The second you find out that you’re pregnant, it can be so easy to get carried away with things like decorating the nursery, planning your baby shower, and taking maternity photos, etc. So easy, in fact, that it can be easy to forget the other important things that need to be done to prepare for the baby’s arrival. And then you are left with a whole bunch of things that have now piled up that could have been avoided if they were done beforehand! But as a mom of 5, I am here to help with that! Here are a few important things to do to prepare for your baby’s arrival that will make post-partum life much, much easier!
1. Call your insurance company
This is so important to know! You don’t want a surprise a month after birth and wondering how the heck that happened, I’ve been there- and it’s not fun! I think that calling your insurance company is a very smart thing to do, so at least you have an idea of what you are responsible for before you give birth.
If you have more than one insurance I would call both of them, and make sure they are going to pick up what your primary insurance does not pay. It’s also a good idea to call your doctor’s office and find out how much your OB visits and ultrasounds will cost. Most times, doctor’s offices will NOT BILL YOU until after delivery! And instead of paying along the way, you’re now stuck with a bill for 9 months worth of doctor’s appointments!
Here are some things you can ask your insurance company:
- What is my deducible and out of pocket?
- What am I actually responsible for?
- Are payment plans available?
2. See if you qualify for a free breast pump
I didn’t even know until my 3rd daughter was born that my insurance offered a free breast pump. Unfortunately, I never got it because I got tired of playing phone tag with them. I also waited until AFTER I gave birth to get one. I’m not sure if that made a difference or not. But calling beforehand can clear up all of your questions!
Here are some questions you should ask when you call about your free breast pump:
- Am I eligible for a free breast pump?
- Is there anything that I need to do in order to get it?
- When can I expect it to arrive?
- What kind of pump will it be? (This is a great question to ask to do further research and how to use!)
3. Get your finances in order
This one really kicked my behind with our 3rd baby. I was working full time, I had PTO, I applied for FMLA, but instead of getting my normal bi-weekly payment, it was broken up. AND half of it came through the mail. It was pretty terrible. So for my 4th and 5th baby, I needed to talk to HR many, many times to figure out exactly what was what.
I’m telling you- Don’t make that mistake if you’re in a corporate position! You really want to prepare financially for your baby!
Here are a few things to help with your finances!
- Saving at least $50-$100 a month
- Knowing the due dates of your bills and their contact information
- If you’re on a super tight budget like I was, asking the exact plan for your payments
- Working for a corporate company? Make sure you have enough time off and that the payments will be cohesive with your other bills
- Call on your bills if you need to make payment arrangements
4. Make and freeze meals for after delivery
I cannot stress to you how beneficial freezing meals is! If you took a few things about a week before your due date, may earlier if you want, and freeze them…all you need to do when you come home is to put it in the oven! How quick and easy is that?! You’re saving money because it’s not take out, and the hard work is already done. It’s a win/win!
Here’s my tips on finding great freezer meals:
- Searching Pinterest for great freezer recipes (there are SO MANY good ones on here!)
- Writing down everything you will need from the store and going and getting it
- Marking dates on Tupperware before putting it in the freezer
Pro tip: Plan out your meals beforehand so you know what you’re going to do for dinner as soon as you’re home from the hospital. This takes some additional stress off of your shoulders!
5. Clean your house as much as you can!
Who doesn’t love a clean house? More importantly…who LOVES coming home to a clean home when you’re home from the hospital?! Me! Seriously, our last 3 babies I tried to make sure everything was good to go before going to the hospital. Now this one may be the hardest one to do because I was induced all 5 times so…I had the time to get most of the cleaning done.
I can’t imagine going into labor spontaneously and not having anything done, or not having my hospital bag packed! But I know that’s happened to many women, and there’s nothing we can do about that! At that point just try and do a little at a time, and you will make progress!
Pro tip: Picking a new area every week/month to clean and you will be gradually making your way to having a clean house before the baby comes!
And there you have it, 5 tips to prepare for baby’s arrival!
These are all the important things that will make your transition back at home with your newborn flawless! Well, as flawless as can be! It’s so important to do as many of these things as you can to prepare for the baby’s arrival so, when the time times you can relax and enjoy all of those baby cuddles and special moments!
If you are a working mama, there are some other important things you should do when it comes to your job that you can take care of beforehand, too. Like preparing for maternity leave the right way!
If you would like to read more about my tips and tools for navigating motherhood with 5 kids, please visit my blog at Every Day She Moms!
