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S2E9: The Ultimate Pregnancy Checklist: Organizing for Baby’s Arrival (#44)
66 Plays1 month ago
Feeling overwhelmed by all the to-dos? In this episode, I’m sharing the top things to remember each trimester, how to stay organized, and the tools that have helped me manage all the tasks that come with preparing for parenthood.
In this episode, we talk about…
- Top things to remember to do each trimester
- How to stay organized
- Tools for managing all of the tasks that come with becoming a parent
Resources:
- Follow me at @taylorraeroman, everywhere
- Full episode transcription and citations: https://taylorraeroman.com/on-the-outside-podcast
Keep In Touch:
- Visit taylorraeroman.com
- Instagram @taylorraeroman
- TikTok @taylorraeroman
- YouTube @taylorraeroman
- ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/taylorraeroman
- Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/taylorraealmonte — includes my baby registry picks and postpartum favorites
Discount Codes:
Natural Cycles: Use code TAYLORRAE for 15% off an annual plan + free thermometer / natural-cycles.sjv.io/xLQLkx
Tinyhood: Use code TAYLORR20 for 20% off up to 12 months of membership / https://tinyhood.sjv.io/c/2688864/957205/12776.
Disclaimer: The information shared on On the Outside is for informational and educational purposes only. I am not a doctor, medical professional, or licensed healthcare provider. The content of this podcast is based on my personal experiences and research, but it should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult with your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional before making any decisions related to your pregnancy, health, or well-being. Every pregnancy is unique, and what works for one person may not be right for another.
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Transcript
Introduction and Episode Overview
00:00:07
Speaker
Hello and welcome back. My name is Taylor Rae and this is On the Outside.
Organizing by Trimester
00:00:21
Speaker
In today's episode, we talk about organizing for baby's arrival from first trimester all the way up until delivery.
Home Renovation for Baby
00:00:31
Speaker
This episode, we talk about the top things to remember to do each trimester, how to stay organized at a time that can have so many feelings, emotions, and things going on, tools for managing all of the tasks that come with becoming a parent, and
00:00:54
Speaker
Now, when i first got pregnant, what I really thought about was the decision that me and my husband had made to stay in our home here in Brooklyn.
00:01:06
Speaker
We've lived in this condo for going on nine years. and we honestly love it here so, so much. We knew we just did not want to leave, and that meant we were going to have to make it work with a baby in the space.
00:01:22
Speaker
For us, that has meant an entire kind of like redecorating, mini-renovation journey. We have added so many built-ins to the apartment.
00:01:33
Speaker
We've gotten rid of so much stuff. It's insane. We literally cleared out an entire hall closet to become the baby's little nook where all of his stuff is going to go.
00:01:44
Speaker
We've organized every single area. I've put bins on bins on bins in every nook and crevice and corner and truly optimized our space. We built a second closet into the bedroom, like a wardrobe against the wall, so that way we could have
Mental Health and Parenting Challenges
00:02:00
Speaker
extra storage. And honestly, it's just...
00:02:03
Speaker
been so much. It's been almost a year that we have been doing all this for the home. And for me, getting my space organized before the baby is here is one of the ways that I'm truly preemptively taking care of my mental health. i think that it can be so hard as a first-time parent because you don't know what you don't know.
00:02:31
Speaker
And while there are so many people that are so well-meaning and helpful and will try to prepare you for the journey to parenthood, there are also so many people that make it sound really scary yeah yeah At the end of the day every single person who has been a parent has such a different and unique experience. Like my mom can't say enough how it's like just the best thing ever and how we're going to be fine. And like she's not stressed for us at all. And like it's going to great.
00:03:05
Speaker
And like nothing but positivity. And I feel like a lot of our friends have the same vibe. They're like, yeah, you guys are going to be great. But then I hear a lot on the internet, oh my gosh, it's going to be so hard. It's going to be the hardest thing you've ever done, which I think it will be the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, if I'm being honest, because being pregnant has been the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, if I'm being honest.
00:03:26
Speaker
So that part is valid. um And I take it very seriously, becoming a parent. But sometimes it just sounds scary out here, you know? So all that being said, i could only control what I could control, which is what I've been saying.
00:03:41
Speaker
Since I started my trying to conceive journey and one thing I can control is being an organized girl. Now, before we dive in as always, wanna remind you that I'm not a doctor or a medical professional.
Early Pregnancy Tasks
00:03:56
Speaker
Everything I share in this episode is based on my personal experience and research. Always check in with your doctor or a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health, pregnancy, or preconception journey.
00:04:11
Speaker
Let's get into it.
00:04:16
Speaker
So the first thing that might be on your checklist will be around preconception planning. I feel like I have said all that one could say about preconception. So check out some of the first episodes in this season if you haven't listened or watched them already, because I go in depth about everything preconception in those.
00:04:35
Speaker
Moving on, Into first trimester, the first thing we want to do is confirm the pregnancy and get those first appointments scheduled, our blood work, ultrasound, due date confirmation, all those things that I went over in our episode about what to expect with doctor's appointments, and discussing your prenatal care plan and early genetic testing options, making sure you're on a prenatal, just really getting all of those things handled and scheduled out.
00:05:05
Speaker
Next thing we wanna start thinking about are lifestyle adjustments, choosing your OBGYN if you don't have one, a midwife, and thinking about where you want to give birth.
00:05:17
Speaker
At that time, you also wanna start thinking about announcing your pregnancy. Do you want to do it in your first trimester? Do you want to wait until what what people kind of more traditionally do, which is waiting after 12 weeks? But remember, that is changing. And it is always your choice when you want to announce and who you want to announce it to.
00:05:37
Speaker
So deciding and planning that, even in your first trimester, time can fly. And so scheduling a photographer or thinking about what you might want to wear or where you might want to do it Those are some things that you can definitely start considering in your first trimester if you know you want to ah go big and do a whole pregnancy announcement photo shoot or something like that.
00:05:59
Speaker
And then something else we want to start thinking about in the first trimester is our birth preferences. Again, do we want to be in a hospital? Do we want a home birth? Do we want a doula?
00:06:10
Speaker
And starting to research all of the things that are going to affect you on this journey, like your maternity leave policies, your paternity leave policies, anything that you're going to need to know, even looking into what is going on with your insurance.
00:06:26
Speaker
Last thing to really note for first trimester is to sign up for pregnancy tracking
Preparing for Baby's Arrival
00:06:32
Speaker
apps. I was determined to find one that you had to pay for because I didn't want so many ads.
00:06:39
Speaker
I found that a lot of the pregnancy tracking apps had so many ads just all the time. for baby products, postpartum products, mini commercials, and I was really not into it. So I was like, let me just pay a couple dollars and get rid of all of the ads. So that's kind of your little checklist for first trimester. Honestly, not a ton to do, but rest, take care of yourself, manage your symptoms that you might be experiencing, and honestly, just get excited.
00:07:09
Speaker
Now, when we get into our second trimester, we have a bit more on our to-do list. Of course, we have everything that's going on with the doctor, our anatomy scan, our gestational diabetes screening, and all of these things, the amazing The amazing part is you don't really need to keep specific track of each of these tests and exams.
00:07:33
Speaker
Your doctor is going to be on top of that or definitely should be on top of that. All of my prenatal appointments were scheduled out from the first time I went to my doctor's office.
00:07:44
Speaker
So we're just going to take it for granted that all those things are scheduled and talk about some of the other things that might not be on your mind. So maternity and baby prep, buying maternity clothes and comfortable shoes, or definitely prioritizing those things.
00:08:02
Speaker
You might want to do a closet clean out and a drawer clean out. That's what I did and packed up everything that I knew was not going to fit me much longer. and having all of those items out of my house honestly reduced my stress and anxiety, improved my body image so much because I wasn't grabbing things that just weren't going to fit me.
00:08:23
Speaker
I packed it up, I brought it to my mom's house, I labeled the bins with summer or spring or fall clothes so that way I knew where they'd be in the future when I wanted them back. But I just made sure that everything that was in my house, I could actually wear.
00:08:38
Speaker
i didn't buy a ton of new maternity clothes. I bought a couple things, extra long shirts so that they covered the bottom of my belly when I wore sweaters in the winter. i rented a lot of my clothes.
00:08:51
Speaker
which I honestly have been doing for a really long time, that was easy. And then I prioritized wearing sneakers as much as possible while I absolutely love wearing my Uggs all winter.
00:09:02
Speaker
Just the lack of support, I found my back, my... knees, my hips were really aching if I was out for too long walking around in them. So I was like, we got to wear running sneakers, babe.
00:09:15
Speaker
I have to wear my Hoka's all the time if I want to be comfortable. So starting to prioritize your clothing and your shoes and getting your space really comfortable for you so that you have access to those things easily.
00:09:30
Speaker
Next thing would be beginning your baby registry. You definitely wanna start that in the second trimester because especially if you think you have folks in your life that might want to contribute, it's a great thing to be able to send them that sooner rather than later. It's also going to reduce your anxiety once you start having those items flowing into your home and thinking, oh my gosh, this is amazing.
00:09:55
Speaker
Look at all the gifts that I'm getting. It's a great feeling. And even if you don't necessarily want to send your registry to people, having all of those items organized, be able to look at them, budget them, plan for them, to think about where they're gonna go in the house, that is great because I don't think I knew how much stuff a baby needed before being in this point in my life.
00:10:16
Speaker
So seeing it on a registry is super helpful. In the second trimester, you might also want to start researching pediatricians. Researching? I said it weird.
00:10:28
Speaker
Researching pediatricians. Now, it's absolutely wild, but your baby needs to go to the pediatrician, like, only a few days after you leave the hospital. That was crazy news to me because I thought I was just going to be hibernating in my home for weeks.
00:10:43
Speaker
I'm like, what do you mean we need to go to the pediatrician? That sounds terrible, but it's a real thing. You do have to go to the pediatrician only a few days in less than a week from when you're discharged from the hospital with the baby.
00:10:56
Speaker
So starting to think about that is very helpful so that you're not waiting and procrastinating until the end.
Final Preparations for Baby
00:11:04
Speaker
Now, birth planning and education.
00:11:06
Speaker
In the second trimester, you might want to start a childbirth or a newborn care class. That might be online. I do have a code for you guys from Tinyhood. I purchased my Tinyhood membership and have been using those online classes throughout my pregnancy, but I reached out to them and I got a code for you. So that's in the show notes.
00:11:25
Speaker
I personally love Tiny Hood. I did a ton of research and that was the platform that I chose. So I really recommend it. They have tons of classes. They also have a CPR class, which i really wanted to do.
00:11:38
Speaker
My doula is also going to do an in-person hands-on CPR class with us, which I'm so excited about. So this is a great time to think about those classes.
00:11:49
Speaker
Next up is learning about pain management options for labor and considering hiring doula. I hired my doula in first trimester because I knew I wanted one and I just wanted her by my side for this entire experience.
00:12:03
Speaker
But learning about pain management options Definitely important. I didn't even know that my hospital had nitrous oxide until I started asking about this and thinking about this.
00:12:15
Speaker
So that is something that you can start considering. What kind of birth do you want to have? Our last little section of the checklist for second trimester ah some home and lifestyle adjustments.
00:12:28
Speaker
Do you need to baby proof the home? For us, the only thing we were worried about was anything that wasn't mounted or attached to the wall. So making sure any dressers, televisions, mirrors, all of those things were mounted to the wall was important.
00:12:44
Speaker
Other than that, we're not really worried about any other items because we're only really going to stay here until the baby is under one years old or around one years old since we are in a smaller space.
00:12:56
Speaker
And because of that, we're not really thinking about any super long-term things that we're going to need to baby-proof at this moment. You might want to start thinking about your nursery setup. Maybe you're just doing a little nook like us where all of your baby's things are going to be in one closet or one space.
00:13:13
Speaker
Maybe you're doing a full-on nursery. it is a great thing to get things done early, especially in second trimester where you actually have energy because third trimester, babe you are going to get...
00:13:25
Speaker
tired. You're going get tired. You're going to feel so, your belly feels so, so, so, so heavy. And you're not going to have as much energy, unfortunately, um as you did in the second trimester, especially as you start getting towards the end.
00:13:42
Speaker
So I would recommend doing as much as you can in second trimester where you still got the energy. This is also a great time to do a baby moon. We did our baby moon in Mexico.
00:13:53
Speaker
i have tons of videos, pictures, recaps, all about that on my Instagram, but it was so much fun and having a baby moon was, oh, I highly recommend it.
00:14:05
Speaker
Doing a staycation would have also been a great idea. i feel like there's so many different options with just really the goal being like connecting with your partner, taking time to rest, taking time to have fun, like taking time to dress up because i didn't really get to dress up a lot during this pregnancy. So getting times to like look really cute and wear cute outfits and get awesome pictures with my belly. i loved my baby moon.
00:14:31
Speaker
And lastly, deciding if you want to do a gender reveal and if you want to have a baby shower. So many people get baby showers thrown for them from family members. I love that. I think that is so sweet and so amazing. And if you have that support system, I love that for you.
00:14:48
Speaker
For me, while we do have a great support system, we knew that no one was going to throw us a baby shower. and So me and my husband took our time to plan a baby shower that just happened over this last weekend.
00:15:02
Speaker
and we had the best baby shower ever. We are so lucky that we got so, so, so many items, almost everything from our registry. So that was one way that our family and friends and community really, really showed up for us.
00:15:14
Speaker
But planning your own baby shower can be just as much fun. And now our checklist for the third trimester, you want to finalize your baby prep. So this is your birth plan, making sure you feel great about it packing your hospital bag for mom, baby, your support person, installing your car seat. Remember, you're going to need this um to bring baby home from the hospital, washing the baby's clothes, sheets, sterilizing bottles, pacifiers.
00:15:46
Speaker
We basically need to wash like two complete giant shelves that we have because it's everything from burp cloths, to bibs, to blankets, to socks, anything that's fabric that is going to be touching the baby. You want to wash all of that and then sterilize any bottles and pacifiers.
00:16:04
Speaker
I also am going to make a birth playlist. So thinking about that or anything else that you might want for the hospital, my husband, this was a great excuse for him to buy a new Yeti cooler.
00:16:15
Speaker
because he's going to be packing snacks and food for the hospital. So kind of thinking ahead, he's going to know, okay, this is what I'm going to buy. So as soon as I start feeling contractions, we have a supermarket right downstairs. He's going to go and pack up his cooler.
00:16:29
Speaker
so making sure you have all that stuff and then putting together a diaper changing caddy or postpartum caddy or cart. I feel like these are viral right now, all over social media. So I'm sure that you have seen a postpartum or a diaper caddy or cart. I was going to do only a caddy, but I think I'm going to do a cart now.
00:16:49
Speaker
I feel I'm feeling it because I also need somewhere to put my pump. I'm hoping to exclusively breastfeed. We're going to see how that goes because i have no idea. I've read some good books on breastfeeding, which have given me a lot of insight to why it may or may not happen for me and why it doesn't happen for everyone. So I'm keeping it keeping an open mind. But that being said, i want somewhere that I could put my pump and all my pump parts. And I'm like, am I going to get a third caddy?
Labor and Postpartum Preparations
00:17:18
Speaker
Like one for me for postpartum, one for baby for changing, one for my pump.
00:17:22
Speaker
Feels like a lot of caddies. Feels like it'd be easier to just have it all on a cart. So I think I'm going for the cart. And then something else we want to think about for third trimester is our kit counts.
00:17:34
Speaker
So it is There is a little bit more research on the benefit of kick counts when it comes to doing it at one set time of the day and counting for 10 kicks, seeing how long that takes baby. I do mine at night between 9.30 and 10.30, but having those kick counts be something that you're aware of and monitoring, that should be on our checklist for third trimester.
00:17:59
Speaker
Attending our final prenatal appointments, of course. Reading up on safe sleep. This is super important. If you do not know what is required for safe sleep, definitely look it up, check it out, depending on how you're planning to sleep with your baby.
00:18:17
Speaker
Are they going to be in a crib in a separate room right away? Which I do have friends that have done that. Are they going to be in a bassinet at your bedside? What is the plan? Look up the sleep safe sleep protocols so you know what that looks like for you.
00:18:32
Speaker
And then even schedule maternity photos at the end of the third trimester if that's something you want to do. I'm not going to do maternity photos. I knew I only wanted to do a pregnancy announcement, but I had a photographer at my baby shower. So honestly, I kind of did get maternity photos if you think about it.
00:18:50
Speaker
Last thing we really wanna in this third trimester is our postpartum prep. Now, the final episode of the season goes deep into postpartum because there's so much to say.
00:19:02
Speaker
But for now, I'll just touch on setting up your postpartum recovery essentials to take care of your physical recovery, preparing freezer meals or easy postpartum nutrition,
00:19:14
Speaker
getting postnatal supplements or breastfeeding supplements, and finalizing your support system for your postpartum period. These are definitely things we wanna be thinking about ahead of time.
00:19:27
Speaker
Now, once you've gone through it all, and finally it is time for baby to make their appearance, we want to know the signs of labor. So something that could be on the to-do list of your partner or support person is them understanding how do they time contractions, downloading that app to know ahead of time, this is how I use it, this is how I can time them, this is how I can record them.
00:19:52
Speaker
knowing who you're supposed to call. It's not 911 in most cases, unless you are having the baby or having an emergency at home, then of course, if that is the number you need to call. But if you're just in regular, everyday labor, usually your doctor will have a very specific number for you to call.
00:20:10
Speaker
You don't call the hospital. You don't call an emergency number. You call the specific number. So making sure that your partner or support person has that number. So my husband has our doula, the doctor's office, and you know instructions to call my mom and his mom, and making sure that we are prepared for what happens when I'm in labor, and I'm definitely not doing those things.
00:20:37
Speaker
at the hospital or birth center, you might be able to pre-register. So you might want to do that paperwork ahead of time and really just preparing with your partner what their role is going to be in labor, how they're going to support you or whoever your support person might be.
00:20:54
Speaker
Okay. So let's talk about some tools to stay organized. I just went through a massive checklist of things that you might want to remember and consider during your pregnancy journey.
00:21:06
Speaker
How are we going to keep all of these things at the forefront of our mind? First thing might be using a pregnancy planner or an app to track appointments, symptoms, milestones, also to set reminders for things like prenatal vitamins and hydration.
00:21:24
Speaker
There are so many digital options, but you can also definitely do a paper option to keep track of all of those things. I created a master checklist. I did it on Notion because I've been using Notion for years and years. you can I broke mine down by trimester and month.
00:21:42
Speaker
You can break it down however feels best for you and include everything from medical to baby gear to home prep to postpartum essentials. And you can keep a digital copy. You could also do this again on paper. I know so many people love having a paper planner.
00:21:58
Speaker
i was a big paper planner girl for years and years, but i do love Notion. I'm not going lie. So I had my master checklist on there, writing it all down, even setting notifications or alerts to go back and look at it.
00:22:13
Speaker
Every Monday and Friday, i have a little notification reminder that says, look at your pregnancy checklist. So I go back and I say, okay, is there anything that I should be thinking about? And that's how I make sure that that is at the top of my mind.
00:22:26
Speaker
You also want to sync with your partner and with your support system. This shouldn't be something that is only on your plate if you have other people around that are going to be supporting you and baby. So sharing your calendar, delegating tasks, and making sure that that partner is also able to see the master checklist.
00:22:46
Speaker
Now automating what you can and getting help where you can is oh, 10 out
Stress Management and Organization
00:22:51
Speaker
of 10. This week, we started bringing back our cleaning person so that she can clean every two weeks, do a deep clean of the home.
00:23:00
Speaker
And honestly, having this is incredible. We had it for a few weeks during our wedding when we were like super busy and when we were away on our honeymoon because I was starting grad school at the same time.
00:23:13
Speaker
So I was like, okay, I could use a little bit of help but we are gonna have her indefinitely back to help us every other week, and I'm so grateful. So having that extra support is amazing.
00:23:25
Speaker
And then in terms of automation, i have my Whole Foods delivery that comes every week that gets delivered to our door, and that also has helped me so much, which I'm gonna continue through what when the baby gets here.
00:23:38
Speaker
Recurring prenatal delivery is also amazing, and I have that through Thorne, They just send me my prenatal vitamins. Using auto pay for medical bills and maternity leave paperwork is something you can definitely do, as well as scheduling reminders for insurance paperwork and postpartum planning.
00:23:57
Speaker
Avoiding last minute stress and overwhelm is something that is crucial at this time, especially as we get closer to baby arriving.
00:24:08
Speaker
So, Everything, for example, that you've gotten, like the little knickknacks, the little items, unpackage them. Don't keep them inside of their packaging but just because it looks cute and organized and stacks well.
00:24:21
Speaker
Actually put things where you need it. Make sure that you're packing your hospital bag or your caddy or anything in as much time as you can. Better to be early than to be rushing and doing that when the baby's almost here or even having to do it when you get back from the hospital.
00:24:38
Speaker
Creating pre-packed kits like your hospital bag, diaper caddy, postpartum recovery station. Those things are going to make your life a million times easier.
00:24:49
Speaker
and then really just making sure that you're prioritizing rest and asking for help when needed. Sometimes we can't do it all. And that's also why i would really recommend starting earlier rather than later.
00:25:02
Speaker
So that way you can put it down. You can take a break. You can take a rest. you can ask for a little bit more help and support. It's unlikely that any of us are gonna have everything 100% perfect and ready and feel just absolutely 100% at peace and and ready to go for baby to arrive. All we can do is our best, control what we can control and focus on the things that are most essential and most important.
00:25:28
Speaker
I also want to leave you by saying that organizing my home has brought me so much more peace of mind. I am the kind of person that really thrives in a clean and neat space.
00:25:43
Speaker
And so knowing that there's going to be so many other things that are going to take priority over cleaning the house, making sure that I have that extra support, like I mentioned earlier, And also that kind of like everything in my house has a specific home to return to like has somewhere to go that is designated for it, has made me feel just so much more out at ease that I can maintain having a clean home when I know so many other things are going to be out of my control.
Episode Wrap-Up and Preview
00:26:15
Speaker
So I would say that's definitely also a part of my pregnancy checklist.
00:26:25
Speaker
Now on next week's episode, I'm gonna dive even more into postpartum. Of course, it's not something I've yet experienced. i am still very much a pregnant girl.
00:26:37
Speaker
By the time this episode airs, that my baby should be here in the world with us, which is absolutely crazy. and I will be in the postpartum zone, so I might be listening to it back for my own tips.
00:26:51
Speaker
Um, but on next week's episode, I'm going to share as much as I do know about postpartum, just based on how I am preparing. You can follow me everywhere at Taylor Ray Roman.
00:27:04
Speaker
As always, a full transcription of the episodes along with citations can be found on my website. All those links are available in the show notes. See you out there.