No matter how easy and dreamy those Instagram mums make it look and regardless of how much you plan, motherhood is a hard venture, especially when you are going through it for the first time. When everything is new and the unexpected happens every day, getting ready for baby well before giving birth, will allow you to find it easy to go with the flow once your baby arrives, is the best way to deal with the unexpected.

From getting in as much of the simple pleasures to solving work logistics, here are 10 things to do in getting ready for baby.

Paint the nursery

You don’t have to go overboard and design a whole room before your baby arrives if you are not ready to do so but ideally, you should get someone to paint the nursery way in advance, so that the pungent smell would have long been vented out.

Tie up loose ends at work

Even if you love your job, once you give birth, you will feel less inclined to answer work emails or calls because your focus will be on your baby. This said, it’s best to tie up loose ends at work if it’s possible and delegate the work to someone you can trust, so that your mind can be at ease and you can focus on your newborn.

Prioritize exercise

Pregnancy is often seen as a time to be lazy without feeling guilty, and although you should rest up, prioritizing exercise is essential because it will help your body during birth and you will gain less weight. Try doing something you love like walking outside or even a prenatal yoga class which comes with a slew of benefits.

Lots of pampering

Spa days and coffee dates with the girls; lazy Sunday mornings and afternoons watching the latest series will be harder to do once your baby is here, so getting in as much pampering before birth is always best. Still, it doesn’t mean the simple pleasures will end, such as taking a shower and applying a sweet-smelling body butter or spending the morning in bed (with your baby), so stock up on lotions, soft sheets and other pleasures to help make your days much sweeter when your baby is here.

[bctt tweet=”Stock up on cozy pleasures to help make your days much sweeter when your baby is here.” username=”ecocentricmom”]

Do your research

From the best baby classes to books about what you can expect and even helpful apps, arm yourself with the knowledge and tools that can help you figure out what your baby needs.

Choose the best hospital for you

Figure out the place you feel the safest. Ask the hospital about their policies (especially if you want a number of people in the room when giving birth) and their services in case of emergency, so you won’t be in for a nasty surprise if something goes wrong.

Conduct interviews

Don’t wait till the baby is born to interview baby nurses or nannies. If you know that you will probably need assistance, then start interviewing people early on, so that you will have enough time to think about the right person to handle your baby.

Freeze meals

Cooking can seem like a huge task when you have a newborn on your hands and that’s why freezing meals in advance is a good idea because it will keep you covered during those early days when you are still trying to figure everything out.

Get different sized clothing

As tempting as it can be to get the smallest sizes when it comes to baby clothes, it’s best to get different sizes because your newborn may turn out to be bigger than you expected and you don’t want to run out of clothes, especially in the early days.

Quality time with your partner 

Take advantage of the time you have as a twosome, before the baby comes, and have as many fun dates as you can with your partner. It’s not like you will never go on another date once the baby is here but it becomes more difficult to be spontaneous.

There you have it, a list of ten things to get done before your baby arrives. Are there other things you are choosing to prioritize? Share your thoughts below!