Preparing for Baby | 20 Things to Tick off Before Birth

You can never be 100% prepared for the arrival your baby, but you can give it your best shot.

Feeling physically and emotionally prepared is a great starting point, but there are a few key things to tick off your pre-baby list that will have an even bigger impact on settling into life with a new baby as smoothly as possible.

To turn flustered into calm and collected when it’s time to give birth, here are 20 important things that will help you prepare on all levels.

1. Organise baby’s essentials

Newborns don’t need a whole lot right away, but it’s super important to make sure you’ve got the essentials on hand so you don’t start scrambling as you go into labour. We’ve covered the essentials in our  baby nursery checklist.

2. Prepare freezer meals

When you come home from the hospital, the last thing you want to do is worry about tonight’s dinner. The weeks leading up to your due date are the perfect time to prepare meals in bulk for the next few weeks. Simply freeze them in smaller batches that you can quickly defrost when the hunger strikes. Slow cookers make this task even easier.

3. Replenish household essentials

It’s time to take stock of your pantry and the essentials such as toilet paper, laundry detergent and cleaning products. Replenish the items that are low and consider adding others that could come in handy for those first few weeks with your new baby.

4. Make arrangements for your family pets

Labour often happens unexpectedly. And the last thing you want to happen is for your furry companion to be stuck at home without anyone to feed them for a long period of time. Speak to neighbours or family members who can look after your pet while you’re busy welcoming the latest addition to your family.

5. Fill any prescriptions

Consider medical needs as you approach your due date and make sure you have medical supplies that see you through well beyond the early days with your baby.

6. Take care of regular medical checks

When was your last dentist appointment? How up to date is your eye assessment? A new baby can easily absorb all of your time so tick off any medical checks that are either overdue or upcoming before you’ll struggle to make the time commitment with a new baby. Everything is harder to navigate with a newborn by your side.

7. Check your home for safety

The crawling and walking stage will only begin in a few months, but it’s never too early to assess your home in terms of baby’s safety. Do you need to make any alterations? Is there anything you can get a headstart on before baby takes over your life?

8. Treat yourself

This one is a BIG one. It’s far from selfish to book extra you time before your main focus will shift dramatically. Take a walk, book a massage or catch up with a girlfriend if you feel like it. Finding time for yourself or with your friends will never be as easy as it is now.

9. Pack your hospital bag

A few weeks out from your due date is an excellent time to start organising everything you need for birth in your chosen hospital. We’ve compiled a handy Hospital Bag Checklist for you. It doesn’t hurt to have it ready to go if things happen earlier.

10. Book newborn photography

Quality photographers often book up months in advance. So make sure you book any newborn photography well before your due date. Having photography ready to go will also help get your birth announcements organised quickly and efficiently.

11. Install the baby car seat

This one might be obvious, but it’s too easy to forget. So we’re giving it a separate mention. We recommend fitting it before you are a chance of going into labour so it’s in the car before you ever embark on your journey to the hospital.

12. Arrange support for the first few weeks

Life with a newborn can be exhausting. So have an honest conversation with your partner to assess where you can outsource tasks or seek help from family or friends to remove that extra layer of complexity. It doesn’t hurt to ask and often people are more than happy to assist.

13. Take shots of your growing belly

Mobile phone cameras make it super easy to capture the rapidly changing shape of your pregnant body. It’s a precious moment in your life that should be documented not only for you but also for your child. A snap a day in the final weeks will show just how quickly your baby is growing.

14. Make a shortlist of baby names

We don’t say you have to settle on the final name before seeing your baby, but having a shortlist takes the stress out of making a decision. Create a list with your favourites and then keep narrowing it down to the final few.

15. Complete any household projects

Do you have a half-finished bathroom or kitchen? Now’s the time to seriously consider completing any unfinished business in the house. Renovation and home improvement projects only add to the complexity of life with a newborn.

16. Organise a date night

Your life as a couple is about to be turned upside down. Make a conscious effort to get as much couple time as possible before your baby joins in the action. Have those conversations and enjoy each others’ company because you deserve it.

17. Get a haircut

You’ll be surprised how hard it can be to see your hairdresser regularly with bub in tow. Now’s the time to take care of yourself so you feel fabulous not only when baby arrives but for the weeks and months that follow.

18. Book a babymoon

Want to take the date night concept to the next level? Pack your bags and embark on a babymoon. It doesn’t have to involve planes or long car drives, but it can simply mean booking a nice hotel in the city to spoil each other as a couple and celebrate what’s ahead of you.

19. Have a girls’ night

Grab your closest girlfriends and enjoy time together. Finding time for your friends among the newborn chaos can be challenging, so soak up as much of it as you can before things become unpredictable.

20. Sleep

Last but not least: Get plenty of rest and sleep. Pregnancy in itself is a tiring period in your life, but life with a newborn takes it up another level. So tackle the last few weeks task by task and don’t overdo it.

Want to feel extra prepared?

Tick the Cushii Baby Lounger off your baby essentials list while you’re here...