Expecting Moms, Don’t Forget to Prepare Your Living Space

Before I had my first baby, I was obsessed with preparing and making sure I had everything I needed. I read the blogs, asked my friends, watched the YouTube videos, and made multiple lists.  Then I created a meticulous registry and checklist for every scenario (hospital bag, diaper bag, nursery, etc.). I had no clue what to do with the actual baby once he came, but I had all of the “stuff.” I promise you, if it’s a top rated “must have” baby product, I own it.

Want to know what I never prepared? My couch. More specifically, our living / family room. The spot where me, baby and my husband would eventually spend 90% of our awake time. I had a beautifully prepared nursery and nursing station in our bedroom, but our living space showed no signs of a new addition to the family coming soon.

The Couch

I didn’t realize my mistake until, at almost 9 months pregnant, I went to visit a friend and her newborn, and she invited me to sit on the couch. This couch was hands down the deepest and most comfortable couch I’ve ever sat on. It was also huge.

We are real friends, you know the kind you don’t have to rush to clean for before they come over. So I quickly noticed that this amazing couch was holding the two of us, the newborn in a Dockatot, her 3 year old toddler, two baskets of laundry to be folded, and there was still space remaining. I was amazed. I commented on it and my friend looked me in my eyes and gave me some of the most important parental advice I would ever receive. She said “make sure you have a comfortable couch, you’re going to eat, sleep and basically live on it forever.”

Hmmm… as I critiqued our living space, I realized that comfortable is not how I would describe our couch. We had a typical living room setup with a sofa and love seat that were cozy enough, but definitely not lounge worthy. “Would we really be living on the couch? And living in the living room??” I knew if this was the case I was in trouble.

My Next Steps

So, like the know it all that I can be sometimes … I ignored her advice. I went on preparing our nursery and all the baby stuff. Well, as I’m sure you can see coming, weeks later when my son was here I realized my mistake.

Where was I spending most of my time? In the living room.

What did I need more than anything? A new couch and to redo our living space.

Over time, we made it work and did the best with our setup. But when I was pregnant with my second child, you better believe I learned from the mistakes of my past. During my pregnancy, we completely renovated our garage and turned it into an additional living space. Equipped with a comfortable, kid friendly couch, with a cozy chaise perfect for endless nursing sessions. It has storage for all of the toys and equipment that comes with 2 under 2 and a layout that can take the brunt of kids for years to come. Upstairs in the nursery, our newborn’s crib is still in the box, awaiting the days of him outgrowing his bassinet. But it’s fine, if you are looking for us, we spend 90% of the time on the couch in our living room.

So my best advice for expecting moms – prep your living space, you truly will LIVE there.

 

 

Danielle Blanco
Danielle is a native New Orleanian. She graduated from Ben Franklin and attended the University of New Orleans' undergraduate and graduate schools. She and her husband Abraham married in 2017 and welcomed their son Blaise in 2019 and son Beckham in 2021. She balances motherhood with working full time as the Director of People and Culture in the local healthcare and education industries. She is learning to embrace the chaos of life as a Mom. Danielle’s current struggle is navigating preschool options for her oldest and managing the endless appetite of her youngest. This type-A mama can usually be found on the go with a to-do list and a plan. She enjoys trying new things, thrifting, and is always in the middle of glittering or a DIY project. Additionally, she never turns down a happy hour or beach vacation. She is excited to experience New Orleans as a mom and is truly proud to call it home.

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