The Ultimate Baby Shopping Guide > Things to Have Done Before Baby Arrives

Things to Have Done Before Baby Arrives

• Post Emergency Numbers on fridge or by phone
• Take an Infant CPR class and buy a CPR video for Infants and Toddlers for frequent refreshers
• Take a child birth class
• Make two weeks worth of frozen dinners. For freezer recipe ideas, click here, and here.
• Have your infant car seat installed and inspected by your local police department
• Sign up for all the baby freebies you can find to start receiving coupons
• Wash all baby clothes, car seat covers, swing covers, blankets etc in Dreft
• Read your digital camera manual and keep the battery charged
• Buy a Babies First Year Album - you need a place to store the millions of photos you are bound to take
• Prepay a housecleaning service to have your house cleaned the day before you come home with your baby. Designate a friend or relative to call the cleaning service while you are in the hospital.
• Set up phone tree or e-mail tree. Send an e-mail to a designated friend or relative with all of your friends e-mail addresses so they can send out the "Babies Arrived!" e-mail immediately.
• Make sure you have everything on the Post Partum Supply List
• Buy a separate file folder to house all of your babies records, such as birth certificate, immunization records, etc.
• Read up on breastfeeding, post partum depression , jaundice , SIDS etc.
• Look up the number for your local Lactation Consultant or LaLeche League
• Review your Lullaby lyrics
• Have a stash of "Thank You" notes and a supply of stamps on hand
• Address and stamp all of your Baby Announcements
• Buy all the ingredients for the "Break Your Water" Cookies
• Discuss with your husband how you want to handle visitors. Do you want people to come to the hospital? Do you want to wait a couple of weeks before welcoming friends to the house? Make sure you are both on the same page and have informed your family and friends your wishes.
• Relax and enjoy this quiet time, sleep in, watch movies, go shop for yourself, get a pedicure, whatever brings you comfort and joy!