Household Mom and Baby Baskets: A New Parent’s Helpful Tip

During the important nesting phase of pregnancy, a wonderful idea for new parents is to make special baskets to stash all around the house. It’s worth it!

What Are Mom and Baby Baskets?

Quite simply, mom and baby baskets are little bins, bags or actual baskets filled with essentials and placed in all the main rooms of the house. They are very convenient while nursing or bottle-feeding and not to mention for all the little baby catnaps in mama’s arms throughout the day and night.

Essentially, you become kind of “trapped” with a newborn at times because the baby eats and sleeps in new and irregular patterns, and you won’t want to disturb him or her. However, you may be hungry, thirsty, bored or needing your camera to capture an adorable yawn, and you need all of these things within arm’s reach! Enter the mom and baby baskets, which will have nearly everything you need—and the best part is that one will be located right next to your chair.

The nesting phase is a legitimate time during pregnancy during which the mother-to-be is overcome by an urge to prepare the space that the baby will come into after birth. It’s an exciting and special time often used to prep clothes, put together the crib and set up the areas for the parents and the baby to camp out in once they arrive home from the hospital or birthing center. A little extra effort put forth by new parents during this time will make a world of difference when the new addition is at home with you.

Main Categories for New Parents to Include

So what kind of things should you include in your baskets? Consider the following categories:

• Snacks: These are an absolute essential, and you want as much quality as possible here because junk food won’t keep you at your best abilities. Think nuts, seeds, dried fruit, nutrition bars and quality chocolate—because everyone deserves an occasional treat.
• Water Bottle: Another must-have! It is astonishing how thirsty you can be, especially while breastfeeding, but also just as a new parent who needs energy around the clock. Be sure to stash reusable water bottles in all your baskets and make it a habit to keep them topped off on your breaks.
• Diaper Needs: Put a couple of diapers and a small stash of wipes in each basket. You’ll become a pro at quick diaper changes in your lap and won’t want to walk all the way to the proper changing table each time.
• Blankets and Cloths: A few burp cloths and a receiving blanket always come in handy. They can be used to cover your baby or dab up small spills and leaks—no muss, no fuss.
• Baby Grooming Tools: It’s a great idea to trim the baby’s nails while he or she is snoozing, so consider adding little clippers or a file to the baskets. Small pad brushes are also useful for addressing cradle cap.
• Mama Grooming Tools: Items like hair elastics, headbands, chapstick and hand lotion are marvelous additions to each basket. They will constantly be useful and will make mama feel much better.
• Something to Read: A few magazines, a novel or a childcare book are nice to have at the ready when you have a few minutes to peruse something besides your baby’s sweet face. Having these items right there will also encourage you to read more in general, and that is never a bad thing!
• Electronic Needs: Think tablet, phone and charger for this category, not just for taking pictures but also to look things up when you want to and update your feeding app. A dead device isn’t useful at all, so be sure to include chargers in as many locations as possible.

Place to Stash the Baskets

Make three or four baskets and tuck them in useful places. Some ideas are here, but the key is to put them where you actually spend time so that they are used.

• Next to your nursing/feeding chair
• On your nightstand
• In the living room/couch adjacent
• Inside baby’s nursery
• In the car

Final Thoughts on Mom and Baby Baskets

New parents who have the urge or the opportunity to “prep” a little bit for the stork’s arrival may really appreciate a few mom and baby baskets in the near future. These are just quick little snack and accessory bins that caregivers can use to stay seated, caring for the little one while also getting a drink of water or a new hair tie. Think about what could be useful in your household and add this easy task onto your nesting to-do list. Congratulations!