You’re having a baby….and soon! The third trimester can feel like a surreal whirlwind of excitement and preparation for your new little one. If you’re the type of mom who wants to cross every t and dot every i before the baby arrives, we get it—and we’re here to help! We’ve created this essential checklist of things to do before your baby arrives to guide you through it all, from practical prep to supportive self-care.
That said, life happens, so if you don’t get to every single item here before you give birth, it will all be ok. The goal isn’t to check every box—it’s to set yourself up for an easier and smoother transition into motherhood overall.
Take a deep breath, embrace the excitement, and use our in-depth before-baby checklist to help you feel as prepared as possible!
1. Plan for Birth
Giving birth is a major event in your life. While every birth unfolds differently, putting in some time to plan for labor and birth can help you feel confident and ready to meet your little one, no matter what happens on the actual day.
We highly recommend taking a childbirth class (locally or online). Look for one that is aligned with your goals and values for your birth, be it the one offered by your hospital or one that offers specialized techniques like hypnobirthing. A great class can help you understand the entire process of birth, as well as the options you have when it comes to your care before, during, and after labor. Next, make sure you understand all of the policies and options available at your place of birth (hospital or birth center). For example, do they have wireless monitoring so you can walk around during labor?
Have conversations with your doctor or midwife about your clinical situation, ideals, preferences, and goals for birth—whether that’s an unmedicated experience with little to no intervention or your desire to play your own music during a planned Cesarean birth. If extra support appeals to you, hire a birth doula to provide guidance, advocacy, and hands-on support for you during labor.
Consider making a written birth plan or birth preferences list—not as a way to control your labor or birth, but as an exercise in communicating your values for this most monumental of days: your baby’s birthday.
Pack your bag for the hospital or birth center or assemble all your supplies if you’re planning to birth at home. There’s no guarantee about what will happen during your labor and birth, but understanding all of your options can help you approach birth with a greater sense of peace and calm.
2. Plan for Postpartum
There are so many reasons why it’s important to think ahead about your postpartum experience. The biggest one? Because you matter! Your emotional, mental, and physical health are paramount as a new parent. Here are some practical ways to prepare for “the fourth trimester:”
Stock up on postpartum essentials: Buy supplies for your body after birth, including pads, a peri bottle, and sitz bath supplies. If you’re having a Cesarean birth, you may want to grab an abdominal binder or high-cut compression underwear. Place supplies in the bathroom or other area so they are easy to see and access.
Set up for recovery: No matter how you birth (vaginally or Cesarean), you’ll need some serious rest to recover. Create a spot in your home that’s all set up for you to rest and cuddle your new little one. Add comfy pillows, snacks, reading material, baby-feeding supplies, and of course, a big water bottle to help you stay hydrated. Some moms like to gather supplies in an easily portable basket or rolling cart that can accompany you from bedroom to living room and back.
Prepare your bedroom for nighttime parenting: Set up your bedroom with the bassinet, a nightlight (we love a salt lamp!), and baby supplies like wipes and diapers to make things easier to find during nighttime feeds or fussy times.
3. Connect and Plan With Your Partner
Having a baby will affect your relationship with your partner in a deep way. Yes, there will be lots of lovely moments that will bring you closer together, but there can also be some difficulty as you both adjust to parenthood.
Spend time with your partner discussing and planning for life after baby, including how you will both care for yourselves and your relationship. If you both want a bit of alone time each day, how can you make that work with a newborn, for example? Whatever needs you both have, figure out how to tackle them as a committed unit.
Make sure you are on the same page with expectations about baby care, feeding, and sleep (knowing that these can and will change and evolve, of course!) Consider scheduling daily or weekly check-ins or otherwise prioritizing open communication about both of your needs, including after baby is born.
4. Plan for Life Logistics
Life with a newborn can be chaotic. That’s why we recommend having a robust plan to deal with all the little details of life well before your littlest one is born. Things will likely change, of course, but having an idea of how you want to tackle the recurring tasks of your daily to-do list will make it easier once you’re balancing it all with a baby.
Here’s all the life logistics to think about before baby arrives:
- Food: Consider both meals and snacks. Will you prepare freezer meals, rely on takeout, or set up a Meal Train so friends and family can help? Nutrition can play a big role in your recovery, so think mindfully about this one and consider bulk buying, stocking the pantry, and preparing snacks that are easy to eat with one hand.
- Visitors: Are you open to people coming to see you and baby? Just immediate family or open door policy? How long will visits be? Think about visitor boundaries that will work for your family.
- Cleaning: Dishes. Floors. Bathrooms. Your home will get dirty—so think about how it will get clean. Is someone else able to do this for you? Is it in your budget to hire a cleaning service…or can you ask for that as a baby gift? Decide your dealbreakers—like having a cluttered coffee table—and make a plan to ensure at least those key tasks are getting done on the regular.
- Laundry: Babies make lots of laundry. Who will do it, fold it, etc? How often?
- Yard Care: If you have an outdoor space, it will need care. Think about how and how often this should happen.
- Pet Care: Of course, your precious pets will also need TLC at this time. Think ahead about dog walking, litter boxes, and those sorts of tasks.
- Budget and bills: If you’re planning to take time off of work, do you have a savings cushion? Paid leave? Planning to take FMLA (and have you filed for it yet?) Take in the full financial picture at the end of pregnancy and for the first few months postpartum. Are things looking good or will you need to make some changes? Don’t forget monthly and quarterly bills, as well as the act of paying them.
5. Plan for Your Emotional and Mental Health
The transition to parenthood is big. No matter how much you’ve wanted to be a mother or how easily you’ve adjusted to life transitions before, this shift can be emotionally intense. The process is called matrescence—a term that describes the physical, emotional, and mental transformation that happens when you become a mother.
Think about your personality, preferences, and past mental health. What typically helps you feel supported and grounded during difficult times? Are there coping strategies, routines, or support systems you can put into place now to ease the transition? This could be as simple as having a designated friend to text on hard days or as comprehensive as a mental health plan that includes therapy and medication.
Educate yourself about postpartum mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), which include postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, and more. Do you know the signs and symptoms, as well as how to get support if you’re struggling? Are you aware of the mental health resources in your area? If you’re already seeing a mental health professional, talk with them about how things may change for you as you enter parenthood and what you can do to be supported.
Involve your partner and other loved ones in conversations about your mental health. It really helps to have the people who know and love you best to understand what you’re going through and when they might need to be concerned.
Above all, think about what brings you calm and peace—and prioritize those things in your postpartum plan. Whether it’s daily fresh air or making sure you have plenty of time to binge watch Real Housewives while you breastfeed, small acts of self-care can make a big difference in how you navigate this new chapter.
6. Prepare for Breastfeeding and/or Formula-Feeding
How will you feed your baby? Do you feel educated about how to do so, whether it’s by breast, with formula, or a combination?
If you plan to breastfeed, consider taking a prenatal breastfeeding class. Research indicates that women who took prenatal breastfeeding education had better breastfeeding outcomes as a whole, including that they were more likely to still be breastfeeding at three, six, and twelve months postpartum. It can also be extremely helpful to understand things like what a good latch looks like and how often newborns cluster feed…well before you’re actually feeding a newborn!
You can even book an appointment with an IBCLC (international board-certified lactation consultant) to talk about your own individual concerns about breastfeeding and pumping. Once your baby is born, keep that IBCLC on speed dial for questions and concerns that may come up!
If you plan to pump breastmilk, pick out and purchase your pump. Make sure you know how to set it up and use it. Ensure you have the supplies you need, like a pump, bottles, nipple cream, and more. Talk with the people in your life about your plans to breastfeed and ask them for their help and support.
If you’re planning to combination feed (feed both breastmilk and formula) or formula feed, do some research on different types of formula and bottles. Read up on safe formula preparation and make sure that anyone else who will be feeding the baby understands how to prepare formula appropriately.
7. Get Baby Gear and Essentials Ready
Chances are, you’ve accumulated a lot of baby gear. From the crib to the swaddles to the teeny tiny socks, it’s a lot. Having the physical supplies and materials ready for the baby can make you feel like it’s all really real.
So prep that nursery! Unbox your diapers and set up your changing station. Wash and fold the onesies. Put together the highchair and other baby furniture, ensuring you follow the directions (store the manuals together in baby’s room so you can refer back to them quickly if needed). Make sure both you and your partner know how to set up and operate all the most important baby gear, like the bassinet, bouncy set, and more.
If you don’t have every single thing before birth, don’t stress—you can always buy items later or source them from friends or resale groups online.
8. Set Up Medical Supplies and Safety Prep
Your baby’s health and safety is paramount. Take some time now to educate yourself and set up essential medical and safety supplies for your child.
Start by learning the basics of newborn safety. Take an infant CPR class so you can feel confident if you need to respond in an emergency. Most hospitals offer these classes, but there are also lots of local and online options. You might also take a class about general newborn care, which will cover other concerns like bathing, soothing, and safe sleep.
Gather medical supplies for your baby, including a high-quality digital thermometer, a NoseFrida and saline solution for clearing a stuffy nose, nail clippers, a soft brush for cradle cap, and infant acetaminophen (check in with your baby’s doctor before administering medication to a newborn). You might also consider adding gas drops or gripe water for digestive discomfort.
Most importantly, install your baby’s car seat well before your due date! Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. Most car seats also have installation videos available on the manufacturer website or on YouTube. It’s key that you, your partner, and anyone else who might be driving with your baby understands how to install the seat correctly, including how to position the baby in the seat and adjust the straps to fit them.
If possible, have your car seat checked by a certified car seat technician to ensure it’s installed correctly. You can find one in your area at SafeKids.org.
9. Build Your Support Network
You may already know you want to hire a postpartum doula or that you’ll be using a nanny when you head back to work. Start preparations (including research!) for these care providers now. If you can, do interviews, sign contracts, and get all your ducks in a row to start care exactly when you need it. If you don’t want to hire someone just yet, compile a short list of providers you’re interested in. In addition to postpartum doulas and nannies, consider working with newborn care specialists, lactation consultants, pelvic floor therapists, sleep consultants, and others.
Beyond professionals, consider your social support network of family, friends, coworkers, and others in your community, parents or not. Who might you reach out to with questions? Who do you know will be there for you through the ups and downs of new parenthood? Contact them now and ask if they can support you during the days, weeks, and months after birth.
Consider, too, how communication with your support people will go. How will they communicate with you—text, email, FaceTime, phone? Are you ok with check-ins or do you want to be the one to reach out? Make sure your boundaries and expectations are clear, especially because miscommunications can happen due to all the big emotions you might be feeling after birth.
10. Have Some Fun!
We know—there’s so much on your pre-baby to-do list! But please make sure to build in some time and space for you to have fun and care for yourself. These last few weeks and months before parenthood are a wonderful time to center your own needs: body, mind, and spirit. It’s all about what’s going to bring you joy at this time.
So book that babymoon and plan those date nights. Identify a few fun things to do just for you—like finally taking that pottery class or a regular weekly prenatal massage appointment. Spend time with friends. Take long walks (third trimester energy levels permitting, of course!). Do all of the things that make you feel most like yourself. Not because you won’t be able to do them after baby arrives, but because filling your own cup is one of the surest ways to enter parenthood happy and well-resourced.
Remember, perfection isn’t the goal when preparing for your postpartum experience, or when contemplating all the things to do before giving birth. It’s about laying a solid foundation to help you feel prepared and supported overall. Be gentle with yourself, take it slow, and trust that you, along with your partner and your new little one, now have what you need to grow and learn together.
