This shop, “What to do before you’re due” has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FormulaForHappiness #GerberTarget #CollectiveBias
Expecting a baby??? Then you know there’s a LOT of preparation needed! You’ve likely gotten all the fun stuff done (picking out adorable baby clothes, having your showers). You’d done all the practical tasks (putting together the crib, installing the car seat). Now here’s some things you might not have thought of yet.
I reached out to my most organized mommy friends to get their
Tips on what to-do before you’re DUE!
1 If you’ll be bottle feeding (or find out that you’re unable to breastfeed), make sure you stock up! Nothing like running to the grocery store in the middle of the night for formula (don’t ask how I know)!
2 Prep lots and lots of frozen meals. Dedicate a day to make lots & lots of meals. Even if you’re not a huge fan of frozen food, you’llappreciate having ready made meals available. My sister would bring over frozen breakfast sandwiches to all her new mommy friends. Mom and dad can now have a nice hot breakfast EASILY!
3 A clean car is appreciated any day of the week, but you’ll REALLY appreciate having your car cleaned out BEFORE you little baby arrives. Instead of cringing every time you put your baby in a car seat of a clean car, you can be patting yourself on your back that you planned ahead and finally cleaned out the car!
4 You’ve probably stocked up on more diapers than you could have imagined, but what about all the non-baby items you need around thehouse? It’s a great time to stock up on as many of those day to day non-perishable supplies as you have room for. Think toilet paper, detergent, dog food, cleaning supplies. The last thing you want to be doing is making trips to the grocery store for ONE item.
5 Some of you may have already begun to think about what you want your baby announcements to look like. You’re one step ahead! But what about making a list of WHO to send those announcements to? And extra points if you start collecting home addresses now! Remember how annoying it was to collect these for wedding invitations? You definitely don’t want to be hunting down addresses in between baby feedings!
6 While you’re deciding what to pack in your hospital bag, make sure to think about any arrangements that you’ll need at your home while you’re at the hospital. Do you have a dog a home that will need to be taken care of? Other kiddos? It’s wise to have a couple of friends / sitters available since you’re likely not going to know EXACTLY when you’re going to need them!
7 Are there any upcoming birthdays that you’ll need to shop for? Will Christmas be approaching shortly after your due date? Buying AND wrapping those gifts NOW will take a lot of pressure & stress off of shopping with your new little one. (Do you notice the theme of not wanting to shop with a little one?)
8 Decide if/how you want to document your baby’s growth. It’s always fun to see the pictures of babies each month as they’re getting bigger & bigger! Taking time to decide where and how you want those pictures to look is not only fun pre-baby project, but you’ll have more time to come up with creative ideas!
9 Pre-register at the hospital. No one likes paperwork, especially when you’re about to go into labor. Most hospitals allow you to pre-register all your medical information & insurance paperwork. Then when it’s time to go, you’ll only need to fill out a couple forms to get checked in. Call your hospital or ask your doctor what their process is!
10 Make sure you have comfortable clothing for after the baby is born. This might not seem too fun because when you’re pregnant, nothing seems comfortable, but you’ll be thanking yourself after the baby is born! The rule of thumb is clothing that fit you at 6 months pregnant will be your best bet immediately post delivery.
Want a couple more tips? How about 100? Since writing this blog post, I added even more (obviously) things to do before you’re due. Check out this post with 100 things to add to your list!
Sherry Nappa says
I was so disorganized when my kids were born. I’m still that way. Great article!