If you're in your third trimester, staring at all the baby stuff you could buy and wondering how on earth you're supposed to know what you'll actually need—this is for you.
First: you do not need to have everything figured out before your baby comes.
You need somewhere for your baby to sleep. A car seat. Some diapers. A few clothes. A way to feed them. And some things to take care of yourself.
Everything else? You can figure it out as you go.
This is what I would have ready if I were doing it again.
Keep this one simple.
By the time you're actually delivering your baby, there's a pretty good chance you will be sweaty, half naked and covered in some kind of bodily fluid. 😂 This is not the time to worry about looking cute.
For labor, think workout clothes. I wore a scrunchie, sports bra, muscle shirt and shorts. Most of it came off eventually anyway. Wear something you can move and sweat in and don't care about ruining.
For after labor, think cozy.
One of the best things my mom told me was to buy myself a brand-new pair of pajamas. Mine were a really soft button-down shirt and shorts. After everything my body had just gone through, showering and putting on those clean pajamas felt AMAZING.
What I'd pack:
And check what your hospital provides before packing half your house!
Don't worry about making the nursery Pinterest-perfect.
Think about the things you're going to do over and over again: change the baby, feed the baby, put the baby to sleep.
That's what I'd set up for.
We had a change table, but honestly, it always made me nervous that he was going to roll off. A changing mat on the floor can work perfectly well too.
And don't go crazy buying diapers in every size. I would get a small amount of preemie and newborn diapers and some size 1s and 2s. You have no idea what size your baby will be or how quickly they'll grow.
Also: dog pee pads.
Trust me. 😂
Put one underneath the baby while you're changing them. Blowouts and mid-diaper-change pees suddenly become much less stressful.
What I'd have ready:
And please avoid buying 800 adorable newborn outfits with seventeen tiny buttons.
You will understand why at 3 a.m. 😂
If you're planning to breastfeed, make yourself a nest.
Seriously.
Put it somewhere comfortable, preferably somewhere you can watch TV, because you're going to spend a LOT of time sitting there.
And put water everywhere.
Breastfeeding made me unbelievably thirsty—especially for freezing cold water. I would buy a couple of giant water bottles and leave them around the house.
And SNACKS.
You don't want to finally get the baby latched and then realize you're starving and your granola bar is across the room.
What I'd have nearby:
I would also have some kind of pump available before giving birth if you're planning to breastfeed.
When my milk came in, I was extremely uncomfortable. My husband ended up running out and buying me a cheap manual pump before we eventually bought an electric one.
You don't necessarily need the fanciest pump on earth before you even know what feeding will look like for you. But I personally would want an option available.
And if breastfeeding hurts, feeding isn't going how you expected, or you're worried about supply, latch or engorgement, ask your healthcare provider or a lactation professional for help. You don't have to figure it out by yourself.
This is the part I would spend money on.
Everyone is buying things for the baby.
Buy some things for YOU.
Your body just did something enormous. Give yourself permission to make those first few weeks as comfortable as possible.
For me, the bathroom became my sanctuary.
If someone can take the baby before bed, take a shower or bath. Put on clean pajamas. Brush your hair. Sit in the water for a while. Water is healing.
You don't need to "bounce back."
You need to recover.
What I'd have ready:
And follow your healthcare provider's instructions about bathing and caring for any stitches, tearing or C-section incision.
This is one thing I would prepare before the baby comes.
Not because you need some perfect postpartum diet.
Because you're going to be tired and hungry, and the last thing you want to think about is what you're making for dinner.
Your body is recovering from pregnancy and birth, and if you're breastfeeding, you're feeding another human with your body on top of that.
Make eating EASY.
Freeze meals. Stock your pantry. Ask people to bring food when they ask how they can help.
Things I'd stock up on:
Help.
Figure out who is going to feed you.
Who can hold the baby while you shower?
Who can bring groceries?
Who can do laundry?
Who can come over without expecting you to entertain them?
Who can you text when it's 2 a.m. and you're convinced you're doing everything wrong?
Because you can buy every baby product on the internet and still feel completely overwhelmed.
You don't need to be perfectly prepared.
You need the basics, some support, and permission to figure the rest out once you actually meet your baby.
You are allowed to buy things after the baby is born.
You are allowed to change your mind.
You are allowed to discover that the thing everyone SWORE you needed is completely useless for your baby.
And you are allowed to have absolutely no idea what you're doing at first.
None of us did. ❤️
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