By starting off organized in the nursery you can avoid the stress of disorganization and have items that you need at your fingertips. It is important to create homes for clothes, accessories, and toys. You’re going to be exhausted caring for a newborn so organizing the nursery before birth makes your life easier.

When planning your nursery, ensure that items used frequently are easy to access and store items that will be used in the future. For example, set out newborn clothing and store any clothing or accessories your baby will not fit in or use for the next three months or so. While you may have received a high chair from your registry, you don’t want to clutter your home with too many baby accessories.

Gather all your baby items together and assemble them in the nursery. Take them out of their packaging and wash items as appropriate. Assign zones in the nursery where items are easily accessible. Diapers and wipes and a few changes of clothes should be kept at the changing table. Have a basket of baby books near a comfortable chair. Keep small accessories like socks, hats, and mittens in a top dresser drawer, along with onesies. Additional outfits can be placed in lower drawers. Extra linens and blankets can be kept in a bottom drawer in the dresser.

Leave some toys out and accessible and place others in baskets or bins away on a shelf. You’ll want to have a bouncy seat, swing, and play mat scattered throughout the house so baby has a place for activity and you don’t have to bring the item to where you are while also carrying a newborn.

The more prepared you are before the baby comes, the easier things will be on everyone involved. You can spend your time concentrating on the baby and yourself without having to stress about things left undone.