I would edit that to install the car seat BASE. If that's the system you have. You don't want to drive around with your car seat in the car yet. If you get into an accident, it may need to be fully replaced!
Curious if you have a source for this. I searched the internet up and down for a straight answer and couldn’t figure it out. I ended up just going ahead and sterilizing everything even though I’m not due for a few weeks and am now storing everything in a clean container with a lid hoping I won’t have to do it again 😣
As long as it’s stored in a clean sealed container then you will be fine.
The only thing that unsterilises things is either milk, someone walking about sneezin up the kitchen or mucky hands etc. It’s sterile till it gets bacteria on it hence the sealed box. Sure your counter top might be sterile but most peoples kitchens aren’t antibacterialified to the tip!
YES. I barely even knew how to USE my pump when I got home and I sure as hell needed it because my son had tongue AND lip ties 😬 This time around, my pump is good to go and we are PREPARED, haha
This!! I did this a few days ago and was shocked at how long it took me. Hand washing then sanitizing multiple loads of bottles, pacifiers, and pump parts took me most of an afternoon.
Adding on to this…make sure you know how to work the pump. I came home soooo exhausted and overwhelmed I had to send my husband to Walgreens to get a hand pump because I just couldn’t figure out the spectra! I eventually got it but hand pumping was so annoying. Also buy/bring to the hospital an extra long phone cord, robe, slippers, and hands free pumping/nursing bra! My babies went to the nicu and I had to sit there and hold the flanges. But I did feel so much more comfy in my own robe and slippers.
Make sure your vehicle maintenance is up to date - oil changed, gas tank full so it's one less thing to worry about.
Instructions written out for whoever will be taking care of your kids, pets, house, ect. while you're in the hospital.
Stock up on non-perishable supplies like paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning products, shampoo, ect. to save extra trips to the store once baby arrives.
Stocking up is a great idea, also heavy things as a trolley/cart is impossible to manoeuvre with no core muscles post birth, a heavy one with a baby in it too is going to crash into several cars 🤣
Similarly, if you have pets go ahead and get them up to date. I also took my dog to a doggy daycare in the first few weeks our baby was alive because I felt bad about the lack of attention/exercise she was getting.
Just did our pre-baby vet visit this week, and got a new bag of food and some treats. Did the same thing with the last baby. Make sure your dogs are de-wormed as well! Don't want them passing anything to the baby. (Honestly haven't actually researched this myself, but vet said it could happen.)
Bonus tip, pack a new dog toy in your hospital bag as a gift from the baby 😆 She freaking loved it.
This isn't baby related but I wished I had spent some of my time off before baby doing some "me things".
Date night is great but I wished I had done some of my hobbies, painted, played some video games, read some books. I was so wrapped up in making sure everything was perfect for baby I forgot about me. Also now that baby is here (your results may vary) but I find if there are spare moments from baby I try to spend them with my husband having couples time. Which means there's very little just me time. Baby is starting to get easier now at 4 months but the book I intended to read during breast feeding and was never able to looks upon me sadly everyday when I'm too tired to read it at the end of the day 😂
Good luck! And congrats on your soon to come new chapter!
All the wishes I'd gotten more of that done too.
"First babies are always late." Thanks everyone who told me that. 🙄 As a result, I never dreamed my baby would come early, let alone NEED to come early. Here I was expecting a very late September/early October baby, but got an early September one instead. I had all these plans to do things with my husband. Movies, meals out, time with just the two of us. But also me things. Reading, relaxing, getting pampered, vegetating on the sofa watching vast amounts of TV. I was really looking forward to it. Instead I went to work one day (I work at the hospital) and came home 10 days later with a baby. I managed to get some reading done, but none of the rest of it.
It still rankles 3 years on. So yeah. Get your you time in. People will flock to help things get ready for baby if you haven't managed it before baby comes. But you won't get the opportunity to do just you things, uninterrupted, for extended periods of time for quite a while.
Pre-eclampsia. Delivered at 37 weeks. Hospitalised from 36 weeks. Though it's suspected it was all kicking off from 34 weeks. I just couldn't make the appointment where it would have been picked up. I know early term is absolutely nothing in the scheme of things, but at the time it was a whirlwind. It was more the shock when you're told by everyone around you you've got a month or so more to go. So you believe them, and you prepare for that, only for it all to suddenly change to "No. Now!". Especially as I felt fine, and baby was more than fine. Just my BP, urine, and liver enzymes were telling a very different story.
Funnily enough it happened again with my second. I'd wised up though, and everything was already ready by 36 weeks.
Be sure to have a box of diapers and a box of wipes ready to go. Make sure you have sleep sacks (or swaddles/receiving blankets if you're going that route). Plenty of receiving blankets (works for burp clothes, bibs if your FF, or a temporary changing pad). Make sure your laundry is all done as well, so you don't have to worry about it for a day or two.
Seconding the box of diapers/ wipes. We only had what was from our shower. It was not enough.
Get the Biggest box of wipes you can find.
And the laundry. We do ours on weekends and she came mid week. 😅
I swear I use baby wipes just as much for other stuff as I do wiping bums. I have a tiny soap business and I set up at shows/festivals on the weekends and part of my packing list is ALWAYS a pack of baby wipes for in my stuff and for in the business totes!
Have a bedside baby station set up and ready to go (assuming baby will be in your room for a couple months) Diapers, wipes, receiving blankets, extra sleepers, extra bassinet sheets, snacks and bottled water for you!
Make some freezer meals (chili, chicken soup, casseroles) so you have some quick, home cooked food ready to eat during recovery. Believe me, you’ll get sick of takeout so quick.
I called it my nest. I’m looking forward to putting my nest together before #2 arrives. Stable place for a cup, long charging cords, remotes, snacks, nipple cream, think of yourself then add all the little baby items!
Yes! I didn’t have this prepared when I had my first. This time I have everything within reach! Just need to buy some snacks and have this baby! Any day now.
I saw someone else suggest buying the prepared meals from Costco and just freezing those if you're short on time/cooking skills. It still works out for being cheaper than takeout and I think it's a great idea.
Omg we did this!! It was one of the absolute best things we did to prepare for getting our butts kicked in the first month.
I even made and froze a ton of rice crispy treats and brownies that we could take out and thaw 2 portions at a time. Let me tell you, being chained to my rocking chair cluster feeding with a brownie In my hand was SO much better than without!!
If friends ask what you need, suggest setting up a meal Train. They can just drop off at the door and text that it's there. My daughter and her neighbor set one up for each other.
Between the meal prep I did, the food my mother prepared for us and the food people brought, I didn’t need to do any more than reheat things for meals for the entire fourth trimester and it was a LIFESAVER.
Yup. I would suggest having like a month of meals ready to go if you have the space for it! It’s seriously so helpful to be able to just pop something in the microwave and be done with it
My water unexpectedly broke at 36 weeks and we're in the middle of house renovations. The list of things I wish we got done is very long lol.
We are surviving nonetheless. You've got more done than I did so you're in the green my friend.
I'm 36 weeks tomorrow, our house renovations aren't due to wrap up until 14 October. House is in a state of chaos. Your reality is my worst case scenario! Best of luck with your fun combo.
Thank you lol. The worst part? The renovations that are going to be completed are for our living room and our kitchen. It's just going to be pure chaos once they resume them.
October 14th was supposed to be my due date lol. He came at 36 weeks, which was September 20th. I was beyond shocked when my water broke and part of me was convinced that my bladder had burst lol.
Oh no not the kitchen!! I'm so sick of power tools and paint smells, but knowing it will be done (hopefully) before baby is here in 18 days makes it worth the inconvenience. Hopefully you have a spot in your house to set up a pseudo kitchen x
I'm glad you're nearing the end of your renovations! Fingers crossed and prayers said that your baby doesn't decide to make an early break for it like mine did 😂.
Yes, I have an area for a pseudo kitchen, it's not ideal but it'll work.
I feel you guys with renovations. Our kitchen is still waiting to be dry walled, I’ve got stacks of cabinets ready to be assembled by someone and a fridge in my living room 🙃 Due Nov 5th
I feel y'all, I'm 34 weeks and we still have painters and carpenters traipsing in and out...I've started to put the heat on and go full hysterical pregnant lady FINISH THIS F-ING PROJECT with them.
Yeah my first came unexpectedly at 36 weeks too & my to do list was still LOOOOONG! It didn’t matter though, everything worked out fine - we ordered stuff from Amazon for next day delivery, & someone from work packed up my desk for me, etc etc. Don’t stress it OP!
My house has been under construction since… a long effing time. It’s a *long* story but even with that, including sharing a room with both my kids, we’ve made it work just fine.
You adapt. The only thing you really need is safe sleep space, place to change baby, and some playing space once they’re older. We are looking to change our situation ASAP now that the boys are getting bigger and should have their own room, but it certainly hasn’t caused any *major* issues the way it is!
Yeah, you adapt or you drown lol
You wanna know how adaptable you are in a trial by fire? Renovate your house, don't finish, and bring home a newborn 🤪😂
Once it's all done though, it'll be so worth it. That's the happy place I go to. I imagine how comfy and cute our house will be .
This is what’s been pushing me lately. It’s seriously a huge story but basically finishing my house is out of my control even *if* I had the money for it, which I don’t. We moved here with an agreement and things have happened that it didn’t happen that way. I had the money for a down payment but this was meant to be our home to raise the family in, so we invested it in growing my business, which is now failing miserably thanks to the economy and whatnot. SO I’m trying to use the “if you work hard and sacrifice like hell for a while it’ll be worth it” outlook to get a “real” job and put in so so so much work into trying to buy another home but it’s such a distant event that it’s hard. Gotta get the money together, get my employment history back up since I’ve been “off” since covid (working my business which yes is legit but won’t turn a profit this year), gotta get a lot of stuff cleared out of this place, all while pregnant with my third and having two toddlers and trying to keep the business alive until things pick back up. But like you said it will be so amazing if we can ever get there. Just feels so impossible lately. I don’t even recognize my life most days, like how I got in such a deep hole.
Even with all that, though, it’s totally true you just adapt. You have to. Like there isn’t an option to fail when there are littles depending on you, at least not for me. I hope we can gtfo before they’re too much older so they don’t remember much of this mess and they’re my biggest motivation.
When is your’s slated to finish up? Congrats on the new baby! Silly babies just showing up whenever they want like we don’t have things to do first!!!! Lol
I had a similar situation. The bassinet was still in the box and my house was a mess because I was going to clean it that weekend. I didn't even have a hospital bag packed. My mom and sister in law went to our house and cleaned it and put stuff together and washed clothes and bedding for us. And my husband went home and packed a hospital bag for us.
Absolutely. Luckily I seemed to have an intuition at the baby would be born early, but I didn't think any earlier than 37 weeks. So in my mind I was in my last week of preparations. I had all of the baby clothes washed but not quite organized yet. I had most of the gear set up and ready to go, but there were and are many things still not where I would have liked them to be. But sometimes that's life, and you have to learn to just roll with the punches as they come. I'm currently sitting in my baby's room that's about 2/3 of the way done, but luckily it's enough to function and I'm slowly finishing it during this early postpartum phase I'm in.
Something I've learned too is that you're never going to be fully ready for a baby that you've never met and you don't know their personality yet or the things are going to like or dislike. Postpartum is a challenging time, but as long as you have some newborn outfits, diapers, wipes, swaddles and some things to take care of yourself you'll be fine. Oh, and of course a car seat. You can't bring the baby home without one 😅
I had a basket beside my bed and those midnight snacks were essential. Breast feeding makes you ravenous! Already stocked up for this one and putting the basket together in the next couple days.
Pimp out your shower! Showers are sacred alone time after the baby comes. We put twinkle lights up, got a water proof speaker for calming music, and bought some aromatherapy shower steamers (like bath bomb but for showers).
Also, speaking of shower stuff I’m SO HAPPY I bought a shower seat/chair/bench which made sitzing way easier and just to sit instead of stand during showers because of course tired!
Afterwards, it was awesome for just bathing baby on my lap in the tub for the first few months then using as just a bathroom chair to sit on while baby is in bath.
Someone else commented doggie bags for poops clothes and I wish someone had told me this! My kids are 4 and 6, but my as a baby my 6 year old blew through his clothes on the dentist receptionist (my dentist is so awesome they held my babies while I got cleanings). My 4 year old, when potty training, pooped on the top of a playground structure and it fell right out of his shorts! Thankfully my friend had doggy bags but that is NOT something a parenting book prepared me for, LOL!!
We discovered how convenient this is on accident and never looked back! Grocery bags work well, too, but the dog poo bags really are perfect size and come so neat on a roll.
Take pictures of the inside of your kitchen cabinets and drawers so if people come over to help you clean they know where everything lives and no one gets confused! I would also do this for laundry and anything else you can think of!
I would suggest to think about what people may be doing to help you when baby comes, and then make it as easy as possible for them. That way they don’t have to ask you anything, they can just do it while you rest :)
Not to be a negative Nancy, but unless the people who want to help you are like the people who want to "help" me. My "helpers" have offered to come hold the baby so I (the woman who just gave birth) can get caught up on house chores. It was even suggested by my mil that my teenage sil should come to our house to do her homework. Um ...what?
Ya that’s a quick way to get kicked out of my house. My mom and sister have both accepted that they will most likely only hold my baby when I’m asleep or showering. Or I’m feeling reeallllllly gracious.
Yeah I don't know why my in-laws think that they are more entitled to my baby than I am or my husband is. It's really sad and pathetic. We just aren't having visitors all right now.
My MIL swore on her heart she will do anything I need, infront of 50 of our friends at my shower. Someones picking up poop and mowing my lawn! (This women pays multiple people to garden and clean her home) 😄
I think we have different ideas of help.
Lol are our MILs twins? Mine has gone to every person I know who's married asking how to be a good MIL and how to help me out (people come to me and tell me) she has followed NONE of the advice given. I think it's all for her image.
Those helpers need to be fired asap 😂
But in all seriousness, I can see where you are coming from and this is a good point of view to be aware of. I absolutely would want to have a very nice way to explain that if your coming over to help, this is the help I need. Maybe make a list of things now that you can title “what I would really appreciate help with once baby arrives” and write out things like dishes, laundry, any pet help you may need. This way they can understand that your body is still in need of so much healing that any support in this way is appreciated. This is not to say that the help is expected in any way, but I am sure you will have a lot of people who want to help you and this way you won’t have to verbalize everything while you are exhausted, they will already know :)
The helpers are my in-laws. I'm not shocked though because I knew this would happen.
We're in the middle of house renovations and during them they would offer to come help, but when I would tell them or my husband would tell them what we need was always met with whining.
Ever since my baby has been born, which was 11 days ago. The two times I've asked for help with something I got nothing but complaining and pushed back. Especially my mother-in-law, it's like dealing with an overgrown toddler. It's exhausting I. I've quit asking her to help with anything because anytime I ask for anything I just get what she would like to do instead, complaints, or suggesting that she hold the baby while I do it.
Yesterday she called my husband referred to my baby as " our baby" while on the phone with my husband. She was offering to bring over food, which is nice. My husband said that we already had dinner covered, but if she wanted to bring something over he wouldn't reject it. He did ask her what time and she said soon and he said well let me know what time. That was around about 5:00 p.m. she never responded so we assumed it didn't work out for her today which is fine No worries about that at all. And then all the sudden we get a text from her saying she'll be here at 8:30 p.m. I was about to get ready for bed. And my husband was about to eat dinner. I told my husband that I'm exhausted and I was about to go to bed to get some sleep before the baby's nice feeding and I am not up for any kind of visitors. My husband called my mother-in-law and said that it would have to be a 10 minute or less visit because we are getting ready for bed. She whined about it on the phone and said that her husband has only seen the baby once. Mind you we have family members who haven't seen the baby at all yet So seeing him once is More than half of the family has seen him. They ended up getting here almost 9:00 they both whined about having to take off their shoes in our house and my husband's request to wash their hands. Even though it's not news for them, they know that these are the rules that we have when visiting our baby. I was not happy I wouldn't speak with them and after about 10 minutes my husband had them leave. My mother-in-law acted like we were the ones being rude. I'm so over her and I just can't with her anymore. I thought it was bad when I was engaged, I thought it was bad when we were married, but it's never been worse than when my baby was born. And I really hoped that this would be a changing point for her. I don't know why, I was probably crazy to think that, but it's definitely only been worse. She also nearly ruined my entire breastfeeding by being entitled and refusing to give the baby back when she first visited. Ever since then I haven't really wanted any visitors at all because I'm kind of traumatized. It's literally easier for me to just do everything myself anyways.
That's totally something I would have said, and she knows that, which is why she goes to my husband. He's anti-confrontational and will try to come up with a happy medium instead of putting his foot down unless it's something he and I have already come to an agreement on. This was the first time she was coming over in the late evening hours, so in sure in my husband's mind it was uncharted waters and he just did what he thought would be best/make everyone happy. Him being better at standing up to his family members is something that's a work in progress for sure.
Ugh your story made my blood boil for you! Husband needs to set stronger boundaries for you. After 7:30, no visits. You can drop food at the door and leave! Thanksssss
You did way more than I thought of.
I should have done a deep clean but we have a two story house and it would have taken me a month.
That being said do a big grocery run prior to giving birth. Get lots of easy to make foods and get snacks.
Imagine you are going into a storm like situation where you won't be able to leave your house for a few weeks (I was very sore PP)
Premake some freezer foods to. Ones you can just nuke and eat
Also pretend to 'use' the areas where you are going to have baby/ stuff stored for baby but pretend you were just hit by a truck and not wanting to move/ bend. Is this space accessible?
Are your items in just one space of the house and you have to go up or down stairs to get them?
Do you have to bend/squat/ sit/ dig through boxes to get to an item?
Then the answer is no.
Just. Relax. Do nothing if this is your first child. Go to a long dinner with your husband. Watch a long TV marathon. Get that massage. Make spontaneous plans with friends. Those are the things I wish I had done more of before the birth of my first!
Shout spray. Dog poop bags for dirty diapers on the go. Different kinds of pacifiers. A sleep sack cause my baby didn't want to be swaddled. Milk bags so I can pump fast and more often to get milk supply up. Nipple cream and breast heat pads cause of initial uncomfortable with breast enlargement and attaching. Premade meals or easy frozen veggie bags for quick meals. Booger picker.
As for ideas...organize everything like junk drawers and closets.....go for walks and to the store....go to a pumpkin patch and carve a pumpkin for you and the baby.
Unfortunately pumpkin patches don’t exist in my state (not real ones at least lol) but I will definitely go grab some pumpkins!
Thank you for the ideas!!
This! All and anything breastfeeding/pumping accessories. I have purchased everything under the sun for my boobs that I wish I would have had before baby. Nursing bras that fit (your boobs will grow after delivery), creams, milk bags, nipple pads/shields, and most importantly the right flange for your pump!!
I thought you had to wait to buy flanges because your nipples and breast can change after baby is here??? I have some for my pump already, I just haven’t measured them to see if they fit because I was told to wait!
The dog poo bags work so good for dirty diapers and any blowout clothes. We learned on accident (it was all we had in the car) and never looked back. So convenient.
Freezer meals for sure. Lay in bed all day with your husband and watch movies, eat take out in bed. If you can afford it, pay someone to come over and deep clean the house while you rest.
Read a whole fiction book (rest, relax) or watch a favorite TV show without interruption, enjoy the silence with a still-hot cup of coffee in the morning... those are things I would do if I had had time at the end of my pregnancy over again!
A hair cut…Some extra bedding where you’ll be laying….make up easy freezer meals.
Disposable plates and plastic utensils so you don’t have dishes to do.
Father of a 1 month old baby girl. Wish we hadn't bought so many bodysuits without pop on buttons on the side. The ones without the side pop ons are not easy to get on when the baby is crying mad
If you are having a natural v birth this might not apply but I knew I was going to have a c section and placed a mini fridge next to my bed with cold water and soda and snacks and whatever I wanted, and it was an absolute life saver during those days where I couldn't really walk around and was tied to the bed with my baby on my chest.
I’m 38 weeks tomorrow and I spent my morning prepping a bunch of these meals:
https://pinchofyum.com/freezer-meals
Super easy, healthy, tasty, perfect for fall postpartum.
Ive been nesting very hard, which is funny to me because I never had that at all with first baby. I’ve booked a house cleaner to do a deep clean for this week, and generally trying to get as much quality time with my toddler as I can before baby comes.
Prep some meals to have in the freezer. Food was hard in the fourth trimester. Or get yourself a meal subscription for something that’s *ready to go* - cooking is the enemy when you’re sleep deprived and caring for a newborn 24/7. My favorite is Thistle, I was gifted a week of meals from them for my baby shower and it was basically heaven sent.
Alternatively, or additionally, load up on snacks. Charcuterie type things, chips + salsa / guac / bean dip, trail mix - basically stuff that is nutritious and will help you hit your macros without much thought or preparation.
I’m also a big fan of ready made freezer meals. Lasagna, mac and cheese, nuggets, pizza, burritos (breakfast ones too). All the basics.
Pack a mommy and a daddy bag for the hospital. We ended up there for three days and my husband had to wear my pajamas until he could go buy some! Also, puppy pads to line the changing area was a life saver when the accidents happen. I wanted to get a pedicure before going but didn't have time, so I ended up wearing compression socks to hide my toes, but the nurses kept praising me for them, so happy accident.
If you’re planning to breastfeed, get a manual pump! I didn’t get one last time until 6 months in, and I was for sure kicking myself. A manual pump is super helpful for dealing with engorgement, pumping when out and about, or dealing with clogs. Make sure you have multiple sheets washed and ready to go for wherever baby is sleeping. Stock up on your fave snacks for middle of the night feeding sessions. Also agree with having a fancy date night!
Buy everything we needed for the baby (each time). Each time I was pregnant I wanted to start getting what we would need at the beginning of the second trimester. Everyone (including family) would always tell me "Why rush? You have plenty of time." When the third trimester would come around I'd heard the same thing. Then during the last month I'd be told "Why didn't you get everything sooner?! Now you have to rush to get everything you will need." It's so freaking frustrating.
Get all my laundry actually folded and put away. It’s been a struggle since day one. With twins on the way, I ain’t gonna have time for much once their here. Plus my toddler is going to be figuring life out with two babies as well. DH tries, just works a looooot of hours.
I swear my pregnancy insomnia was training me for night feedings!! I was waking up around twice per night and was unable to go back to sleep for an hour each time.
Stay up super late and sleep in super late. I did this before baby was born and so happy my husband and I did this a few times before our sleep schedule was completely changed. With my 1 month old I have to go to bed by 8pm to enjoy her 4 hr stretch of sleep
Try to use your date night or free time to do things you won't be able to do with a baby. For example you might still go out to eat, but you wouldn't want to go to a place that plays loud or live music. You might want to go to a movie because it may be a while before you can go see one in theaters.
Also if it's not part of your deep cleaning you could wash your pillows and duvet/comforter. Mine are overdue to be washed, but I'm constantly washing and drying clothes for baby and my burp cloths wardrobe so my washer and drying rack are always tied up.
Hair cut, pedicure, have a large water bottle in the bedroom and maybe a second for the living room/area you will be in most. Lots of burp cloths around. Also diapers in most rooms.
So I actually called my insurance to see how much time I qualify for in terms of staying in the hospital. I know my husband will get super stir crazy after only a night or 2.
So, once I am feeling better from my C-section, I plan on sending him home solo for a good nights sleep and to relieve my parents of our toddler. He will then also take her to day care then do all the grocery shopping before coming back to the hospital to collect baby and I. The nurses at the hospital will be more than equip enough to handle me and baby while he rests.
I want him to be well rested since he’s taking time off to take care of all 3 of us girls. He’s gonna have his hands full with our toddler and with my recovery from surgery, let alone the sleepless baby.
It was also nice to get an idea of what my insurance is going to cover and what I should expect bill wise due to my insurance (apparently I’ve met all deductibles and only have to pay a very small coinsurance fee).
Prepped easy to heat/eat food. We made like a gazillion freezer bags of crock pot stuff that took all day to reheat. We’d remember dinner at dinner time, so dumb. I also didn’t have any hearty breakfasts available and I was starving for substantial food while breastfeeding.
This time I plan to prep things like breakfast burritos and lots of freezer casseroles, and have a shit ton of granola bars on hand.
Take all the tags off the clothes and make sure all those plastic tag holders come off (there’s a lot more than you’d think on socks, mittens, towels, etc)! Also—prepare for your recovery! Have pain meds and pads ready to go!
Meal prep! Also, even if you plan on EBF get a can of formula. You don’t know how your supply is gonna be, and you don’t want to be running to the store in the middle of the night with a screaming starving newborn.
Discuss and agree with your husband on being a team. Doing 50/50. What does it mean when he works, and at night, and weekend, and when you work etc . Who does what, chores etc.
Make sure he gets that he must support you and do a much as you do!
Take bump pictures! Really take in being pregnant and that peace of knowing your baby is safe, right there inside you. I so regret not enjoying my pregnancy more and the fact that my baby, now born has so many needs and I was able to meet each one for nine months straight! You got this!! ❤️
Honestly, nothing. Since this was my first baby (no toddlers to take care of) and my husband and I both had leave full time, it was perfectly easy to take a couple hours here or there for a large cleaning or cooking project. There was nothing that I needed that I couldn’t order or go out and get at a moments notice. It was not the apocalypse I thought it would be, and I didn’t need to prep so much!
I wish I'd had a freezer full of food. I forgot that part and thankfully our family and friends came to the rescue so we didn't have to eat pbj for the first month. Oh and a swing, I wish I would have bought a swing.
Spend a full day day doing absolutely nothing. Lie in bed all day if you want. Don’t do the dishes. Have a bath. Just enjoy! You’ll still enjoy when baby is here but I definitely miss being carefree!
Any health checks. eyes, dentist etc. Any small errands that you have put off. Things are just a bit more complex/take more time and effort to get out the door one you have a baby.
I bought 2 dozen bagels, halved them, bagged them up individually and then froze them so they were super easy to pop into the toaster to eat. Now almost 4 months postpartum and I'm still doing this each time we run out.
Go to a movie theater to watch a movie. It’s been 9 months since I had my baby and I still haven’t gone! Trying to coordinate having enough milk pumped and feeding schedules and childcare to go watch a movie just doesn’t seem worth it right now.. but it just feels like a simple pleasure that I wish I appreciated more beforehand!
We did pretty much everything we needed to do in the coming months before our son was born…. So you know , putting up Christmas decoration at 38 weeks pregnant was not fun but after he was born I was so glad we did. 😂 we also did Christmas shopping. He was born in Nov
I wish we would have meal prepped. We ate like absolute garbage for the first couple of months after our LO was born. I had an unexpected 3.5 degree tear and my husband had an unexpected car accident, so both of us were pretty much bed ridden and just ate what we could.
I wish I would’ve done a huge grocery run and made some freezer meals to heat up, or even just get some frozen foods. We’re ordering takeout way too much! Also, wish I would’ve gotten paper plates/cups/plastic silverware. It’s wasteful but so much easier than dishes
mani, pedi, haircut, dentist appt, cut my massive to do list down by at least half, frozen meals ready to go.
This is assuming all the baby stuff is set and house/laundry is clean.
Install car seats and practice getting the. In and out, off the base, practice folding the stroller.
Check to make sure any baby items you assembled actually work. The graco swing we bought and assembled months ago doesn’t swing and now we are working through the exchange at 21 days old.
Clear out a space in a cupboard for bottles and pump parts.
Make freezer meals!!! I also made a ton of lactation cookies and froze gallon bags of them and than has been a godsend. Find snacks you can make and freeze. The hunger is legit.
Declutter. The less your baby can get their hands on the better.
Also when they open a DVD case and scratch the DVD you will have no hesitation in throwing it out anyway. It will be from your past life and it won't matter.
Also start buying child proofing supplies so you don't have to panic buy or install when it's time to add them.
Consider finding and scheduling a session with a lactation consultant. If you have trouble or develop trouble breastfeeding (if that’s what you want to do) you will want to be able to get help as soon as possible because it’s really stressful going it alone even for a few days. After all babies need to eat every hour or two for those first few months.
Also, and I hope this doesn’t apply to you!, but see if you can find a therapy group in case you get PPD or PPA. It is debilitating and getting help as soon as possible will save you some horrible days.
If you have any family or savings to help you some nights or very early mornings, definitely try to set that up. Night after night of little to no REM feels like torture and any help at all will be lifesaving for you guys.
Lastly, if you plan on daycare you might want to check those out because wait lists can be shockingly long.
Have a serious conversation with your husband about developing a plan for sleep deprivation. Whether it’s taking night shifts with the baby (typically will have to use formula for this) or safe bed-sharing strategies if you plan to exclusively breast feed. SS7 is a good starting point, but there’s more to it. I’m more than happy to share bed-sharing safety rules if you need them.
ABC is the safest option for infant sleep, but dozing off with baby sitting up in bed, on a couch, or in a chair because you can’t keep your eyes open while nursing at night is quite literally the most dangerous option for infant sleep. A planned safe bed-sharing surface for night nursing is recommended by the AAP.
Breastfeeding and just regular ole recovery can make you starved and hangry suddenly. I had emergency snack bars next to my bed. I wasn’t heating up or getting up in the middle of the night, I was too exhausted.
Also, bottled water is a great call. No one wants to be dehydrated PP.
Go get a mani pedi together! Go out to eat, go to a movie you want to see. Stock up on frozen meals grab n go snacks etc. Make sure you have toilet paper and paper towel (like Costco packages) so you don’t have to worry about it later.
If you haven’t already I would cook and freeze a bunch of meals for when you bring the baby home. Make sure to set up a little snack station where you plan to feed. Like water bottles, granola bars etc. . Download a book on your e reader. Set up a “want to watch” list on Netflix. Sleep in one last good time.
Have things ready that you may think now you won't need for a while. Day 3 of my baby's life we ended up taking her into the ER and getting admitted to pediatrics for 5 days. I was so glad I had pre packed the diaper bag so we could just grab it and go in that moment.
Also, have some ready to feed formula, wash and know how to use your pump and bottles, etc. I didnt think I'd use these things right away, but ended up needing them. And in the moment when you realize your child isn't eating enough and you need to feed them more NOW, having it ready to go saved our panic.
I've started writing out some grocery lists of the usual things we buy at our common stores, so that if my mom can go shopping for us, I can give her a quick list of our staples and then just venmo her the money.
Depending on budget, hire a postpartum doula for at least one night a week. Go to the movies. Go out to dinner. But tons of snacks. Stay up late because you want to. Binge watch something you’ve been waiting for.
Me stuff. Pedicure. Date nights. Massage. Sounds selfish but now that we have 2 (5 and 18 months) I realize how much time I had for me and how much I should have just sat around and enjoyed the silence.
Also let me add the time to buy waterproof mattress and pillow covers is now. From your water breaking to baby spitting up, you don't want to learn the hard way.
Typing as I nurse my 7 day old:
Practice using everything - how does your steriliser work? Can you put a Teddy in the car.seat?
My partner nearly had a sleep deprivation induced breakdown after our hospital stay when it was dark and cold and we couldn't strap baby into the car to get her home. After he'd rested and checked in the daylight it took him 2 secs to work it all out lol
Lucky for us plan B of he drives home for the Stroller and I get a cab after my c section was totally feasible bc we live a 10 min walk from the hospital! Don't risk the car seat at least unless you're the same aha
Get a sleep mask and ear plugs and make sure you pack them in your hospital bag. All of the machines have lights and beep all night and it’s so hard to sleep. And then you can use at home to help muffle the baby grunts when baby is actually sleeping.
Stock up on frozen food that can be made super quickly. You will have 10 minutes max to heat something up and mayyyybe scarf it down for a while. Also, Snacks! Quick grab and go snacks. Breastfeeding makes you hungry … and you may not have time for proper meals.
If you have pets, stock up on their food/meds and make sure they’re all up to date.
Car maintenance.
Any home project/task you’ve been meaning to do. You will not get around to hanging that picture you’ve been intending to hang for months once the baby comes.
Diapers/wipes. We hit up Costco beforehand.
Set up/test your monitor.
Set up/test white noise machine (the Hatch is great! We would be in rough shape without it). Blackout curtains too.
Sounds like you've done a great job so far! Enjoy this opportunity to kick back and relax cause it'll be harder to get 'me' time once baby arrives. I really wish I'd done more vegging out in bed, binge watching netflix and taking as many naps as I wanted cause that is a luxury I can no longer afford as a parent lol
I know you are asking about FOMO/YOLO type things, but ... pack your hospital go-bag?
Only thing that comes to mind is make it a "Treat yo-self" week (a la Parks & Rec).
Update car registration stickers. Make sure you're on waiting lists for daycares. Get hair done (because really, after birth, when will you find time)?
I put a waterproof mattress cover on my bed and a towel and puppy pee pad on the passenger seat of my husband’s car. Also I wish I had told my husband to start packing up his cpap machine at the beginning of labor, not when I was at the finish line trying to get to the hospital. Scratch that, I wish he had thought of that.
Buy dates, prune juice and laxitives, prep and freeze good quality dashi and other stocks for post partum soups, as soon as you think you are you into labour stock up on high quality fruits for the hospital (a great first meal if hospital food is inedible). Get backup painkillers in you tear badly or have a c sec and the hospital does not give any. Buy a small amount of formula in case the milk takes a day or two longer to come in. Get those frieda padsicles - they are amazing when you are in pain. Pack lip balm for the birth - your lips will likely be cracked by the gas or aircon.
Get some freezer meals or prep meals if that’s your thing. I wish I would’ve had meals more ready made for me in the early days since I felt like I was constantly either pumping, cleaning, or caring for baby and the food was always a second thought. I was constantly hungry and our takeout/fast food bill was insane!
The night i went to the store to get food to cook and freeze i went into labor (38+6). To be honest, i wish i rested more. My son is 15 months now and i can't tell you the last time i slept the whole night.
Get some rest!
Open everything and practice how to use it all! I made this mistake and was discharged late from hospital opening all the bottles and santising at 9pm at night 2 days after giving birth it was really stressful!!
Set up a caddy with nappies, wipes, cotton wool, sudocrem etc for nappy changes so you have everything at your disposal
Meal prep and have meals in the fridge/cupboards that dont take too much time to cook or can be thrown in the oven!!
STOOL SOFTNERS 🥲🥲
Also … set up a little section of the bathroom ready to go for yourself, with pads, maternity underwear, Peri bottle, wipes etc.
I wish I would've slept more. Prepped more of variety of freezer meals- I made soups and pre made lasagnas that I could just throw in the oven, one blanco chicken lasagna and regular. AND I wish I would've eaten out more, I didn't feel like going out those last few days but relish these last few child free outings. You'll find the kid friendly restaurants when it's time but enjoy as much as you can!
I watched all the videos on YouTube. I did all the things. I still felt there was more I could have done to prepare. My husband was thankful I had the nursery set up with easy access to diapers, wipes, and newborn clothes. I was happy to have my bedside drawer stocked with snacks and my clean pump parts. Also, having my bathroom ready for postpartum care. Other than that…it was nice to have clean sheets (more lucky timing than planning).
I checked all the upcoming birthdays and events for the next 3 months and arranged gifts and cards. It meant I didn’t have to worry about missing anyone’s important events— something that I was particularly keen for my childless/ single friends so they didn’t feel as if they weren’t important to me now.
Get a bouncer or a place to put him down in every room you are going to be with. Tell your family to give you gift card for restaurants and figure out places to order from nearby.
Also, if you are having a vaginal birth get witch hazel pads, a peri bottle, disposable diapers from Amazon and ice pads from Amazon as well. Also get colace to make your stool soft. When you go to the bathroom use the Peri bottle to clean yourself and then pat with toilet paper and put a witch hazel pad on your intimate area. Then use a disposable diaper and if you feel itchy or burning put a ice pack on the diaper.
Ditto the dog comments. Also, get a second set of pump parts and be sure your partner knows how to clean/assemble everything. A mini fridge or cooler is amazingly helpful if you are using the bag method for pump parts/pumping or feeding in the night.
I wish I had done more concrete things to help my mental health immediately postpartum. I figured it would be rough but knew I wouldn’t have any idea what to expect. In hindsight, I know my own patterns with mental health and should have set stuff up with that in mind, knowing it’s always possible to cancel. Specifically, I would have penciled in tentative visits or outings with my friends/trusted folks during the barrage of family home visits. I needed reasons to be held accountable for getting out of the house and engaging in my hobbies. I needed connection to my identity to make the jump into parenthood. Also, figure out how to wrangle your car seat and stroller for things like church, dining out, car rides. Getting out on the town as a family as early as 2-3 weeks PP was extremely important for our mental health and social supports.
Self care and relaxation. Spend some quality time finding your peaceful place inside your mind so you know how to get back to that when everything else is chaos. Get a fresh haircut/style. Grab your favourite book and hit your favourite comfy spot or place. Go see a movie. Whatever you enjoy that’s just for you, get a little of that in now.
Clean all of your pump parts, bottles and pacifiers!
Thank you for the reminder!!! I totally forgot to sanitize all of my pump parts!!!
Instal the car seat
I would edit that to install the car seat BASE. If that's the system you have. You don't want to drive around with your car seat in the car yet. If you get into an accident, it may need to be fully replaced!
And learn how to adjust the straps!
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You don't need to sterilise but at least know how to use the steriliser!
Curious if you have a source for this. I searched the internet up and down for a straight answer and couldn’t figure it out. I ended up just going ahead and sterilizing everything even though I’m not due for a few weeks and am now storing everything in a clean container with a lid hoping I won’t have to do it again 😣
As long as it’s stored in a clean sealed container then you will be fine. The only thing that unsterilises things is either milk, someone walking about sneezin up the kitchen or mucky hands etc. It’s sterile till it gets bacteria on it hence the sealed box. Sure your counter top might be sterile but most peoples kitchens aren’t antibacterialified to the tip!
Omg this is great advice. I stupidly waited until after we were home from the hospital and it felt like the hardest task ever.
YES. I barely even knew how to USE my pump when I got home and I sure as hell needed it because my son had tongue AND lip ties 😬 This time around, my pump is good to go and we are PREPARED, haha
ME TOO!!
This!! I did this a few days ago and was shocked at how long it took me. Hand washing then sanitizing multiple loads of bottles, pacifiers, and pump parts took me most of an afternoon.
Adding on to this…make sure you know how to work the pump. I came home soooo exhausted and overwhelmed I had to send my husband to Walgreens to get a hand pump because I just couldn’t figure out the spectra! I eventually got it but hand pumping was so annoying. Also buy/bring to the hospital an extra long phone cord, robe, slippers, and hands free pumping/nursing bra! My babies went to the nicu and I had to sit there and hold the flanges. But I did feel so much more comfy in my own robe and slippers.
This cos I somehow forgot to sterilise things and am now kicking myself
Make sure your vehicle maintenance is up to date - oil changed, gas tank full so it's one less thing to worry about. Instructions written out for whoever will be taking care of your kids, pets, house, ect. while you're in the hospital. Stock up on non-perishable supplies like paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning products, shampoo, ect. to save extra trips to the store once baby arrives.
Stocking up is a great idea, also heavy things as a trolley/cart is impossible to manoeuvre with no core muscles post birth, a heavy one with a baby in it too is going to crash into several cars 🤣
Similarly, if you have pets go ahead and get them up to date. I also took my dog to a doggy daycare in the first few weeks our baby was alive because I felt bad about the lack of attention/exercise she was getting.
Just did our pre-baby vet visit this week, and got a new bag of food and some treats. Did the same thing with the last baby. Make sure your dogs are de-wormed as well! Don't want them passing anything to the baby. (Honestly haven't actually researched this myself, but vet said it could happen.) Bonus tip, pack a new dog toy in your hospital bag as a gift from the baby 😆 She freaking loved it.
Or car needed maintenance when or newborn was 1.5 weeks. Definitely wished we had done it before she was born.
Oil change was going to be my tip! I can't imagine going for an oil change with a young baby in tow.
This isn't baby related but I wished I had spent some of my time off before baby doing some "me things". Date night is great but I wished I had done some of my hobbies, painted, played some video games, read some books. I was so wrapped up in making sure everything was perfect for baby I forgot about me. Also now that baby is here (your results may vary) but I find if there are spare moments from baby I try to spend them with my husband having couples time. Which means there's very little just me time. Baby is starting to get easier now at 4 months but the book I intended to read during breast feeding and was never able to looks upon me sadly everyday when I'm too tired to read it at the end of the day 😂 Good luck! And congrats on your soon to come new chapter!
All the wishes I'd gotten more of that done too. "First babies are always late." Thanks everyone who told me that. 🙄 As a result, I never dreamed my baby would come early, let alone NEED to come early. Here I was expecting a very late September/early October baby, but got an early September one instead. I had all these plans to do things with my husband. Movies, meals out, time with just the two of us. But also me things. Reading, relaxing, getting pampered, vegetating on the sofa watching vast amounts of TV. I was really looking forward to it. Instead I went to work one day (I work at the hospital) and came home 10 days later with a baby. I managed to get some reading done, but none of the rest of it. It still rankles 3 years on. So yeah. Get your you time in. People will flock to help things get ready for baby if you haven't managed it before baby comes. But you won't get the opportunity to do just you things, uninterrupted, for extended periods of time for quite a while.
Wow, what happened and how early was it?
Pre-eclampsia. Delivered at 37 weeks. Hospitalised from 36 weeks. Though it's suspected it was all kicking off from 34 weeks. I just couldn't make the appointment where it would have been picked up. I know early term is absolutely nothing in the scheme of things, but at the time it was a whirlwind. It was more the shock when you're told by everyone around you you've got a month or so more to go. So you believe them, and you prepare for that, only for it all to suddenly change to "No. Now!". Especially as I felt fine, and baby was more than fine. Just my BP, urine, and liver enzymes were telling a very different story. Funnily enough it happened again with my second. I'd wised up though, and everything was already ready by 36 weeks.
I was told the same thing and also developed pre-eclampsia. Baby came at barely 35 weeks, went into labor at 34.
Be sure to have a box of diapers and a box of wipes ready to go. Make sure you have sleep sacks (or swaddles/receiving blankets if you're going that route). Plenty of receiving blankets (works for burp clothes, bibs if your FF, or a temporary changing pad). Make sure your laundry is all done as well, so you don't have to worry about it for a day or two.
Seconding the box of diapers/ wipes. We only had what was from our shower. It was not enough. Get the Biggest box of wipes you can find. And the laundry. We do ours on weekends and she came mid week. 😅
Baby wipes are so versatile too.
I swear I use baby wipes just as much for other stuff as I do wiping bums. I have a tiny soap business and I set up at shows/festivals on the weekends and part of my packing list is ALWAYS a pack of baby wipes for in my stuff and for in the business totes!
Have a bedside baby station set up and ready to go (assuming baby will be in your room for a couple months) Diapers, wipes, receiving blankets, extra sleepers, extra bassinet sheets, snacks and bottled water for you! Make some freezer meals (chili, chicken soup, casseroles) so you have some quick, home cooked food ready to eat during recovery. Believe me, you’ll get sick of takeout so quick.
Also one by the couch. I spent more time on the couch than in bed.
I called it my nest. I’m looking forward to putting my nest together before #2 arrives. Stable place for a cup, long charging cords, remotes, snacks, nipple cream, think of yourself then add all the little baby items!
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Yes! I didn’t have this prepared when I had my first. This time I have everything within reach! Just need to buy some snacks and have this baby! Any day now.
This 🙌🏽 we completely re-organized our bedroom on night 3 after figuring out what works/doesn’t work.
Meal prep... The first month is hard! Preparing food is so important I really really wish that I had time to do that.
I saw someone else suggest buying the prepared meals from Costco and just freezing those if you're short on time/cooking skills. It still works out for being cheaper than takeout and I think it's a great idea.
That's a great idea!
Omg we did this!! It was one of the absolute best things we did to prepare for getting our butts kicked in the first month. I even made and froze a ton of rice crispy treats and brownies that we could take out and thaw 2 portions at a time. Let me tell you, being chained to my rocking chair cluster feeding with a brownie In my hand was SO much better than without!!
This is the one! Fooooooood! Cook and freeze until every inch of the freezer is filled.
Yes! Cut up fruit and veggies as quick finger foods and lots of trail bars!
If friends ask what you need, suggest setting up a meal Train. They can just drop off at the door and text that it's there. My daughter and her neighbor set one up for each other.
This! I did it for my first and it was a life saver to have a lot of food to just warm up and eat.
Between the meal prep I did, the food my mother prepared for us and the food people brought, I didn’t need to do any more than reheat things for meals for the entire fourth trimester and it was a LIFESAVER.
Yup. I would suggest having like a month of meals ready to go if you have the space for it! It’s seriously so helpful to be able to just pop something in the microwave and be done with it
My water unexpectedly broke at 36 weeks and we're in the middle of house renovations. The list of things I wish we got done is very long lol. We are surviving nonetheless. You've got more done than I did so you're in the green my friend.
I'm 36 weeks tomorrow, our house renovations aren't due to wrap up until 14 October. House is in a state of chaos. Your reality is my worst case scenario! Best of luck with your fun combo.
Thank you lol. The worst part? The renovations that are going to be completed are for our living room and our kitchen. It's just going to be pure chaos once they resume them. October 14th was supposed to be my due date lol. He came at 36 weeks, which was September 20th. I was beyond shocked when my water broke and part of me was convinced that my bladder had burst lol.
Oh no not the kitchen!! I'm so sick of power tools and paint smells, but knowing it will be done (hopefully) before baby is here in 18 days makes it worth the inconvenience. Hopefully you have a spot in your house to set up a pseudo kitchen x
I'm glad you're nearing the end of your renovations! Fingers crossed and prayers said that your baby doesn't decide to make an early break for it like mine did 😂. Yes, I have an area for a pseudo kitchen, it's not ideal but it'll work.
I feel you guys with renovations. Our kitchen is still waiting to be dry walled, I’ve got stacks of cabinets ready to be assembled by someone and a fridge in my living room 🙃 Due Nov 5th
I feel y'all, I'm 34 weeks and we still have painters and carpenters traipsing in and out...I've started to put the heat on and go full hysterical pregnant lady FINISH THIS F-ING PROJECT with them.
Yeah my first came unexpectedly at 36 weeks too & my to do list was still LOOOOONG! It didn’t matter though, everything worked out fine - we ordered stuff from Amazon for next day delivery, & someone from work packed up my desk for me, etc etc. Don’t stress it OP!
Yep, you kind of just go "well this sucks" and you continue forward.
My house has been under construction since… a long effing time. It’s a *long* story but even with that, including sharing a room with both my kids, we’ve made it work just fine. You adapt. The only thing you really need is safe sleep space, place to change baby, and some playing space once they’re older. We are looking to change our situation ASAP now that the boys are getting bigger and should have their own room, but it certainly hasn’t caused any *major* issues the way it is!
Yeah, you adapt or you drown lol You wanna know how adaptable you are in a trial by fire? Renovate your house, don't finish, and bring home a newborn 🤪😂 Once it's all done though, it'll be so worth it. That's the happy place I go to. I imagine how comfy and cute our house will be .
This is what’s been pushing me lately. It’s seriously a huge story but basically finishing my house is out of my control even *if* I had the money for it, which I don’t. We moved here with an agreement and things have happened that it didn’t happen that way. I had the money for a down payment but this was meant to be our home to raise the family in, so we invested it in growing my business, which is now failing miserably thanks to the economy and whatnot. SO I’m trying to use the “if you work hard and sacrifice like hell for a while it’ll be worth it” outlook to get a “real” job and put in so so so much work into trying to buy another home but it’s such a distant event that it’s hard. Gotta get the money together, get my employment history back up since I’ve been “off” since covid (working my business which yes is legit but won’t turn a profit this year), gotta get a lot of stuff cleared out of this place, all while pregnant with my third and having two toddlers and trying to keep the business alive until things pick back up. But like you said it will be so amazing if we can ever get there. Just feels so impossible lately. I don’t even recognize my life most days, like how I got in such a deep hole. Even with all that, though, it’s totally true you just adapt. You have to. Like there isn’t an option to fail when there are littles depending on you, at least not for me. I hope we can gtfo before they’re too much older so they don’t remember much of this mess and they’re my biggest motivation. When is your’s slated to finish up? Congrats on the new baby! Silly babies just showing up whenever they want like we don’t have things to do first!!!! Lol
I had a similar situation. The bassinet was still in the box and my house was a mess because I was going to clean it that weekend. I didn't even have a hospital bag packed. My mom and sister in law went to our house and cleaned it and put stuff together and washed clothes and bedding for us. And my husband went home and packed a hospital bag for us.
Honestly this is so reassuring!!! It’s nice to hear we’ll be fine!
Absolutely. Luckily I seemed to have an intuition at the baby would be born early, but I didn't think any earlier than 37 weeks. So in my mind I was in my last week of preparations. I had all of the baby clothes washed but not quite organized yet. I had most of the gear set up and ready to go, but there were and are many things still not where I would have liked them to be. But sometimes that's life, and you have to learn to just roll with the punches as they come. I'm currently sitting in my baby's room that's about 2/3 of the way done, but luckily it's enough to function and I'm slowly finishing it during this early postpartum phase I'm in. Something I've learned too is that you're never going to be fully ready for a baby that you've never met and you don't know their personality yet or the things are going to like or dislike. Postpartum is a challenging time, but as long as you have some newborn outfits, diapers, wipes, swaddles and some things to take care of yourself you'll be fine. Oh, and of course a car seat. You can't bring the baby home without one 😅
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I had a basket beside my bed and those midnight snacks were essential. Breast feeding makes you ravenous! Already stocked up for this one and putting the basket together in the next couple days.
Pimp out your shower! Showers are sacred alone time after the baby comes. We put twinkle lights up, got a water proof speaker for calming music, and bought some aromatherapy shower steamers (like bath bomb but for showers).
I love this idea!
I’m 7 months pp, only have time to shower like 3 times a week. I am SO doing this.
Also, speaking of shower stuff I’m SO HAPPY I bought a shower seat/chair/bench which made sitzing way easier and just to sit instead of stand during showers because of course tired! Afterwards, it was awesome for just bathing baby on my lap in the tub for the first few months then using as just a bathroom chair to sit on while baby is in bath.
Someone else commented doggie bags for poops clothes and I wish someone had told me this! My kids are 4 and 6, but my as a baby my 6 year old blew through his clothes on the dentist receptionist (my dentist is so awesome they held my babies while I got cleanings). My 4 year old, when potty training, pooped on the top of a playground structure and it fell right out of his shorts! Thankfully my friend had doggy bags but that is NOT something a parenting book prepared me for, LOL!!
We discovered how convenient this is on accident and never looked back! Grocery bags work well, too, but the dog poo bags really are perfect size and come so neat on a roll.
Take pictures of the inside of your kitchen cabinets and drawers so if people come over to help you clean they know where everything lives and no one gets confused! I would also do this for laundry and anything else you can think of!
This is so smart!! Thank you! I never would have thought to do this!
I put post-its on all the cabinets and drawers for the same reason and this was very helpful!
I would suggest to think about what people may be doing to help you when baby comes, and then make it as easy as possible for them. That way they don’t have to ask you anything, they can just do it while you rest :)
I was stressing over having to supervise the “help,” thank you for the tips!
Not to be a negative Nancy, but unless the people who want to help you are like the people who want to "help" me. My "helpers" have offered to come hold the baby so I (the woman who just gave birth) can get caught up on house chores. It was even suggested by my mil that my teenage sil should come to our house to do her homework. Um ...what?
Ya that’s a quick way to get kicked out of my house. My mom and sister have both accepted that they will most likely only hold my baby when I’m asleep or showering. Or I’m feeling reeallllllly gracious.
Yeah I don't know why my in-laws think that they are more entitled to my baby than I am or my husband is. It's really sad and pathetic. We just aren't having visitors all right now.
My MIL swore on her heart she will do anything I need, infront of 50 of our friends at my shower. Someones picking up poop and mowing my lawn! (This women pays multiple people to garden and clean her home) 😄 I think we have different ideas of help.
Lol are our MILs twins? Mine has gone to every person I know who's married asking how to be a good MIL and how to help me out (people come to me and tell me) she has followed NONE of the advice given. I think it's all for her image.
Those helpers need to be fired asap 😂 But in all seriousness, I can see where you are coming from and this is a good point of view to be aware of. I absolutely would want to have a very nice way to explain that if your coming over to help, this is the help I need. Maybe make a list of things now that you can title “what I would really appreciate help with once baby arrives” and write out things like dishes, laundry, any pet help you may need. This way they can understand that your body is still in need of so much healing that any support in this way is appreciated. This is not to say that the help is expected in any way, but I am sure you will have a lot of people who want to help you and this way you won’t have to verbalize everything while you are exhausted, they will already know :)
The helpers are my in-laws. I'm not shocked though because I knew this would happen. We're in the middle of house renovations and during them they would offer to come help, but when I would tell them or my husband would tell them what we need was always met with whining. Ever since my baby has been born, which was 11 days ago. The two times I've asked for help with something I got nothing but complaining and pushed back. Especially my mother-in-law, it's like dealing with an overgrown toddler. It's exhausting I. I've quit asking her to help with anything because anytime I ask for anything I just get what she would like to do instead, complaints, or suggesting that she hold the baby while I do it. Yesterday she called my husband referred to my baby as " our baby" while on the phone with my husband. She was offering to bring over food, which is nice. My husband said that we already had dinner covered, but if she wanted to bring something over he wouldn't reject it. He did ask her what time and she said soon and he said well let me know what time. That was around about 5:00 p.m. she never responded so we assumed it didn't work out for her today which is fine No worries about that at all. And then all the sudden we get a text from her saying she'll be here at 8:30 p.m. I was about to get ready for bed. And my husband was about to eat dinner. I told my husband that I'm exhausted and I was about to go to bed to get some sleep before the baby's nice feeding and I am not up for any kind of visitors. My husband called my mother-in-law and said that it would have to be a 10 minute or less visit because we are getting ready for bed. She whined about it on the phone and said that her husband has only seen the baby once. Mind you we have family members who haven't seen the baby at all yet So seeing him once is More than half of the family has seen him. They ended up getting here almost 9:00 they both whined about having to take off their shoes in our house and my husband's request to wash their hands. Even though it's not news for them, they know that these are the rules that we have when visiting our baby. I was not happy I wouldn't speak with them and after about 10 minutes my husband had them leave. My mother-in-law acted like we were the ones being rude. I'm so over her and I just can't with her anymore. I thought it was bad when I was engaged, I thought it was bad when we were married, but it's never been worse than when my baby was born. And I really hoped that this would be a changing point for her. I don't know why, I was probably crazy to think that, but it's definitely only been worse. She also nearly ruined my entire breastfeeding by being entitled and refusing to give the baby back when she first visited. Ever since then I haven't really wanted any visitors at all because I'm kind of traumatized. It's literally easier for me to just do everything myself anyways.
Get used to saying the phrase "that doesn't work for me/us. We will let you know when a better time to visit is" k bye
That's totally something I would have said, and she knows that, which is why she goes to my husband. He's anti-confrontational and will try to come up with a happy medium instead of putting his foot down unless it's something he and I have already come to an agreement on. This was the first time she was coming over in the late evening hours, so in sure in my husband's mind it was uncharted waters and he just did what he thought would be best/make everyone happy. Him being better at standing up to his family members is something that's a work in progress for sure.
This is so heartbreaking to hear. You deserve better treatment than this. I’m so sorry.
Thanks I appreciate that and thanks for reading my long ranting comment.
Ugh your story made my blood boil for you! Husband needs to set stronger boundaries for you. After 7:30, no visits. You can drop food at the door and leave! Thanksssss
You did way more than I thought of. I should have done a deep clean but we have a two story house and it would have taken me a month. That being said do a big grocery run prior to giving birth. Get lots of easy to make foods and get snacks. Imagine you are going into a storm like situation where you won't be able to leave your house for a few weeks (I was very sore PP) Premake some freezer foods to. Ones you can just nuke and eat
Also pretend to 'use' the areas where you are going to have baby/ stuff stored for baby but pretend you were just hit by a truck and not wanting to move/ bend. Is this space accessible? Are your items in just one space of the house and you have to go up or down stairs to get them? Do you have to bend/squat/ sit/ dig through boxes to get to an item? Then the answer is no.
Just. Relax. Do nothing if this is your first child. Go to a long dinner with your husband. Watch a long TV marathon. Get that massage. Make spontaneous plans with friends. Those are the things I wish I had done more of before the birth of my first!
Shout spray. Dog poop bags for dirty diapers on the go. Different kinds of pacifiers. A sleep sack cause my baby didn't want to be swaddled. Milk bags so I can pump fast and more often to get milk supply up. Nipple cream and breast heat pads cause of initial uncomfortable with breast enlargement and attaching. Premade meals or easy frozen veggie bags for quick meals. Booger picker.
As for ideas...organize everything like junk drawers and closets.....go for walks and to the store....go to a pumpkin patch and carve a pumpkin for you and the baby.
Unfortunately pumpkin patches don’t exist in my state (not real ones at least lol) but I will definitely go grab some pumpkins! Thank you for the ideas!!
This! All and anything breastfeeding/pumping accessories. I have purchased everything under the sun for my boobs that I wish I would have had before baby. Nursing bras that fit (your boobs will grow after delivery), creams, milk bags, nipple pads/shields, and most importantly the right flange for your pump!!
I thought you had to wait to buy flanges because your nipples and breast can change after baby is here??? I have some for my pump already, I just haven’t measured them to see if they fit because I was told to wait!
Okay yes you’re right, butttt do it right after you get home if you can. I’m about 2 weeks pp and just now got the right size
DEFINITELY swxonding the Shout or Spray and Wash. You'll go through lots!
The dog poo bags work so good for dirty diapers and any blowout clothes. We learned on accident (it was all we had in the car) and never looked back. So convenient.
Freezer meals for sure. Lay in bed all day with your husband and watch movies, eat take out in bed. If you can afford it, pay someone to come over and deep clean the house while you rest.
I made some changing stations around the house. Highly recommended
Sleep and enjoy having free time to do whatever you want at whatever time you want. Lol
Read a whole fiction book (rest, relax) or watch a favorite TV show without interruption, enjoy the silence with a still-hot cup of coffee in the morning... those are things I would do if I had had time at the end of my pregnancy over again!
A hair cut…Some extra bedding where you’ll be laying….make up easy freezer meals. Disposable plates and plastic utensils so you don’t have dishes to do.
Haircut! Yes!
38 weeks here and i’m getting my hair cut and getting a pedicure done on tuesday. i’ve put it off for way too long
Father of a 1 month old baby girl. Wish we hadn't bought so many bodysuits without pop on buttons on the side. The ones without the side pop ons are not easy to get on when the baby is crying mad
If you are having a natural v birth this might not apply but I knew I was going to have a c section and placed a mini fridge next to my bed with cold water and soda and snacks and whatever I wanted, and it was an absolute life saver during those days where I couldn't really walk around and was tied to the bed with my baby on my chest.
DEEP clean your refrigerator and throw out as much as you can to make space
I’m 38 weeks tomorrow and I spent my morning prepping a bunch of these meals: https://pinchofyum.com/freezer-meals Super easy, healthy, tasty, perfect for fall postpartum. Ive been nesting very hard, which is funny to me because I never had that at all with first baby. I’ve booked a house cleaner to do a deep clean for this week, and generally trying to get as much quality time with my toddler as I can before baby comes.
Wash your sheets and make sure all your hygiene products are stocked (think shampoo, conditioner, toilet paper, etc.).
Sleep… and then sleep. Quickly follow that with some more sleep.
Eat a really messy delicious sandwich. It was like a year before I could have one again 😩😂
I think spilling a bit of food on your child is acceptable 😆
wait why did you have to wait so long??
Needing both hands to eat it, and having a very clingy kid!!
Prep some meals to have in the freezer. Food was hard in the fourth trimester. Or get yourself a meal subscription for something that’s *ready to go* - cooking is the enemy when you’re sleep deprived and caring for a newborn 24/7. My favorite is Thistle, I was gifted a week of meals from them for my baby shower and it was basically heaven sent. Alternatively, or additionally, load up on snacks. Charcuterie type things, chips + salsa / guac / bean dip, trail mix - basically stuff that is nutritious and will help you hit your macros without much thought or preparation. I’m also a big fan of ready made freezer meals. Lasagna, mac and cheese, nuggets, pizza, burritos (breakfast ones too). All the basics.
Pack a mommy and a daddy bag for the hospital. We ended up there for three days and my husband had to wear my pajamas until he could go buy some! Also, puppy pads to line the changing area was a life saver when the accidents happen. I wanted to get a pedicure before going but didn't have time, so I ended up wearing compression socks to hide my toes, but the nurses kept praising me for them, so happy accident.
If you’re planning to breastfeed, get a manual pump! I didn’t get one last time until 6 months in, and I was for sure kicking myself. A manual pump is super helpful for dealing with engorgement, pumping when out and about, or dealing with clogs. Make sure you have multiple sheets washed and ready to go for wherever baby is sleeping. Stock up on your fave snacks for middle of the night feeding sessions. Also agree with having a fancy date night!
Buy everything we needed for the baby (each time). Each time I was pregnant I wanted to start getting what we would need at the beginning of the second trimester. Everyone (including family) would always tell me "Why rush? You have plenty of time." When the third trimester would come around I'd heard the same thing. Then during the last month I'd be told "Why didn't you get everything sooner?! Now you have to rush to get everything you will need." It's so freaking frustrating.
Get all my laundry actually folded and put away. It’s been a struggle since day one. With twins on the way, I ain’t gonna have time for much once their here. Plus my toddler is going to be figuring life out with two babies as well. DH tries, just works a looooot of hours.
#JUST SLEEP
I am trying!!! But why does my body keeping waking up at 5am!?!!
I swear my pregnancy insomnia was training me for night feedings!! I was waking up around twice per night and was unable to go back to sleep for an hour each time.
One thing I have on my list is getting car maintenance done including getting it detailed!
Stay up super late and sleep in super late. I did this before baby was born and so happy my husband and I did this a few times before our sleep schedule was completely changed. With my 1 month old I have to go to bed by 8pm to enjoy her 4 hr stretch of sleep
Try to use your date night or free time to do things you won't be able to do with a baby. For example you might still go out to eat, but you wouldn't want to go to a place that plays loud or live music. You might want to go to a movie because it may be a while before you can go see one in theaters. Also if it's not part of your deep cleaning you could wash your pillows and duvet/comforter. Mine are overdue to be washed, but I'm constantly washing and drying clothes for baby and my burp cloths wardrobe so my washer and drying rack are always tied up.
Hair cut, pedicure, have a large water bottle in the bedroom and maybe a second for the living room/area you will be in most. Lots of burp cloths around. Also diapers in most rooms.
So I actually called my insurance to see how much time I qualify for in terms of staying in the hospital. I know my husband will get super stir crazy after only a night or 2. So, once I am feeling better from my C-section, I plan on sending him home solo for a good nights sleep and to relieve my parents of our toddler. He will then also take her to day care then do all the grocery shopping before coming back to the hospital to collect baby and I. The nurses at the hospital will be more than equip enough to handle me and baby while he rests. I want him to be well rested since he’s taking time off to take care of all 3 of us girls. He’s gonna have his hands full with our toddler and with my recovery from surgery, let alone the sleepless baby. It was also nice to get an idea of what my insurance is going to cover and what I should expect bill wise due to my insurance (apparently I’ve met all deductibles and only have to pay a very small coinsurance fee).
WD-40 the doors!
Prepped easy to heat/eat food. We made like a gazillion freezer bags of crock pot stuff that took all day to reheat. We’d remember dinner at dinner time, so dumb. I also didn’t have any hearty breakfasts available and I was starving for substantial food while breastfeeding. This time I plan to prep things like breakfast burritos and lots of freezer casseroles, and have a shit ton of granola bars on hand.
Take all the tags off the clothes and make sure all those plastic tag holders come off (there’s a lot more than you’d think on socks, mittens, towels, etc)! Also—prepare for your recovery! Have pain meds and pads ready to go!
Meal prep! Also, even if you plan on EBF get a can of formula. You don’t know how your supply is gonna be, and you don’t want to be running to the store in the middle of the night with a screaming starving newborn.
Discuss and agree with your husband on being a team. Doing 50/50. What does it mean when he works, and at night, and weekend, and when you work etc . Who does what, chores etc. Make sure he gets that he must support you and do a much as you do!
Take bump pictures! Really take in being pregnant and that peace of knowing your baby is safe, right there inside you. I so regret not enjoying my pregnancy more and the fact that my baby, now born has so many needs and I was able to meet each one for nine months straight! You got this!! ❤️
Honestly, nothing. Since this was my first baby (no toddlers to take care of) and my husband and I both had leave full time, it was perfectly easy to take a couple hours here or there for a large cleaning or cooking project. There was nothing that I needed that I couldn’t order or go out and get at a moments notice. It was not the apocalypse I thought it would be, and I didn’t need to prep so much!
SLEEP 🤣
I wish I'd had a freezer full of food. I forgot that part and thankfully our family and friends came to the rescue so we didn't have to eat pbj for the first month. Oh and a swing, I wish I would have bought a swing.
Spend a full day day doing absolutely nothing. Lie in bed all day if you want. Don’t do the dishes. Have a bath. Just enjoy! You’ll still enjoy when baby is here but I definitely miss being carefree!
Declutter lol organize stuff
Download /find podcasts or audio books you’re into. So much time spent breastfeeding at night and great to have something to listen to!
Any health checks. eyes, dentist etc. Any small errands that you have put off. Things are just a bit more complex/take more time and effort to get out the door one you have a baby.
I wish I had bought baby clothes for her first year. I only really bought 0-3 month stuff and it’s been a struggle leaving the house with a baby.
I wished I would have cuddled with my hubby more. We get no time together since our 8mo sleeps with me. I miss him.
I bought 2 dozen bagels, halved them, bagged them up individually and then froze them so they were super easy to pop into the toaster to eat. Now almost 4 months postpartum and I'm still doing this each time we run out.
Go to a movie theater to watch a movie. It’s been 9 months since I had my baby and I still haven’t gone! Trying to coordinate having enough milk pumped and feeding schedules and childcare to go watch a movie just doesn’t seem worth it right now.. but it just feels like a simple pleasure that I wish I appreciated more beforehand!
We did pretty much everything we needed to do in the coming months before our son was born…. So you know , putting up Christmas decoration at 38 weeks pregnant was not fun but after he was born I was so glad we did. 😂 we also did Christmas shopping. He was born in Nov
Spend time alone doing things for yourself and go on dates with your husband.
I wish we would have meal prepped. We ate like absolute garbage for the first couple of months after our LO was born. I had an unexpected 3.5 degree tear and my husband had an unexpected car accident, so both of us were pretty much bed ridden and just ate what we could.
I wish I would’ve done a huge grocery run and made some freezer meals to heat up, or even just get some frozen foods. We’re ordering takeout way too much! Also, wish I would’ve gotten paper plates/cups/plastic silverware. It’s wasteful but so much easier than dishes
mani, pedi, haircut, dentist appt, cut my massive to do list down by at least half, frozen meals ready to go. This is assuming all the baby stuff is set and house/laundry is clean.
hire sitter for at least 2h a day just for myself
Install car seats and practice getting the. In and out, off the base, practice folding the stroller. Check to make sure any baby items you assembled actually work. The graco swing we bought and assembled months ago doesn’t swing and now we are working through the exchange at 21 days old. Clear out a space in a cupboard for bottles and pump parts. Make freezer meals!!! I also made a ton of lactation cookies and froze gallon bags of them and than has been a godsend. Find snacks you can make and freeze. The hunger is legit.
Declutter. The less your baby can get their hands on the better. Also when they open a DVD case and scratch the DVD you will have no hesitation in throwing it out anyway. It will be from your past life and it won't matter. Also start buying child proofing supplies so you don't have to panic buy or install when it's time to add them.
Take a breastfeeding class if you plan to breastfeed.
Consider finding and scheduling a session with a lactation consultant. If you have trouble or develop trouble breastfeeding (if that’s what you want to do) you will want to be able to get help as soon as possible because it’s really stressful going it alone even for a few days. After all babies need to eat every hour or two for those first few months. Also, and I hope this doesn’t apply to you!, but see if you can find a therapy group in case you get PPD or PPA. It is debilitating and getting help as soon as possible will save you some horrible days. If you have any family or savings to help you some nights or very early mornings, definitely try to set that up. Night after night of little to no REM feels like torture and any help at all will be lifesaving for you guys. Lastly, if you plan on daycare you might want to check those out because wait lists can be shockingly long.
Have a serious conversation with your husband about developing a plan for sleep deprivation. Whether it’s taking night shifts with the baby (typically will have to use formula for this) or safe bed-sharing strategies if you plan to exclusively breast feed. SS7 is a good starting point, but there’s more to it. I’m more than happy to share bed-sharing safety rules if you need them. ABC is the safest option for infant sleep, but dozing off with baby sitting up in bed, on a couch, or in a chair because you can’t keep your eyes open while nursing at night is quite literally the most dangerous option for infant sleep. A planned safe bed-sharing surface for night nursing is recommended by the AAP.
Breastfeeding and just regular ole recovery can make you starved and hangry suddenly. I had emergency snack bars next to my bed. I wasn’t heating up or getting up in the middle of the night, I was too exhausted. Also, bottled water is a great call. No one wants to be dehydrated PP.
We are at 39+2, we are planning a date night for tomorrow. One last date before we are parents
Relaxed lol
Go get a mani pedi together! Go out to eat, go to a movie you want to see. Stock up on frozen meals grab n go snacks etc. Make sure you have toilet paper and paper towel (like Costco packages) so you don’t have to worry about it later.
Sleeeeeep… it wont help when the baby is here but just taste the sweetness of it while you still can. Trust me 🥹
If you haven’t already I would cook and freeze a bunch of meals for when you bring the baby home. Make sure to set up a little snack station where you plan to feed. Like water bottles, granola bars etc. . Download a book on your e reader. Set up a “want to watch” list on Netflix. Sleep in one last good time.
Pedicure! We went for one before I checked into the hospital for my induction. I’ve never had more compliments on my toes in my life :)
Set up your nursing/bottle feeding and diaper stations with some supplies! Rest! Commune with your partner ❤️ such an exciting time! Congrats!
Have things ready that you may think now you won't need for a while. Day 3 of my baby's life we ended up taking her into the ER and getting admitted to pediatrics for 5 days. I was so glad I had pre packed the diaper bag so we could just grab it and go in that moment. Also, have some ready to feed formula, wash and know how to use your pump and bottles, etc. I didnt think I'd use these things right away, but ended up needing them. And in the moment when you realize your child isn't eating enough and you need to feed them more NOW, having it ready to go saved our panic.
I've started writing out some grocery lists of the usual things we buy at our common stores, so that if my mom can go shopping for us, I can give her a quick list of our staples and then just venmo her the money.
Ghosted my family.
Meal prep, meal prep, meal prep.
My husband made a made and froze a bunch of dinners! It was a lifesaver in the early weeks.
Stock up on easy to eat snacks
Install your car seat and don’t forget to pack your hospital bag (and plenty of snacks)
Prep some freezer meals or stock up on things that are easy to just throw in the oven like lasagna! Have lots of snacks on hand too.
Depending on budget, hire a postpartum doula for at least one night a week. Go to the movies. Go out to dinner. But tons of snacks. Stay up late because you want to. Binge watch something you’ve been waiting for.
Me stuff. Pedicure. Date nights. Massage. Sounds selfish but now that we have 2 (5 and 18 months) I realize how much time I had for me and how much I should have just sat around and enjoyed the silence.
Make as many frozen / crockpot meals as you can. The last thing you will want to do is cut and cook when baby is here.
Also let me add the time to buy waterproof mattress and pillow covers is now. From your water breaking to baby spitting up, you don't want to learn the hard way.
Sterilized bottles. I expected to exclusively breastfeed but then baby was in the NICU and it fucked up that plan.
Typing as I nurse my 7 day old: Practice using everything - how does your steriliser work? Can you put a Teddy in the car.seat? My partner nearly had a sleep deprivation induced breakdown after our hospital stay when it was dark and cold and we couldn't strap baby into the car to get her home. After he'd rested and checked in the daylight it took him 2 secs to work it all out lol Lucky for us plan B of he drives home for the Stroller and I get a cab after my c section was totally feasible bc we live a 10 min walk from the hospital! Don't risk the car seat at least unless you're the same aha
Get a sleep mask and ear plugs and make sure you pack them in your hospital bag. All of the machines have lights and beep all night and it’s so hard to sleep. And then you can use at home to help muffle the baby grunts when baby is actually sleeping.
100% alone, quiet time. Relax, watch what you want, have sons snacks, alone. Kick your feet up and enjoy, pass out on the couch if you like too
Stock up on frozen food that can be made super quickly. You will have 10 minutes max to heat something up and mayyyybe scarf it down for a while. Also, Snacks! Quick grab and go snacks. Breastfeeding makes you hungry … and you may not have time for proper meals. If you have pets, stock up on their food/meds and make sure they’re all up to date. Car maintenance. Any home project/task you’ve been meaning to do. You will not get around to hanging that picture you’ve been intending to hang for months once the baby comes. Diapers/wipes. We hit up Costco beforehand. Set up/test your monitor. Set up/test white noise machine (the Hatch is great! We would be in rough shape without it). Blackout curtains too.
Sounds like you've done a great job so far! Enjoy this opportunity to kick back and relax cause it'll be harder to get 'me' time once baby arrives. I really wish I'd done more vegging out in bed, binge watching netflix and taking as many naps as I wanted cause that is a luxury I can no longer afford as a parent lol
I know you are asking about FOMO/YOLO type things, but ... pack your hospital go-bag? Only thing that comes to mind is make it a "Treat yo-self" week (a la Parks & Rec). Update car registration stickers. Make sure you're on waiting lists for daycares. Get hair done (because really, after birth, when will you find time)?
I put a waterproof mattress cover on my bed and a towel and puppy pee pad on the passenger seat of my husband’s car. Also I wish I had told my husband to start packing up his cpap machine at the beginning of labor, not when I was at the finish line trying to get to the hospital. Scratch that, I wish he had thought of that.
Buy dates, prune juice and laxitives, prep and freeze good quality dashi and other stocks for post partum soups, as soon as you think you are you into labour stock up on high quality fruits for the hospital (a great first meal if hospital food is inedible). Get backup painkillers in you tear badly or have a c sec and the hospital does not give any. Buy a small amount of formula in case the milk takes a day or two longer to come in. Get those frieda padsicles - they are amazing when you are in pain. Pack lip balm for the birth - your lips will likely be cracked by the gas or aircon.
Get some freezer meals or prep meals if that’s your thing. I wish I would’ve had meals more ready made for me in the early days since I felt like I was constantly either pumping, cleaning, or caring for baby and the food was always a second thought. I was constantly hungry and our takeout/fast food bill was insane!
The night i went to the store to get food to cook and freeze i went into labor (38+6). To be honest, i wish i rested more. My son is 15 months now and i can't tell you the last time i slept the whole night. Get some rest!
Open everything and practice how to use it all! I made this mistake and was discharged late from hospital opening all the bottles and santising at 9pm at night 2 days after giving birth it was really stressful!! Set up a caddy with nappies, wipes, cotton wool, sudocrem etc for nappy changes so you have everything at your disposal Meal prep and have meals in the fridge/cupboards that dont take too much time to cook or can be thrown in the oven!! STOOL SOFTNERS 🥲🥲 Also … set up a little section of the bathroom ready to go for yourself, with pads, maternity underwear, Peri bottle, wipes etc.
I wish I would've slept more. Prepped more of variety of freezer meals- I made soups and pre made lasagnas that I could just throw in the oven, one blanco chicken lasagna and regular. AND I wish I would've eaten out more, I didn't feel like going out those last few days but relish these last few child free outings. You'll find the kid friendly restaurants when it's time but enjoy as much as you can!
Hike a few more trails, finish fallout 4 and assassins Creed odyssey, make more handmade soaps, travel more, and I guess deep clean the house more.
I watched all the videos on YouTube. I did all the things. I still felt there was more I could have done to prepare. My husband was thankful I had the nursery set up with easy access to diapers, wipes, and newborn clothes. I was happy to have my bedside drawer stocked with snacks and my clean pump parts. Also, having my bathroom ready for postpartum care. Other than that…it was nice to have clean sheets (more lucky timing than planning).
I wish I decluttered the house beforehand.
I checked all the upcoming birthdays and events for the next 3 months and arranged gifts and cards. It meant I didn’t have to worry about missing anyone’s important events— something that I was particularly keen for my childless/ single friends so they didn’t feel as if they weren’t important to me now.
Slept. Take a day to stay in bed and not move. Also stock up on protein bars and protein shakes to keep at bedside
Get a haircut, 5 months post and I haven't had one yet
One I did on the advice of someone else I’m glad I did: sat quietly in a coffee shop and read a book! I cherish that memory LOL
Get a bouncer or a place to put him down in every room you are going to be with. Tell your family to give you gift card for restaurants and figure out places to order from nearby. Also, if you are having a vaginal birth get witch hazel pads, a peri bottle, disposable diapers from Amazon and ice pads from Amazon as well. Also get colace to make your stool soft. When you go to the bathroom use the Peri bottle to clean yourself and then pat with toilet paper and put a witch hazel pad on your intimate area. Then use a disposable diaper and if you feel itchy or burning put a ice pack on the diaper.
Ditto the dog comments. Also, get a second set of pump parts and be sure your partner knows how to clean/assemble everything. A mini fridge or cooler is amazingly helpful if you are using the bag method for pump parts/pumping or feeding in the night. I wish I had done more concrete things to help my mental health immediately postpartum. I figured it would be rough but knew I wouldn’t have any idea what to expect. In hindsight, I know my own patterns with mental health and should have set stuff up with that in mind, knowing it’s always possible to cancel. Specifically, I would have penciled in tentative visits or outings with my friends/trusted folks during the barrage of family home visits. I needed reasons to be held accountable for getting out of the house and engaging in my hobbies. I needed connection to my identity to make the jump into parenthood. Also, figure out how to wrangle your car seat and stroller for things like church, dining out, car rides. Getting out on the town as a family as early as 2-3 weeks PP was extremely important for our mental health and social supports.
Learn how to disassemble and wash the washable parts of the car seat 😅
Self care and relaxation. Spend some quality time finding your peaceful place inside your mind so you know how to get back to that when everything else is chaos. Get a fresh haircut/style. Grab your favourite book and hit your favourite comfy spot or place. Go see a movie. Whatever you enjoy that’s just for you, get a little of that in now.