4 Things To Plan Before the Baby Arrives
Before your little one comes into the world, you need to ensure everything’s ready. So to start your magnificent journey of bringing a new addition into the home, add these four things to plan before the baby arrives to your to-do list.
Set a Timeline for the Nursery
At the beginning stages of your pregnancy, you’ll want to make a nine-month timeline to set up the nursery. Remember to make room for decorating it with fun artwork and paint.
The Final Days
Toward the final countdown of your delivery date, have your spouse or a friend help lift heavier items and focus on the more daunting tasks. Even if you expect your baby to arrive early, it’s important to apply finishing touches to your nursery.
Prepare Your Pets and Children
The new arrival of a family member is exciting, but you don’t want to be bombarded by company after returning home. So ask friends or family members to take care of your animals, children, and houseplants while you’re at the hospital.
For the Kids
If you have small children, have a close family member or friend watch over them for a few days as you and your little one adjust and return home.
For the Pets
As for your pets, consider boarding them or ask family to take them in while you’re gone. During the time after your delivery, you likely want to rest and get your newborn situated. So try and keep animals boarded until everything’s settled down.
Take Care of Other Health Problems
You don’t want to ignore other health problems while pregnant—regardless of whether they’re pre-existing or a new disorder, you want to stay in close communication with your doctor.
Appointments You Shouldn’t Ignore
When scheduling appointments, ensure the ones scheduled are the most important to get out of the way. For instance, going to the dentist is vital. Schedule other important appointments to ensure you’re healthy, such as:
- Bloodwork
- Parenting classes
- Leisure activities
- Exercise
Additionally, plan out any appointments that don’t revolve around your pregnancy.
Spend “Quality Mommy” Time
Don’t forget about yourself. The most important part of this pregnancy journey is ensuring you get as much time to yourself before your little one comes as possible. However, this doesn’t mean quality mommy time stops once your baby’s born. If anything, you can enhance it by making new mommy friends. You can form strong bonds when spending time together away from the children.
Treat Yourself
When arranging the arrival for your little one, it’s important to dedicate time to treat yourself so you have a stress-free birth.
For instance, consider one of these activities to relax.
- Massage
- Walk in the park
- Movies
- Dinner with yourself
- Exercise classes
Coming toward the end of your pregnancy, you’re going to feel relieved that you stumbled across our list of things to plan before the baby arrives. Now, let’s start planning so that you and your bundle of joy are ready to conquer the world together.
Photo – Jonathan Borba
