by Venus Sanders
Editors Picks Available on Amazon
The Pregnancy Guide For Men, Retail $12.99
The Black Woman's Pregnancy Diary: Premium Pregnancy Planner Workbook And Journal With Prompts Worksheet, Retail $9.99
Congratulations Missie, you’re pregnant. Every now and again we like to help our missies on their journey to tackling adulthood, finances, and in this case, motherhood. Learning that you’re going to be a mom can be the most anxiety-inducing, happiest, and mind-blowing moment of your life.
To help ease into your transition to motherhood are what we like to call, pregnancy planners. While many exist on Etsy, they aren’t cost-friendly. So of course, in true She’s SINGLE fashion we made sure to locate some well-to-do planners that won’t wear your pockets down.
All in all, a pregnancy planner is an amazing tool for helping both new and seasoned moms to stay organized when getting ready for a baby. It may be hard to believe but so many moms aren’t even aware of pregnancy planners and so, we’re here to change that. Books are awesome, checklists too, but nothing beats the full pregnancy planner—like a day planner for pregnancy, a guidebook.
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If you’re anything like me then you’re a planner, down to the nitty-gritty—from wedding planning to doctor visits, it’s all written down, heck, even my wash days are neatly organized in a planner with colored post it notes (3x3) sticking out, making it easy for me to flip back and forth for reference.
A well-organized and might I add, pretty planner gets rid of almost all confusion, overwhelming thoughts, and anxiety. Plus, so many planners offer suggestions and a checklist built in so you know what to get and when. These planners do make things easier on you but aren’t meant to tell you how to parent, rather, a good planner will tell you about breastfeeding, bottle feeding, cloth diapering, disposable diapering, and much more.
THINGS TO DO BEFORE HAVING A BABY
Once you’ve purchased your pregnancy planner and you begin familiarizing yourself with how to use it, what goes inside, and learn just how convenient it can be, you’re ready to move on to these next steps. While your planner may suggest things here and there, below we’ve included a partial list to help get you started.
Prepare Baby Gear – set aside some time in your planner—be it one week or a few—to purchase some necessities and begin assembling them. This is also a good time to test items to make sure they are working well. The essentials are a properly installed car seat and a safe place for the baby to sleep such as a bassinet or crib.
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If you plan on using an infant swing or changing tables, you want to set aside some time to assemble those as well. Think of this as a fun activity and in some cases, something you can earn revenue from. Many women on TikTok create “Nesting” videos to show themselves preparing their baby rooms and assembling gear. Overall, having a completed nursery, and plenty of seasonally appropriate clothes, diapers, and wipes will give you peace of mind.
Preventative Care – leading up to the birth of your baby, you should be sure to take care of other routine healthcare tasks like going to the dentist and the optometrist for preventative care. The time to get those things done is now.
Baby Proofing - While this won’t be needed until the baby is older and mobile, you want to start jotting some ideas down in your planner of things you’re going to need. It’s all about staying ahead of the game so you don’t feel overwhelmed later on. Plus, some parents say that it is worth baby-proofing early on if you can manage to do so.
Stock Up – Be sure to fill your pantry with essentials like toilet paper, paper towels, safe cleaning products, and personal care products that you regularly use, such as shampoo and soap. Technology is your best friend because now if you don’t have time to head to the store you can simply use websites like Walmart and Amazon to automate your orders.
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Meal Prepping – no, not the gym kind. In the weeks leading up to your due date, consider pre-making and freezing your meals so you are not scrambling for things to eat and relying on less healthy packaged or take-out options. If you need some coupons for places like Freshly and Hello Fresh, let us know, and we can reach out on your behalf to snag some sweet offer codes.
Pet Parent Rules – if you’re a dog mom like me or a pet owner at all, it’s good to get a head start with your furry babies in making sure they understand that a new family member is on its way. Some animals may suffer from a lack of attention once the baby is born.
You can ask friends and family who are offering to perhaps come and play or walk your pets. Be sure to shower them with some extra time and attention beforehand if you can. Also, arrange for someone to stay with them or take them to be boarded while you are in the hospital if necessary.
We hope this article helped. If so, be sure to give it a heart and for the current moms out there, feel free to share some extra tips in the comments below and subscribe. Chat later Missies!