Things I will Research Preparing for Baby Arrival Checklist

This is to get your gears going. When I found out I was pregnant I was overwhelmed with all the things I needed to know, look into, and decide for my pregnancy, baby, labor and delivery, and postpartum. The questions and decisions started right away and I would’ve been so grateful for a list of things I should be looking into. So this is what I have researched as well as what I plan to research.

1. What is the basic birthing and delivery experience you want- Picking the doctor you will be going to during pregnancy will have an effect on this. Midwives typically do fewer inductions and do them much later than OB offices will and have less medical intervention. This may be a pro or con so knowing what you want and if it aligns with the office’s practices is a good way to narrow down where you’d like to go if you are not sure.
2. What ob/midwife place to go to- this is the first big thing you will typically need to decide. They won’t normally have you come in until at least 8ish weeks, but you want to call to get on their schedule. I called the day after I found out I was pregnant. It helped me to decide where to go by asking people who they went to if they recommended them/ if they’d go back, and the pros and cons of them. I also did a little online research before making my final decision. You can change doctors during pregnancy if you don’t feel like it’s the right fit for you so hopefully, that helps take off some of the pressure of picking a place.
3. What you are going to stop and start doing while pregnant- there are a lot of things that are recommended or things you should consider stopping once you’re pregnant. I found it helpful to research everything and make my decisions on what I felt good about doing or not doing. There are also things recommended to start doing like taking a prenatal vitamin so I did research on those things as well and made my decision.
4. Pregnancy items to buy- there are so many pregnancy items that are on the market. Researching what’s available early on is helpful to know what to budget for and if you end up in a place where an item seems like it’d help you or be a nice thing to have it’s nice to know it’s an option.
5. What to expect during pregnancy/pregnancy research- Knowing things to expect and what is happening to my body has been very helpful as the weeks go by and new changes or symptoms arise. Pregnancy can create a lot of anxiety and getting ahead of what’s going to most likely happen has helped calm some of the worries. When things happen that I haven’t read or learned about I will look into them and if it really concerns me I’ll reach out to my doctor.
6. What you are going to do for pregnancy care, ultrasounds, doppler, cervical checks, etc.- This is such a personal choice. I did my research and made my decisions on each based on what I felt good about.
7. What your baby is going to have/use and not use/ baby registry- This takes some time and research. I did a lot of research on what I wanted to have and the type of products I wanted to use. This was such a fun process for me! I actually update my registry often when I see new products I want to include or swap out with another item on my registry. Buy things myself and shopping is also really fun!
8. What registry/s to use- Each registry has its pros and cons. I went with Amazon for my main registry to send to everyone. I also made a Target Registry to use for mainly myself.
9. Watching and researching labor and delivery- Sometimes I’d have an idea of what I wanted for birth and then when I saw it actually play out in other’s videos I realized it was not what I wanted. I found seeing other’s experiences helped me so much with deciding what my ideals for labor and delivery were.
10. Labor and delivery plan- Lots of people loved having a birth plan. If this is something you want take some time to research what you want and what you want to include.
11. Postpartum care, what to expect, and what you need- This is something I am trying to prepare for as much as possible. I want to know all the things I could experience after giving birth. Overall, I want to be mentally prepared for this phase of life.
12. Your plan for boundaries with family and friends visits- This is another personal decision. Take some time to think about what you want and if you don’t have all the answers that’s okay. I have told my family often that I will let them know they can do something when I feel ready if I don’t have a strong opinion on it currently.
13. What you’d like support to look like from your partner/ family/friends- This can change in the moment, but having an idea and voicing your wants and needs is a great way to get everyone on the same page.
14. Are you going to announce and when- There’s no right time, just when you feel comfortable. We decided to do this early on.
15. Are you going to share the name and when- We decided to share once we knew for sure. Do what feels right.
16. Are you going to find out the gender/announce- We chose to find out and I am happy we did. We decided to find out early as well. This may change by baby, but it was the right decision for us currently.
17. If having a boy education on circumcision or not- If you’re having a boy this will be a question you will be asked in the US. This is a personal decision and there’s lots of research to be able to help aid in the decision.
18. Education and deciding on baby medical interventions like vaccines- This may take some time to research and decide what you feel comfortable with.
19. Umbilical cord when to cut it if at all, what you want to do with it- There are many options with this, and is worth the time spent deciding what option is right for you.
20. Labor and delivery tools to get through it education, what pain management you want- There are so many decisions to make on this and what you think will make the most sense for you so take your time making these decisions.
21. Taking care of a newborn and baby- Learning all the things to know about taking care of your baby can be overwhelming. I found it to be really fun and made me feel better prepared the more research I did.
22. Deciding how you want to feed your baby- This is a personal decision, all I can say is do what feels right.
23. Breastfeeding, pumping, and formula feeding education- Highly recommend researching formula even if that’s not your plan so that if something happens you still feel prepared. There is so much to learn about in this category. There’s also so much that goes into this decision. I have continuously researched this topic throughout my pregnancy.
24. All the ways you can deliver- research c-sections so you feel more prepared. Knowledge is power.
25. Sleep environment- sound light, co-sleeping, etc. I found it helpful to be educated on everything so that I feel prepared.
26. Babies schedule- Learning about and deciding on sleep training, wake windows, following what your baby does, are you going to be strict on nap schedules.
27. Baby development- Learning about baby development and how you can help support them is amazing to know.
28. Baby on social media, others posting them- This is something you will want to make a decision on and let others know what you are comfortable with.
29. How you are going to feed them once old enough- Do you want to go the traditional route or baby-led weening? There are many ways to introduce food and feed your child. Look into all the options and decide what you want.
30. Disposable diapers or cloth- You have options and there is a lot of information to help you out if you want to know more about your options.
31. Baby clothes you buy- Do you want outfits or more sleepers, swaddles types of clothes you want, snaps zippers knots, etc? Look into what you feel would be best for you.
32. Nursery and baby caddies what you want- How do you want to set up your home for when the baby is here? You can go as big or as small as you’d like for this. So make your plans for what you want.
33. What you want to prep for the baby in the home, meals, house projects, nursery, and stations around the house- Getting prepared before the baby comes will take the weight off your shoulders. Try to get as much done as you can before their arrival.
34. Baby proofing- Look into how much and what you want to baby proof.
35. How do you want nights to look like with a partner- Getting everyone on the same page of what their role is and how they can support you is great. Nights are hard so try to find ways to help everyone get through them.
36. Education your partner needs- Especially if they are less experienced to this world than you. You want to make sure they are as prepared as possible. They my not even know what questions to ask.
37. Types of entertainment for baby or kids- The types of toys, how stimulating the toys can be, batteries, or electronics when and how long if any.
38. Baby safety in general, choking, stop breathing, things they can’t eat or be around, etc.- These are things you will want to be prepared for so if anything ever happens you will know how to help.
39. What the dynamic in the home will be once the baby is here, chores, meals, etc- With the new change the dynamic in the home will change. Try to prepare everyone for the change and new roles.
40. Child care- If you need child care this is a big decision to make. You will want to see what your options are and the cost early on.
41. What you’re using on the baby’s body- You can go the super clean route or anything that babies can use. Wherever you fall you will want to make sure you have decided what you want baby to use.
42. Storage for breast milk, bottles, bottle cleaning, and milk safety- Making sure you’re knowledgeable on these topics will help you feel prepared as well as keep your baby safe.
43. Choosing your pediatrician- if you don’t know where you want to go take some time to research. You will want to know this before having your baby so it’s something to take time to think about.
44. Car seat safety- This is a must to research and read the manual for your specific car seat! Take the time to really become knowledgeable on this topic to keep your baby safe.
45. Baby gear and safety- MAke sure to learn about anything you plan on having your baby in. Make sure you’re using the equipment as the manufacturer intended.
46. Bathing schedule and routine including hospital- Look into when you want to give your baby their first bath and how often you want to bathe them.
47. What to pack for the hospital- You may or may not be an overpacker. Either way, you will want to be prepared by packing a bag for you, your baby, and your partner. Look into what you feel would be helpful to pack.
48. Insurance decision if you have options- Looking into how much and the options you have when the baby comes is a great thing to look into before the baby’s arrival.
49. How to update people in the hospital, in labor, the baby is here- If you will and who will do it so that you are still being supported. Documentation of birth and labor and baby once here is also a great thing to plan ahead of time so that you are able to just focus on labor.
50. How your partner and others can support you in labor- Giving roles to others and letting them know how you’d like to be supported can help them feel more prepared and I’ve you the best care they can. So spend some time talking and researching this topic.

These are 50 things I will be researching to prepare for my baby’s arrival

I hope this helped you get some ideas on what you’d like to research or make decisions on. I’m sure there are many more things you can look into, but these are the main topics I will be looking into during my pregnancy.