Baby On the Way? Here's A New Parent Checklist

Prepare To Feed Yourself

Bringing your baby home for the first time is euphoric and also a crash course in caring for your baby: the feeding, the diapering, the swaddling. You'll be so focused on doing the most important job in the world that you won't have much time to think about yourself, much less feed yourself. Instead, you want to have a meal plan for you and your partner for at least the first few weeks. Stock up on frozen meals or a healthy delivery service so you have food at the ready as you navigate those first few weeks.

Round Up Your Village

Trust us: you are going to need some sleep breaks. Schedule grandparents to fly in, sisters, brothers, besties, the whole gang and figure out how they can help. Give yourself a week or so to settle in as new parents without an invasion - your baby high will get you through those initial sleepless nights. But then tap your village for baby breaks to get some sleep, self-care or a mini date night. Give them tasks - like unloading the dishwasher, washing the baby bottles, doing the laundry, anything you don't physically need to do yourself (breastfeeding, for example, which is like a full-time job if you're going that route).

Determine Your Family Leave

Talk to your employer/HR dept about their parental leave policy and make a plan for when you will be leaving the office and returning post-baby. The Family and Medical Leave Act grants certain employees 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave during the first year after a birth, adoption or foster care, but employers vary widely by how much leave they offer and whether or not you'll be paid. Employers are also required to provide the same healthcare coverage you had before you leave. Also, talk to them about your return and any accommodations you may need; for example, a private room for breast milk pumping.

Choose A Pediatrician

Schedule follow-up appointments with doctors as soon as you can. Your OB/GYN will want to see you postpartum and you'll want to bring your baby in for their first checkup with a pediatrician. Ask local parent friends for recommendations on pediatricians as you'll want to find the right one for you before baby arrives.

Apply For A Birth Certificate + SS Number

You'll want to take care of this official paperwork at the hospital rather than have to go to any government agencies during those initial weeks of new parenthood. Your hospital team will give you the appropriate forms - all the more reason to have a baby name lined up, including what your family name will be.

Make A Plan For Childcare

After your maternity and/or paternity leaves, decide whether one parent will stay home with baby or look at your childcare options, whether it's a local daycare, a nanny, or a family member.

Create A Will

It's not something anyone wants to think about, but it's important to make a plan for the worst case scenario. Choose a legal guardian for your baby who would care for them in the event something happens to both you and your partner. When choosing a potential guardian, consider their financial status, age, religious beliefs, and who you would want to parent your child if you were unable to. You'll also want to name a trustee to manage your property on behalf of your child.

On the same note, you'll want to get life insurance to provide financial support for your baby should anything happen to either of you.

Start Saving For College

No joke - if it's possible for you to establish a nest egg for your babe, you want to start saving now. Look into contributing to a tax-advantaged529 college savings plan to make it easier to pay for tuition when the time comes, and the time will come surprisingly fast.

Take Care Of You

Remember to give yourself the proverbial oxygen mask first. A baby's care is only as good as their caregiver's. Here's what to expect postpartum and how to care for yourself (and ask for help) while you're caring for baby. Check in on your mental health too and know when you're experiencing more than just baby blues. Make time for important friendshipsand practice self-care, even if you only have 10 minutes.

You've got this, mama. Check off as much as you can before baby arrives and enjoy those first few weeks before they fly by, because nothing is more true about parenthood than that the days are long but the years are short. ENJOY IT!

Check out more parenting topics on our podcast Teach Me Something New, including Parenting Young Children with Daphne Oz and Parenting Problems with Dr. Wendy Mogel, Clinical Psychologist.

Main image: Jonathan Borba on Unsplash