It’s easy to forget the little things when the big event of a baby arriving is around the corner, especially when pregnancy brain is making even the simplest things difficult to remember.
Here are 20 last minute things that you will want to take care of before your due date:
1. Pack Your Hospital Bags
It is never too early to have a bag packed for you and baby to take to the hospital or maternity clinic.
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Even if you are planning a home birth, you or baby may need to go to hospital in a hurry so have a bag packed according to a recommended checklist plus some extras.
Grab our hospital bag checklist here.
2. Do The Laundry
Baby’s new clothes, blankets and other items should be washed with an appropriate detergent before wearing. This gets all those synthetic starches and dye residues off before they wear it.
It is best to take care of this task well before baby arrives as you probably won’t have the time or energy to do it afterwards.
Cloth diapers, bedding and clothes will all need a wash.
3. Deep Cleaning
You may feel the natural urge to clean your house thoroughly before going into labor.
This is natural and you should go with the flow to ensure that your home is clean and tidy for the arrival of a baby cos you won’t feel like doing it for a while after baby is here!
RELATED POST: Deep cleaning before baby
4. Cooking
You may want to cook some wholesome, nutritious meals and freeze them to make quick dinners for when you are too tired to cook – which will probably be most of the time.
Not sure what to cook? Birth Eat Love have a super affordable Freezer Meals Cookbook where you get 17 delicious recipes that actually freeze well, a bunch of tips on bulk cooking and freezing food and a pre-made grocery list! Pretty amazing for under $10!!
5. The Car Seat
Car seats are complicated but very necessary to ensure baby’s safety while traveling. Install the seat and make sure that you BOTH know how it works.
6. The Stroller
You may want to take some time to familiarize yourself with the baby stroller that you have purchased.
Knowing how to put it up and down BEFORE you are late for an appointment or have a screaming baby (or both) is really helpful. Ask me how I know…
7. Make An Assistance Call List
Ask friends and family if they are willing to assist you when needed or just give you a break and make a quick call list that you can access when you feel you can’t cope.
You can also include your family doctors and other emergency phone numbers.
8. Check Clothing, Bedding And Blankets
Tags, embroidery and other items on bedding, blankets and in clothing can scratch and irritate baby’s skin so cut them off and dispose of them.
9. Strings, Wires, Ropes, etc.
These items all pose a variety of hazards to a new and growing baby so make sure these are out of reach.
Check curtains and blinds in baby’s bedroom as well.
10. Maternity Leave
If you are a working mom-to-be, make sure that your employer is aware of the expected delivery date, the length of your leave and that you should not be disturbed during this time.
Set up auto replies for out of office emails and change your message on your answer service.
11. The Test Run
Take a test run drive to the hospital to ensure that you are ready to leave and aware of any challenges like traffic or route changes that you may experience along the way.
Don’t speed as you will probably have plenty of time to get to the hospital.
12. Check And Recheck Your Birth Plan
Your birth plan will be followed by your doctor and the nurses in hospital and should be in place well before you go into labor.
Go over the plan one last time to make sure that it is still what you want. Make sure you have spare copies in your hospital bag.
RELATED POST: How to prep for a home birth
13. Lip Balm, Moisturizer And Body Lotion
The conditions in the hospital as well as any anesthetics and other medications can dehydrate you causing your lips and skin to dry out.
14. Phone, Camera And Video Camera
Make sure that each of these are fully charged and that there is plenty space available on the memory card to store loads of photos and video.
And that the memory card is actually in the camera…
15. The Nurses/midwifes
The nurses will provide you and baby with all the care and information you need, so it would be nice to arrange a little gift for them. A box of chocolates for the desk out the back is perfect.
16. Nails
Don’t paint your nails a solid color. While this may look great for the photos, if you do need an emergency C-section and have to go under anesthetic, nail color is not a good idea and they will remove it so they can read your oxygen levels.
17. Grooming
Although you won’t want to paint your nails you can still go for a mani and a pedi and get your hair done! And maybe a massage while you are at it!
18. Waxing
This is totally optional, doctors, midwives and nurses couldn’t care less one way or the other! You may want to have a full waxing done before baby arrives to help keep things clean as you will bleed for 4-6 weeks after the birth and you won’t be using tampons or menstrual cups!
19. Take Pregnancy Photos
Take some last photos of you and your baby belly to show you little one as he or she grows up. Some professional photographers do these beautifully.
20. Stay Calm And Relax
It is easy to start to panic in the last days so meditate, do some relaxing exercises and keep busy to keep your mind off the coming event.
Personally, I love the hypnobabies program for the relaxing benefits! Check out my review here
