35 Things to Do Before Baby Arrives

For Your Home

1. Complete house projects. That nesting instinct is in full swing, and you might as well capitalize on it. Just make sure to reach out for reinforcements for any heavy lifting or use of materials that could be harmful to you and your baby.
2. Make freezer meals.  In the month leading up to Baby’s arrival, simply double the meals you already plan on making and freeze the extra for a future “one of those days.” Or make it a social event and devote a weekend to bulk cooking with friends. Trust me, your family (and your own stomach) will later thank you!
3. Stock up.  Make sure you are well stocked on toiletries, canned goods and even prescriptions to avoid unnecessary runs to the grocery store or pharmacy after Baby is born.
4. Clean the carpets. It might not be on your radar yet, but babies spend a significant amount of time on the floor. Having your carpets professionally cleaned will pave the way for all the future cruising and crawling that will take place.
5. Have general maintenance performed before Baby arrives. After all, the best time to have new HVAC filters installed or your piano tuned is before you have a baby with a delicate sleep schedule.
6. Clean out the fridge and pantry. Take everything out to assess, chuck all expired goods, give surfaces a good cleaning and replenish staple items.
7. Fill the car with gas and make sure all general maintenance has been recently performed. When you’re on Baby watch, the last thing you want to discover is that the check engine light is on or that your car’s running on fumes.
8. Prep guest room for after-baby guests. If you plan on having a family member stay with you after Baby is born, now is the time to prepare for the visit. Wash all the guest room bed linens, scour the bathroom (make sure to have extra toiletries on hand just in case) and purchase any hostess gift you plan on gifting during their stay.

For Your Baby

1. Wash all baby clothes and parts. There’s nothing sweeter than the smell of freshly laundered baby clothes, and there’s never a better time to get on it than before Baby is born! Likewise, now is the time to get bottles, nipples, pacifiers and pump parts sanitized and ready to go.
2. Schedule maternity photos. If you want to forever document that darling baby bump, now’s the time to secure a photographer. Ideally, you want to have maternity pictures taken between seven and eight months.
3. Install and test out baby gear. Don’t just keep items in the box. Give yourself margin to assemble big ticket items. And while you’re at it, familiarize yourself with how each device works, ensuring nothing is broken, defective or too complicated to figure out before you need it.
4. Pick out birth announcements. Whether paper’s your thing or you’re more of a digital gal, choosing a birth announcement in advance will spare you the headache of deliberating on a design when you’re running low on sleep.
5.  Choose a pediatrician. Don’t wait until you need a pediatrician to find one! Ask your OBGYN’s office for referrals, as well as family and friends for their own.
6. Research/solidify childcare options. If you’re going back to work or will be in need of some help after Baby is born, get things solidified early so you can have peace of mind and savor those first few weeks postpartum.

For Your Family

1. Schedule a babymoon. Live it up with your hubs whether you stay local or get away to a dream destination.
2. Bond with your older children. There won’t be as much of you to go around soon, so enjoy the extra time to play games or go on an outing together.
3. Prepare gifts for your older children, as well as first meeting outfits. If you’re not making them yourself, put the Etsy order in now for Big Brother and Big Sister shirts. Likewise, get those gifts from Baby to older siblings wrapped and ready.
4. Submit plans for whoever will stay with the kids and pets. Write out all pertinent information that your babysitter may need to know (your cell phone number, the doctor’s, care instructions, etc.). Likewise, make sure your support team has the all clear for picking kids up from school, daycare and other activities.
5. Update your will. No one likes to think about it, but having a plan for your little one in the event something goes awry will give you peace of mind like no other.

For Yourself

1. Prep for maternity leave. If you need to train a temp/replacement or aim to complete a big project before you take leave, make sure to give yourself margin to do so.
2. Schedule preventative care. You may feel like you’re at the doctor’s every other week right now (because you are!), but don’t forget other forms of preventative care. Now is the perfect time to see your optometrist, dermatologist and dentist. After all, it’s much easier picking out frames or contacts without a baby in tow.
3. Get pampered. Schedule a prenatal massage, pedicure or manicure, or get a new do at the hair salon.
4. Read a book. You’ve got the time. See how your favorite page-turner ends!
5. Enjoy some alone time. Take a retreat and enjoy the solitude.
6. Go out with the girls. Dress up, don your favorite high heels and paint the town with your besties.
7. Sleep. It’s often the most neglected to-do, but try to get the extra zzz’s before you’re on someone else’s sleep schedule.

For Your Labor

1. Tour the hospital/birthing center. Don’t wait until you’re in labor to figure out where to go. Sign up for a tour in your third trimester.
2. Take a birthing class. Hospitals offer classes in-house, but be sure to check out other options, too, like a certified Bradley or Lamaze instructor.
3. Meet all the other physicians on staff. Familiarize yourself with whoever might be on duty when the big day arrives.
4. Test drive the quickest route to the hospital. There’s never a better time than the present to know!
5. Pack your bags. Pack a few outfits for your little bambino, toiletries and socks for you—and don’t forget the phone chargers and camera cards!
6. Hire a doula. If you want some extra love and support during labor, a doula is just the thing.
7. Secure a birth photographer. If you want the big day documented, research and hire a birth photographer in advance.
8. Write out your birth plan. Who do you want present with you during the birth? Do you want an epidural offered at the first wave of intense pain or do you want encouragement to go all natural? Express your desires and submit them to your doctor or midwife. Just keep in mind things may not always go as planned!
9. Build a labor playlist. Music can be a great healer—and distractor!

Lauren Greenlee is an Olathe boymom of three, soon to be four, who is busily trying to get as many things in order before her due date approaches!