Getting ready for your baby’s arrival? It’s easy to overlook a few tasks, even important ones. Here is your pregnancy checklist with all the things to do before baby is born.
A few months. Maybe a few weeks. I was starting to panic because the baby would be here soon. I wasn’t sure I had everything in place, and I still had so many things to prepare.
The arrival of any baby, whether our first or fifth, can get downright chaotic. With the baby at home, we have less sleep and more duties. Our regular routine and chores get pushed to the back, and we’re still healing from childbirth.
9 things to do before baby is born
That’s why it’s even more important to prepare before the baby comes. We’ll have more time to focus on tasks before the baby takes up most of it. Plus, some are tasks we’d need to get done even before bringing the baby home.
Take a look at these nine things you need to do before the big day:
1. Find your baby’s pediatrician
Your child’s first doctor’s appointment happens on his first day. His pediatrician will visit him in the hospital to examine him healthy enough to go home. You’ll also schedule what seems like nonstop appointments for the next several days to make sure your baby is growing fine.
So don’t leave finding your pediatrician to the last minute. The best place to look is through referrals. Ask your doctor for referrals, and double check these doctors are available on your insurance coverage.
Then, select a few to interview. Call their offices and ask to spend a few minutes to speak with the pediatrician and learn more about her. Choosing a pediatrician now will avoid the chaos of finding one at the last minute.
Discover 15 interview questions for pediatricians you need to ask at a meet and greet.
2. Buy and install the car seat
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The most important baby gear is, by far, the car seat. Without one, you can’t go home with your baby. Many stores offer huge discounts on car seats, so you can even time it to when they hold a sale or offer a coupon.
This is the car seat we bought, which strapped onto the base in the car as well as the stroller.
After you buy the car seat, learn how to install it properly in your car as well as how to securely and safely strap your baby in.
My husband and I hired a woman who taught us how to install our particular car seats into our car models. You can also ask your state highway patrol to check if you installed the car seat correctly.
Take a look at the baby things to buy before birth.
3. Get your maternity leave paperwork processed
I must have met with our HR staff a zillion times to understand the whole maternity leave process. Start early to get familiar with deadlines, payments, and requirements. Ask important questions, like:
- Am I eligible for the Family Medical Rights Leave Act (FMLA)?
- Does my state offer any Paid Family Leave or State Disability Leave?
- Does the company have a maternity leave policy?
- Who will be paying me during maternity leave? How will I receive my pay?
- What percentage of pay will I receive, and for which weeks?
- Do I need to use vacation or sick time? How many vacation or sick days do I have left?
- Will I continue to accrue vacation hours while on maternity leave? Will I continue to have benefits while on maternity leave?
- Will I continue to pay the premium while on leave? If so, how will I make payments?
- How will my maternity leave affect performance reviews and raises?
- When should I add the baby to my insurance policy?
- What happens if complications arise and I need to take more time off?
Get more tips on what to do at work before going on maternity leave.
4. Order or make your baby announcements
Back when I had more time, I used to make hand made cards. Our baby announcements were no different. About a month or two before I was due, I pre-made the cards, with only the baby photo and the birth details to fill in.
Gather your materials to make them, or look online for the ones you want to order. Come baby’s arrival, you can send these out much quicker and with less stress.
Get the ultimate things to do before the baby arrives checklist.
5. Gather bigger clothes
In the early stages of pregnancy, you won’t need maternity clothes just yet. For now, begin to gather clothes that fit you loose or are a little larger. They’ll help tide you over until you outgrow them into maternity clothes.
And once you’re ready for maternity clothes, choose your current size. For instance, if you typically wear a medium, you’ll want to get a medium as well in maternity clothes.
That said, you can also size up, especially for tops. I found that some maternity tops fit well in the earlier stages of pregnancy but not so much during those last few months. Better yet, stick to loose tops instead of tight and hugging ones. Loose tops in general tend to be more versatile.
Finally, don’t store your maternity clothes once you deliver. After giving birth, you’ll shrink down to what you looked like when you were six months pregnant. Not exactly pre-pregnancy size. As you get slimmer, pull out your bigger clothes as you transition back into your regular ones.
Learn 5 misconceptions about maternity clothes.
6. Wash the baby’s clothes
Wash several of your newborn baby clothes before he arrives. You’ll want to dress the baby in clean clothes in case he has sensitive skin or allergies. This includes both store-bought clothes as well as hand-me-downs. And use detergent specifically for babies, such as Dreft, or organic brands.
At the same time, don’t wash everything in case you don’t want or need them and would rather return them to the store.
Wash the crib sheets, changing pad covers, blankets, burp cloths and spit rags as well. Wash any new clothing or hand-me-downs you receive until your baby is one-year-old.
7. Prepare the nursery
Get the baby’s room ready before he arrives! Start with the basics: order the crib and changing table. If you plan to paint the room, do so before assembling the furniture. Once you have the crib and changing table, get everything else ready:
Other non-essentials but good-to-have include:
8. Attend birth and first-aid classes
Nothing can prepare you for being a first-time parent. That said, it’s still important to learn as much as you can, including attending classes to help you with baby care.
Most hospitals offer classes, from birth to first-aid to baby care. You’ll feel more confident with caring for your baby when you have information to rely on.
9. Take a hospital tour
Schedule a tour of the hospital you plan to give birth in so you’re familiar with where to go come delivery time. And get familiar with different driving routes to the hospital. Rush hour or construction detours can throw you off!
Conclusion
Imagine constant pumping and not sleeping through the night. A baby crying inconsolably, and feeling too tired to do anything. Those first few weeks and months can be some of the most hectic. Get things in order now before the baby’s arrival to make the big day less stressful and more enjoyable.
Need a checklist of all these things to get done before the baby is born? Join my newsletter and download your printable checklist below—at no cost to you:
Get more pregnancy tips:
- Preparing for Baby: How to Avoid the Clutter
- Everything I Wish Someone Had Told Me when I Was Pregnant
- The Ultimate Newborn Shopping List
- Newborn Tips and Tricks for New Moms You’ll Be Glad You Read
Great list! We’re past that now, but I remember well the scramble to get everything ready. I actually postponed it with my boys, because I had a feeling they’d be late and I was tempting fate!
Those last few weeks can definitely be hectic!
I turn into a crazy person in the few weeks before the baby is born. There is just so much to get done and you have a fabulous list here!
Thanks Jen! It can definitely get hectic. Plus we get so big those last few weeks!
Love, love, love this. As you know, my sis is pregnant! I remember picking out the child’s pediatrician. I remember getting the maternity clothes ready. I remember washing the baby clothes and having a stowaway red shirt make all of Des’ clothes pink..
sigh.
Haha oh no Tamara! You don’t think it happens until it does to you lol.
If only I’d seen this four months ago! We weren’t ready at all for our third baby. We had our old car seat, but ended up having to buy a new one while the baby was in the hospital, because the old one was ruined in storage. The nursery also wasn’t ready, and I threw away my fat pants before getting pregnant, so I’ve been sporting a massive muffin top and squeezing into my pre-pregnancy jeans. (if only that meant I lost the baby weight faster!)
Oh man what a bummer about all that, Leslie! Sucks to think you had the car seat covered only to find that it got messed up in storage. Totally the last thing you need as you were prepping for baby #3!
This is a great list! And thanks for including my list of 25 things to do before your baby is born!
My pleasure, Chelsea! Your info is useful!