As many of you know, I have baby on the brain and am due this summer with my second little girl! As I am gearing up for chaos and sleepless nights I try to remember the things that saved me last time. I wanted to share these tips that made my life as a new mama sooooo much easier:
Pre-Baby Prep (To-do Before Baby Arrives!)
1. Clean your house or hire a cleaner to do a deep clean.
2. Stock up on paper goods, cleaning products and household necessities.
3. Buy easy-to-grab treats and beverages: Cliff bars, trail mix, coconut water and energy drinks are new mama favorites.
4. Clear the clutter! Everyone knows that babies require a lot of gear and gadgets. Try to slim down the rest of your house on clutter and chaos before the big event.
5. Organize a dinner drop-off program with friends and family. (www.mealtrain.com) is an excellent resource for this!
6. Make sure your ducks are in a row: pediatrician and health care for baby, car seat installed, pre-register with the hospital, set up an emergency phone list.
7. Line up any necessary support for the first month (cleaning service, food delivery, post-partum doula, lactation consultant, etc.)
8. Pack your hospital bag with post-it reminders for any last minute additions (cell phone, wallet, ipod, etc.)
9. Discuss with your partner how you will handle guests and visitors.
10. Schedule at least one day of pre-baby pampering and a date or mini vacation with your partner!
Great blog! Great list for pre-baby. Congratulations on the blog!
Great blog! I disagree that babies need a lot of gadgets though. I found the opposite to be true, they need refreshingly little! Clever marketing and our culture lead us to believe that we need these gadgets for the baby. There doesn’t have to be a crib (baby prefers not), a stroller (baby prefers not) , bottles (baby prefers not)…. only mummy, breast milk and a couple of blankets!
I couldn’t agree more, although even with the best of intentions most households do get quickly crowded with baby gear, toys and gifts.
Look out for my post next month on this very subject.
Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts!