stop and the house is still there needing attention..

Before you even think of tackling house hold chores think ahead. Make sure there is a system in place no matter how simple. Keep all the baby supplies in one area for easy access. You need a "station", one area with diapers, creams, wet ones, clothing maybe a few a few toys and bottled water so you stay refreshed and hydrated. This should be close to you. If you have to set up in your bedroom for a while so be it. It's easier to just slide out of bed , attend to the baby and fall right back into bed rather than traipse though the house. You can move things back to the babies quarters as his or her schedule gets easier. Keep a bottle warmer near by and have a night light there so you don't have to turn on lights.

Sleep when the baby sleeps, day and night, if at all possible. You need rest, a lot of it. If your husband or partner is good they will take feeding shifts. If you have a Mother or Mother in law that doesn't drive you nuts let them come help for a few weeks or more. In my day everyone hired nurses for the first few weeks. That was the baby gift we gave and got. My nurse did the cooking and cleaning as well as getting the baby settled after I'd feed him or her. She would do the night feedings for the baby that was bottle fed.

Now you have a shorter stay in the hospital and most gals seem to be on there own the moment they get home from the hospital.

Be prepared if you don't have all this wonderul help to do a heavy bit of scheduling. Before you deliver, if at all possible, prepare meals and freeze them. Good friends can help with this as can a Mother or Mother in law. Then you only have to reheat food or have hubby toss something into the microwave. Also, there is nothing wrong with take out. Make sure you have some easy nutritional things you can snack on in the fridge.Yogurts, Ensure, fruit, things that will keep you healthy and strong.

Baby Sling: This is and was one of the best items ever invented. You can put baby in the slingand they are close to your heart beat. It's very soothing for the baby and you are hands free. You can do any number of things and baby is safe and content. You can vacuum, dust, etc and most often the baby will just be lulled to sleep. I still use one 40 years later. I have a neurotic dog. I throw him in the pouch and go about my business. It calms him immensely.

You can hire a young gal to just watch the baby for an hour while you are there cleaning. Or hire someone to clean and you watch the child. When baby is sleeping, sleep but if you can time it so that you get up the last hour of his or her sleep you can do a little quick straightening up or a quick laundry.

Wet Ones:You can toss a wet one on the bathroom floor and just slide it around with your feet cleaning the floor as you do. It will just be a surface clean up but it will keep things from getting out of hand. It's also a little exercise which doens't hurt. Keep Wet ones near the fridge for quick spot clean ups for the counter and fridge. Keep them everywhere. You can touch up a table, window sills, blinds, lamps, tchatchkes all with wet ones. They will help you clean little areas without any extra work. There are wet ones made especially for glass and wet ones by Pledge for furniture and cabinets. Carbona makes Stainless steel wipes if you have stainless steel appliances. If not regular wipes will do the fridge and oven fronts..

Food shopping. I'd find a store that delivers but if you can't see if someone can pick up a few things for you until you feel strong enough to head out on your own. It's good to have a good friend, neighbor or Mom again to go with you or for you at first. Pre delivery do a major stock up .

Showering: Put baby in one of those little infaseats on the floor in the bathroom while you shower. You can see the baby, the baby can see you, he or she is entertained and safe.. Keep a spray shower cleaner in there and just give it a few squirts when you get out. I squirt this into the toilet and around it's edges, then wipe with a wet one and another chore is done.

This is a wonderful but tiring time in life. Accept any help offered. Do a little here and a little there, you don't have to run a museum. Talk to your husband or partner and make sure they are pitching in. Check out all deliveryy stores. Prepare food ahead. Sleep when the abby sleeps and be glad you haven't had sextuplets.