9 Things to Get Done Before Your Due Date
Preparing for your baby’s arrival is such an exciting time—but let’s be real, it can feel a little overwhelming too! As your due date approaches, it’s easy to get caught up in the last-minute details and wonder if you’re really ready. The good news is that with a little bit of planning, you can head into those early newborn days feeling calm and prepared.
To help you out, here’s a list of 9 things to tackle before your little one makes their big debut. These are practical, manageable tasks that will help you feel more organized and ready to soak up those precious newborn snuggles.
Set Up Childcare For Your Hospital Stay
If you have other little ones at home, now’s the time to line up someone to watch them while you’re at the hospital. It could be a trusted friend, family member, or even a babysitter you’ve used before. Make sure they know the plan, have a key to your house, and are comfortable with any routines your kids are used to.
Bathe Your Pet and Set Up Care For Your Hospital Stay
Your furry family members need a plan too! Give them a nice bath so they’re fresh and clean when the baby comes home, and make sure you’ve arranged care for them while you’re in the hospital. This might mean booking a pet sitter or having a friend check in on them.
Car Checkups
The last thing you want is car trouble when you’re heading to the hospital! Take your car in for a quick checkup—oil change, tire rotation, and a general once-over. Bonus points if you give it a good vacuum and wipe-down so you’re not bringing the baby home to a car full of snack crumbs. It’s one less thing to worry about once the baby is here and adds an extra layer of peace of mind for those early newborn outings.
Install the Carseat
It’s time to get that car seat out of the box and installed! Make sure it’s secure and properly positioned. To ensure your car seat is installed correctly, you can go to a car seat inspection station, which are often found at local fire stations, hospitals, or children's safety organizations; you can locate one near you by searching on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website, where you can find a list of certified child passenger safety technicians (CPSTs) in your area.
Clean and Ready Your House
Coming home to a clean house feels so good—especially when you’re sleep-deprived and adjusting to life with a newborn. You don’t have to deep clean every inch, but tidy up the main spaces, wipe down surfaces, and do a load of laundry so you’re starting fresh.
Stock Your Postpartum Caddy
You’ll want to take care of yourself too! Create a postpartum caddy with essentials like pads, perineal spray, ice packs, deodorant and anything else that will help with your recovery. Keeping it all in one spot makes it easy to grab when you need it. If you have a multi-level home, we recommend keeping one on each level!
Set Up a Nursing Cart and/or Diaper Caddy
A well-stocked nursing cart or diaper caddy is a game-changer in those early days. Fill it with baby essentials like diapers, wipes, diaper cream, burp cloths, and a few extra onesies. If you’re nursing, add nursing pads, nipple cream, water bottles, snacks, and a phone charger (because you’ll be spending a lot of time sitting!).
Having everything in one spot makes middle-of-the-night changes and nursing sessions so much easier—and saves you from scrambling when you’re half asleep! Again - it’s great to have more than one of these set up if you’re going to be nursing and changing diapers in more than one area of your home.
Wash Baby Clothes
Take some time to wash all those cute little outfits so they’re fresh and ready to wear. Use a gentle, baby-safe detergent without fragrances, and don’t forget to wash blankets, swaddles, and crib sheets too!
Wash and Store Pacifiers and Bottles
Even if you’re planning to nurse, it’s good to have pacifiers and bottles ready to go. Wash them in warm, soapy water (and/or sterilize them), and store them in a clean spot so they’re ready when you need them.
It’s impossible to feel completely prepared for a new baby, but getting these things done ahead of time will make those early days much smoother. Remember—babies don’t need perfection, they just need love (and lots of snuggles). You’ve got this, mama!
If you still haven’t packed your diaper bag (or you want to double check you have everything you need), we wrote a blog on that too! You can find it here.
For more tips, explore our other blogs or follow us on Instagram at @choosejoynursing.
