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Becoming a mom is a really amazing time in any woman’s life. It’s really a very special experience and women are encouraged to relish the time that they get to experience being pregnant. Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here
It’s very short lived, this pregnancy thing, only around 40 weeks or so and then it’s over, so women are on a time frame during their pregnancies not only to enjoy them, but also to make sure to get all of the important things that must be done, finished before baby arrives!
It can be more than a little bit overwhelming when women sit down and really start to think about all of the things that need to be done before their baby gets here.
However, today we are going to give you a list of the top things that most women wish they would have gotten done before the arrival of their little ones! Read on for the list!
If there is one thing we know about babies, it’s the fact that they come with A LOT of stuff! Whether it be bulky toys and equipment, or tiny little socks, clothes and hats, or diapers piled high to the ceiling, babies come with a lot of, ahem, accessories!
Those tiny little extras can quickly take over your house if you are not careful. This is why it is a really good idea to set aside some time to declutter and organize your home before baby arrives, so you can keep a neat and tidy home even after you add another little person to the mix.
Decluttering is so simple, all it means is taking the time to rid your home of excess clutter, things that are just “there” that you don’t use and serve no purpose. Usually, it will make you feel better overall to get this done and help you to feel more in control for your baby’s arrival.
It’s usually a good idea to start your decluttering process early in your pregnancy, so you will for sure have enough time to get everything accomplished. However, many women struggle with fatigue and morning sickness during early pregnancy so it might not be feasible to do an all over deep clean and organization spree at this time.
If that is the case for you, know that your second trimester will likely bring more energy and an overall better feeling. In the meantime, do what you can, and see if you can declutter a small amount, like one drawer, or one box each day. Every little bit helps when it comes to getting your house in tip top shape before baby’s arrival.
We all gotta eat, but having to throw together dinner in the middle of nursing your newborn or after you have only gotten 2.649 minutes of sleep the night before is NOT a lot of fun, so it’s sometimes a good idea for women to take some time before baby arrives to do a meal planning or meal prep session.
This can take a lot of the pressure off once the baby does arrive, and can keep a new, sleep deprived mom from ordering takeout every single day, which can be really unhealthy. Plus, eating takeout is not exactly the way to get that post baby snap back body that we all want, now is it?
Luckily, meal prepping and meal planning do not have to be an all consuming thing. A quick search on Pinterest will reveal enough ideas for meal prep than you could use up with 4289 new babies! One of the simplest ways to prepare meals for after your baby is born is to do freezer meals. When you make a dish that you normally make for dinner, go ahead and make two. This is good for stuff like lasagna, enchiladas, or casserole type dishes. Then you can eat one for dinner, and freeze the other one.
Crock pot meals are super easy for new moms, and you can prepare the whole dish in a gallon size freezer bag, and simply throw it in your slow cooker when you are ready.
Another great trick is to cook up ground beef, season it and freeze it for a quick dinner when you make something like tacos, spaghetti, or chili. The same goes for shredded, cooked chicken as well, and these things freeze exceptionally well. There is so much that you can do to meal prep so that eating is simple and easy once baby comes, which is great, because you will not have much extra time!
Listen to this one, and listen carefully. Once your baby comes, you will barely have time for a shower, much less a spa day or pampering session. This is why it is so important to make time to take care of yourself before baby comes.
• Get your nails done.
• Get a good haircut that makes you feel pretty.
• Opt for a pregnancy massage, or a pedicure with foot massage.
• Get a wax, if that is your thing.
Take time to make yourself feel good and take time to pamper yourself before your baby arrives. Chances are, you are not going to be able to make it out to do these things after baby, so get it in while you can! Plus, taking time to pamper yourself is going to make you feel so much better, since you can start to feel pretty “blah” as your pregnancy drags on!
Yes, you might be feeling like a beached whale during your pregnancy, but it doesn’t matter. Get out of your comfort zone and take some maternity pictures. Trust us, you will be glad you did! As a mom that has a total of three photos of my pregnant self from the combination of my pregnancies, I really wish I would have let my hubby take more pics of me, even though I felt awful and was sure that I looked horrible as well. Go ahead and even splurge on taking some professional maternity photos. We guarantee, they will be something you will cherish for the rest of your life, and you won’t even care if you can see your stretch marks! Do it!
Yup, now that you have cleaned, organized and decluttered your home for your baby’s arrival, it’s time to fill it back up again. This time, we are going to be filling it back up with diapers, wipes, formula, and other much needed baby products.
Of course, this will vary a lot depending on if you are using cloth diapers or disposable ones, if you are breastfeeding or formula feeding, if you have a preference of what kind of bath products, pacifiers, etc to use. Once you have decided on these things, you can go ahead and start planning ahead and picking up, say, a pack of diapers or wipes each time you go to the grocery store.
Grab a baby wash or baby shampoo each week on payday, or each time you order from Amazon, add a baby pacifier or something similar to your cart. Also, make sure to stock up on pads for postpartum fun, and toilet paper and paper towels, as well as a few non perishable snacks for the rough days or middle of the night feedings when you are just feeling blah!
Yes, this is often said in jest, as in “sleep now, because you won’t sleep for another 18 years!” but in reality it is pretty true. New moms are notoriously the most exhausted creatures on the face of the planet, so, if you are still pregnant, go ahead, take that nap.
Take one nap, hell, even two naps a day if you can squeeze it in! If you want to go to bed at 7:30 at night, go for it. If you can sleep in til noon right now, do it! You will need that sleep, not only to help your baby’s growth and development while in the womb, but also to help to prepare for labor and delivery as well. So, do not feel guilty, go ahead and take that nap, girl!
A lot of moms to be feel guilty about taking a maternity vacation with their significant other, sometimes known as a “babymoon,” or the last vacation before baby arrives. They might not feel like it’s the financially responsible thing to do, or they might simply feel like they have too much to worry about at home in preparation for baby.
However, it really is a good idea for couples to take some time together before the baby arrives to reconnect and rekindle the romance. You don’t have to do a week in Tahiti to be able to do this, but if you can, then more power to you! Do what you can with what you have. If that means an 11:30 AM matinee movie with your love, or a date night on Friday night, or even a Netflix session on the couch, do what you can to connect with your partner in these special times.
Being new parents can be particularly rough, and can cause stress, disagreements and tension in a relationship, so make sure to set the stage for a positive experience and make sure that you and your partner are feeling connected. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, it can be inexpensive or even free. Just take the time to show each other how important your relationship is, and it will go a long way towards helping you on your new journey together as parents!
Oh, and have sex! Once baby comes, you can;t and won;t be thinking about anything fun going on ‘down there,’ so get your kicks in now!
There really is so much stuff that goes along with having a baby, it can be hard to actually think beyond the giving birth part. However, giving birth is not the end of the line, alternatively, it is actually just the beginning when it comes to parenting. Once you are getting close to your due date, it’s a good idea to start preparing and planning for what exactly you will do after your baby arrives.
Some things to think about include your maternity leave. How long will you be off of work? Are you going back to work after giving birth? If you are, what about child care? Who will keep your baby when you are back to work? What about your partner? Is he taking paternity leave? How long? Do you have enough money in savings to cover those bills while you and/or your partner are off work? Is your health insurance information up to date? Have you toured the hospital where you are giving birth?
Have you had the baby’s car seat checked or installed by a fire station or police officer to ensure it is hooked up properly? Do you have a hospital bag packed? Who will you call when you go into labor? How long will it take you to get to the hospital in the event that you are in active labor? These are just a few of the important things to think about when you are preparing for the baby’s arrival, so as many of them as you can handle beforehand, will take a little bit of stress off of you in the long run!
As you can probably imagine, getting ready for baby to arrive is one of the most stressful times in a new mommy to be’s life! It really is super helpful to make a plan, be organized, and knock all the things out one by one. Then, once your baby arrives, you won’t have to be overwhelmed with silly things, and you can focus on the precious time with your brand new baby. That is, after all, the main goal, and doing some of the things listed above can help to reach that goal and make your first days as a new mom pleasant and perfect instead of stressful and overwhelming!
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