Having a baby is no small decision. While children can be the greatest joy in your life, they will change your life in countless ways, and you need to be prepared. Luckily, there are nearly endless resources available to new and prospective parents covering everything from how to get pregnant to raising a strong-willed older child. Most people have a family member (or two, or twelve), who are happy to supply you with endless advice, but it is also good to listen to experts and stay up to date on changing products and parenting trends.

Many people are waiting until they are older to have children. As a result, they feel more prepared emotionally, mentally, and financially because having a baby can be straining in many areas of life. However, there may still be a lot of fear attached to having a child at an older age. While there is plenty of advice for planning a family when you're older, most of the issues you will have to face are the same regardless of age.

Making Room For Baby

While babies are small, they tend to take up a lot of room. You'll need space for your baby to sleep, play, and eat. You will need space for toys and baby supplies. You will also need your home to be safe for your baby to move around without having to worry about serious injury or accidents. Because your home is one of the biggest investments you'll ever make in your life, you want to make sure you are thinking ahead to what your family's needs may be in five or ten years. For example, while you are preparing for one baby, are you planning to have more? Don't just think that you can convert your home office into a nursery—you'll need adequate space for both the baby and a great place to work from home.

John Foresi, Venterra Realty, has years of experience working with individuals to find them the perfect new home for their growing families. He understands the needs of new and expecting parents to narrow down the search options, so you are not wasting time looking at houses that are unrealistic for what you need with a new baby. Foresi, CEO of Venterra Realty, built his business around the needs of the people he was helping. Being a successful real estate business means knowing how to make the home buying process as simple and stress-free as possible. As a new parent, the last thing you want is to work with a realtor that will make your life even more overwhelming than you may already feel.

Your Daily Schedule

Your daily schedule is now be based on your baby. While it is wonderful to think you'll get your baby on a sleeping and eating schedule that works into your life, that is not realistic. You'll be up with your baby during the night regardless of how early you need to work or what is on your schedule for the next day.

Your baby will need to eat much more frequently than you do, so you'll be stopping to eat far more often than you are used to. If you choose to formula feed, you'll also need to be prepared to make bottles throughout the day and have plenty of formula on hand. There is no real replacement for formula other than breastmilk, so you need to be prepared.

Babies need to have their diapers changed regularly and may have frequent accidents needing to change their clothes. Newborns need 12 to 14 diaper changes a day. As your baby gets older, there are fewer diapers, but accidents also tend to get larger. When you start potty training, your entire day is centered around potty time. Every time you go in public, you need to plan out your trip based on where you'll have easy access to bathrooms. Potty training becomes a full-time job for a while.

Leaving the House

Leaving the house is no longer be as easy as picking up your bag and walking out the door. Every time you leave the house, you'll need to make sure you have supplies for every possible situation. You'll need extra bottles, food, clothes, diapers, blankets, snacks lovies, and more. Anything your baby may need while you are away from home has to come with. You'll also need an extra set of clothes for yourself if your baby spits up or has an accident on you while you are out.

It may be best to pack an emergency kit that stays in the back of your vehicle with extras of every possible thing you may need while out with your baby. in addition to what you carry in the diaper bag. You will also need a stroller and portable feeding chair. Your vehicle needs to be big enough to accommodate all the baby supplies plus the infant car seat. Hitching a ride with other people is difficult because moving the car seat around can be a hassle. A seemingly simple trip to the grocery store can sometimes feel like an exhausting adventure.

The Amount of Stuff You Own

You'll discover that having a baby means owning an extraordinary amount of stuff. You would think such a little person wouldn't need a lot of stuff, but you couldn't be more wrong. Everything a baby needs is specialized for the baby to ensure it is safe. You can't use older items because safety standards change drastically over the years as injuries have pushed companies to produce better and safer products.

From cribs to swings to bath chairs, everything you buy or get as a gift needs to be safe for your baby. If something gets cracked, chipped, bent, or broken, it must be discarded and replaced. For example, the condition of your furniture is highly important. While the goal is to teach your baby not to put things in their mouth, at first they will, so everything they can get their hands on needs to be safe if put in their mouth. The sheer amount of toys and stuffed animals you get may seem overwhelming. It helps choose an area for the house to keep things like toys to minimize the overall mess. For example, the family room may also be the play area with your baby, or you can convert the guest room into a toy room.

Working From Home

While working from home may have been an enjoyable and quiet experience before, working from home with a baby can be challenging, because your baby is unaware of your need for quiet or focus. You'll need to take frequent breaks to change and feed your baby, and as your baby gets older, you'll need to find ways to bond with and entertain your baby while you're working. One solution is to create a safe space within your home office for your baby to stay with you while you work. While you don't want your office to turn into a playroom, you can create a calming and fun space for your baby.

Remodeling your home office can be fun and give you an excuse to buy new furniture and decor. The new office space needs to be safe for your baby and productive for you. Consider making your storage vertical using wall shelves, so that as your baby grows into a toddler they cannot reach your office supplies and work materials. Buy a file cabinet that locks, so your little one can't open it or get their fingers smashed by accident. Keep your work area simple to minimize distractions. As a homeowner, you may be leery about hiring a contractor, but a great way to find a comfortable contractor is to get references from people you trust.