Top 10 Things To Do Before Baby Arrives

Meal Prep. Once baby gets here it can be difficult to find time to feed yourself. Be sure to make plenty of meals beforehand. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snacks. If you’re breastfeeding you’ll need to make sure you’re getting enough nutrient dense foods in. While it’s easy to reach for a quick junk food item, you’ll be happy if you have some real meals and healthy snacks you can pull out of the freezer or microwave. – One of my personal favorites for breakfast were these chocolate chip banana lactation muffins.
Download a white noise app or even subscribe to Moshi. The White Noise app (fuchsia logo in App Store) is free and has a ton of different sounds. I’ve found that each baby is different. Robbie loved the ocean waves sounds but Grayson was a fan of the vacuum sound. Finley on the other hand needed what is called pink noise. The Moshi app you have to pay for but my family has found it extremely useful for all three children! It has sounds like white noise, pink noise, ocean, etc.. It has meditations for children that are great for relaxing. However, the best feature is the bedtime stories!! The stories combine music with a peaceful story (that is often times pure non-sense) to help lull your child to sleep. Both Grayson and Finley use it at night. All three boys love it in the car! If you want to try a free month of Moshi, send me a quick email and I’ll send you the link.
Wash baby clothes. Trust me on this. The last thing you’ll want to do is wash, fold, and put away a mountain of baby clothes. Do your postpartum self a favor and handle all of those clothes before having the baby. Oh! And there is no reason to buy special detergent for baby (Dreft is full of harmful chemicals). Try a Free & Clear detergent for the whole family!
Quality Time. Once baby gets here, it might be awhile before you’re able to go out on a date night or a vacation with your significant other. Be sure to go out on a date (or a few) before baby arrives. If you can swing it financially, I highly recommend taking a few days to go on a baby moon! Not only is it hard to get in one on one time with your significant other once baby gets here, but you may even be at each other’s throats for the first few months. Take some time to remember, before the baby, it was just the two of you! If you already have child(ren) it’s also a good time to go on a family vacation or spend some one on one time with each child. Their world is about to be rocked too!
Prepare your car. First thing you can do is install the carseat. I know this one seems silly but carseat installation can be tricky, especially for first time parents. Even as a mom of three (almost four), I sometimes get frustrated trying to clip the strap into the anchor. The last thing you’ll want to be doing when you go into labor is struggle getting the carseat in the car or watching your significant other do it while you’re mid-contraction. Try to install in at least 3 weeks before, but a month would be ideal. Another great idea is to create a little baby kit in your car. A caddy stocked with diapers, wipes, a burp cloth, an extra change of clothes, a reusable bag for wet/poopy clothing, and a few small trash bags comes in handy when there is an accident. You can also add in some items like baby toys, pacifiers, etc.
Do your research. Parenting comes with LOTS of decisions. They can be overwhelming, so start researching now on topics such as local pediatricians, circumcision, vaccination, breastfeeding, safe co-sleeping, etc.
Coordinate sitters. You’ll likely be in the hospital for 2-5 days. Be sure to make plans for any pets and/or children. If your significant other is staying in the hospital with you at night, you’ll need someone for both day time and night time.
Pack Your Bag. A few weeks before your due date, be sure to pack your bag for your hospital. Don’t forget your significant other’s stuff too!
Birth Plan. Now, I don’t mean you need to do this elaborate plan and I don’t recommend you have anything absolutely set in stone (laboring and birth can come with a lot of unexpected decisions). However, I do think you should have a general idea of what you want and don’t want. Talk to your doctor/midwife and your significant other about what you’re thinking. You can have it typed and printed for the nurses and doctors at time of delivery if you choose.
Schedule your maternity and newborn photography sessions. Maternity sessions are best done between 28-34 weeks. This leaves time not only in case you go early, but often before you get too uncomfortable. Newborn sessions are ideally completed between 6-14 days of age. You’ll likely have a lot on your mind when your baby gets here. Not only does this take one more thing off your plate, but it also insures you’ll be able to book the photographer of your choice. I recommend booking both when you’re about 20 weeks along.