5 Things To Do Before Baby Arrives

Schedule a beauty day or two

This is the single most important thing that you should do before baby comes. Don’t get me wrong you will probably find sometime after bub arrives to plan a spa day but when you barely have time to take more than 2 min shower on most days, a spa day might be a bit difficult to swing in those first few months. Take some time to have a good pamper day…hair, mani/pedi, pregnancy massage and a wax if you fancy and it doesn’t necessarily have to be anything extravagant or at a spa for that matter.

Go on dates

This is an obvious thing to do, but it can be difficult the first few weeks after bub arrives as you will be too occupied and later on  you may not have babysitters. Make reservations to a restaurant of your choice and remind your spouse how much you love and appreciate them. No matter how hard it is to find a babysitter, make the effort so you can get some crucial one on one time with each other.

Take a Babymoon

Transitioning to parenthood can be so stressful at times and taking some time out to just relax, indulge and enjoy the company your partner or best friend is a good way to enjoy the last bit of sanity before baby arrives.  It can be a simple road trip, a romantic cottage/city retreat or a nice coastal break. Be sure to keep your midwife in the loop, check out the local medical facilities and get any necessary vaccines if your plan on going overseas. 

Invest in a good nursing bra

If you are planning on nursing your baby you may want to invest in a couple of good nursing bras. My plan was to see what baby decided to do once he arrived so I was very ill equipped in the first few weeks (until I managed to go out to do some shopping). Having to stuff breast pads into regular bras was no fun as they never stayed put, which meant constantly having to push them back in place. I will recommend to get at least one good nursing bra for when baby arrives so you can start using them as soon as you need to.

Make your birth plan

Oh the dreaded birth plan.  It took me ages to get mine done and I only finished it because  I was tired of the constant nagging to get it done.  It ended up being quite handy because even though we forgot it at home and nothing actually went to plan as I ended up getting a c-section – very far from the natural birth in my plan, I felt that by filling it out I was more informed and prepared for a change in the plan than I probably would have been had I not gone through the trouble of completing it out.

Most of all try to enjoy it!  I know this is easier said than done…once my due date arrived I was so ready to get it over with. I did as much as possible to keep myself busy just to forget how uncomfortable and over being pregnant I was. I didn’t take the time to just enjoy my freedom and to just relax. You will still want to get all of the clothes and sheets washed and the house cleaned up but make sure to spend the last few weeks enjoying this precious time before your baby arrives.