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When it comes to preparing for your first child, it can be quite overwhelming. There are so many pages out there that have great ideas and recommendations. I went through a bunch of them when I was pregnant. I wanted to share what I learned and what helped us once our little man arrived. These tips and recommendations come from our experience and share my views on them. Everyone has a different experience with being a parent of a newborn. The biggest thing I can say in all of this, is to enjoy the time with them being little. It won’t last long.
Meal Prep
If you’ve seen some of my other posts, I am a big believer in meal prep and how it can help save time and frustration to have things ready to go. My sister and I spent a few hours one morning preparing some meals to freeze. That way I would be able to bring it out and either heat it up or dump in a slow cooker. I have helped friends who were pregnant prepare some meals as well so they would have them ready to go after the baby came. Also, think of some easy-to-grab snacks to have on hand. You’ll get hungry. Sometimes you aren’t able to make a full meal or don’t want to move if you have a sleeping baby on you. Below are some ideas that we made to have on hand after my little guy was born.
-Frozen Breakfast Burritos
-Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
-Slow Cooker BBQ chicken
-Slow Cooker Pot Roast
-Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli
-Slow Cooker Chili
-Frozen Lasagna
Have a Baby Shower
This is a huge step to getting prepared for the arrival of your baby. We had so much we knew we needed but also knew we would get stuff at the shower. It’s a great way for friends and family to support you and the new arrival. There are some tips that helped us and a couple we learned after the fact.
– Don’t be afraid to ask for gift cards as well. There may be some things you don’t get on your registry and it’s nice to have the gift card to be able to purchase them. Also, register for gift cards at big box stores. If you have them by you, like Costco or Sams Club, you can save a lot on diapers, wipes, and formula. Many times, you don’t need a membership to shop there if you have a gift card, check with them before you ask for gift cards.
-Don’t take tags off clothing items or any items until you go through everything. Some clothing items may be the wrong size for a certain season. While a fleece outfit may be cute, the size of the outfit may be when it is summer out, and impractical to have that during that season. Or similar if you have shorts, but the size will be during winter.
-Check for doubles of anything. If you have some, then see if you can exchange or return the item so you are able to get something else from your registry.
-Wash all items that need it, clothes, bottles, pacifiers, pumps, etc. This will help having everything ready to go once the baby arrives.
Have a Diaper Party
If you are able to, then I suggest having a diaper party. This is usually help for the dad to be and the entrance into the party is to supply the dad with a pack of diapers or wipes. My husband’s brother threw the party at his house and everyone was able to watch football and have pizza. This is typically more relaxed than a baby shower. It’s a great way to stockpile a bunch of diapers. Make sure to request different sizes so you are prepared when they start growing out of one size. We went through a lot of size 2 diapers so it was nice to have a few boxes of those on hand when he started growing.
Zippers over Buttons
Those cute onesies you see for little babies are so adorable. However, when you have a baby crying or wriggling about it is hard to try and match up every single button. The ones with zippers, like these, are so easy and quick to close if you have a squirmer on your hands.
Join Mom Pages
Look into social media for mom pages in your area. They have great deals on items to get rid of that their children grow out of. This is a great way to get items needed and at a great price. We had friends who had 3 boys and were getting rid of their baby clothes. I was able to go through them and pick out what we needed for the sizes and seasons.
Pet Coverage
Thankfully we had family that were able to keep our pup when it was time to head to the hospital. With the timing being unknown when a baby would arrive, it helped us out that my husband’s brother was able to take our dog for us.
Pack your Bag
They say that at 37 weeks, you could technically go at any time and the baby would be considered full-term. I had a bag 3/4 of the way packed at 37 weeks, in case I went into labor and could add the last-minute things. Little did I know, that my little guy was very content in my belly and he ended up coming a week after the due date. I was glad that I had the bag ready to go though, because come 41 weeks, I did not feel like doing anything.
1 Car Seat, Multiple Bases
When the baby is small and in a car seat, you will constantly be taking the car seat out and not the baby. We got 2 extra bases to go along with the car seat we chose. That way whoever was picking up or dropping off could leave the car seat. We didn’t have to worry about multiple at any place. Then, we each had one in our cars and my in-laws had one as well. Once he grew out of the car seat we got 2 convertible car seats that went from front facing to toddler seat to booster seat. We are currently still using the booster seat and we haven’t had to keep buying multiple seats as he has gotten bigger.
No Changing Station
If you have a small space or room that your baby will be in, then it can get crowded with multiple pieces of furniture. I didn’t need to waste money on a changing station when I could get a changing pad to place on top of his dresser and a rolling caddy to use for his changing supplies. The caddy had 3 shelves and 2 were used for diapers, the top had wipes, butt paste, and other small things we may need. We also had easy access to his clothes if he needed a full outfit change. He never rolled off and we didn’t have to walk away from him because everything was right there.
Product Recommendations
Cloth Diapers -They help with spills, spit up, are easy to wash and have in the diaper bag
Nose Frida -This may give some people anxiety to use it but when your little one is upset and has a stuffy nose, this works wonders to clear it.
Grape Cutter -Works wonders on grapes and similar foods to cut them quickly and easily.
Postpartum Belly Band – I swear by this. After delivery, I felt like my organs were loose after having such a heavy weight on them for months. This helped give me support and allow my stomach to recover. It is recommended for moms that have a c-section as well.
Backpack Diaper Bag – Loved having a backpack diaper bag. It was so easy to carry around while having to carry a car seat as well.
Enjoy Your Nesting
As mom gets closer to the due date, you may start to have the “nesting” feeling where you are ready to prepare everything for the arrival of your little one. Clean the house, prep everything you can, take some naps, and enjoy your time with your partner. You won’t be alone for much longer and will have some sleepless nights ahead. We made sure to go out on a date night before the due date and just enjoy each other’s company. I hope these tips help you prepare for your little one’s arrival.
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