6 Forgotten Things to Do Before Baby Arrives

Before baby arrives and with nesting in full gear, it’s so easy to worry about all the things you need to prep for baby. You’re obsessively checking lists, organizing clothes, assembling the crib, and taking pics of your ever-growing bump. Your primary goal is to be physically ready with all the items you need to help you through the newborn stage.

But you know what you’re probably NOT doing? Preparing yourself mentally for the fourth trimester (aka the 12 weeks after giving birth). So much learning and healing takes place during that time, all while getting very little sleep. It takes a massive toll on you emotionally.

And honestly, there is always so much focus on a new baby that mamas sometimes end up on the back-burner, which is NOT good. Especially during such a critical time of life with so many life changes – not to mention the hormones taking you for a ride.

Anyway, I could go on but the point is that it’s vital to do self-care during the third trimester. So many moms forget it but you’ll thank yourself for setting aside some time for yourself BEFORE baby so you can feel more human AFTER baby.

1. Shave your legs

Let’s start with a quick confession. I didn’t shave my legs before baby arrived and I massively regretted it. Working around a pregnant belly just got tiresome so I decided that it was a small detail that wouldn’t bother me too much after baby was born.

HA! So niave.

Here’s the thing. I had an extended, difficult labor (read my home birth vs hospital birth storytime here) that resulted in a longer recovery time and I didn’t feel like myself for about 8 full weeks. By the time I managed to shave my legs, it had been about 10 total weeks. Let’s just say that I missed the confidence boost I feel when I have smooth legs. In general, I just would’ve felt more human if I’d shaved my legs before baby arrived. It’s one of those little things that really goes a long way.

Take a warm bubble bath, turn on some Netflix, relax, and shave those legs. You’ll be glad you did.

2. Get a mani/pedi without polish

A relaxing manicure and pedicure before baby comes is honestly heaven, especially if you go the no-polish route. (Polish can be high maintenance and opting out means that you don’t have to worry about chipped nails or unsightly grow-out while managing a newborn.)

A mani/pedi is way more than just painted nails anyway. It’s incredibly relaxing and you end up with filed nails, massaged & moisturized hands, and trimmed cuticles. It always makes me feel like a high value woman.

Much of new motherhood is a mental battle because you’re going through so many hormonal changes and surviving on very little sleep so little bits of self-care before childbirth go a looooooong way.

3. Food prep

I food-prepped before baby and I’m SO glad I did. I had a freezer stocked with 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, and 7 dinners. Those meals were CRITICAL during that first week postpartum when I felt like I’d been hit by a bus and was absolutely exhausted. And when I needed them, it was so convenient to just throw them in the oven and reheat.

I purchased these disposable pans, these disposable plates and this plastic cutlery which meant that I had no meal cleanup – another genius move. It’s not very eco-friendly, I know, but as a busy mom recovering from the marathon of childbirth, I felt like it was the smartest choice for me.

For the complete list of recipes I cooked and stored up, check out this post that details the lactation-boosting meals I put in my freezer before baby arrived.

4. Get a haircut

My pregnancy hair was glorious, shiny, and healthy. But I’d been warned about postpartum hair loss and the havoc that hormonal fluctuations wreak on your locks. I thought that maybe I’d be a lucky one who doesn’t experience postpartum hair loss because my pregnancy was so healthy.

I was wrong.

It hit right around week 6 and felt especially substantial because my hair was long so it seemed like I was losing more hair than I truly was.

Instead, I should’ve gotten a shorter cut during my third trimester so the hair loss didn’t feel as substantial AND I could’ve had an actual hairstyle to take into my new motherhood phase. I would’ve felt prettier, even with no makeup and no sleep, and my hair would’ve been easier to wash and manage.

Don’t underestimate the power of a good haircut.

5. Consider prenatal massage

For weeks before baby #1 arrived, I had been seriously trying to induce labor. I bounced on a yoga ball every day, I did curb-walking, ate dates, drank raspberry leaf tea, the whole nine yards. Nothing worked and baby stayed put.

In my quest to find ways to induce labor, I read that prenatal massage can help. I was so excited to try it but sadly, there were no available appointments in my area.

If you can, I highly recommend scheduling a relaxing prenatal massage just before your expected due date – not necessarily to bring on labor, though.

By the way, I finally went into labor when I was 12 days overdue. TWELVE.

6. Buy hospital/delivery/recovery dresses

These are a MUST. Don’t be cheap! I saw so many bloggers and influencers talking about labor/delivery/nursing dresses and I thought they were a big waste of money.

I. Was. So. Wrong.

Instead of having my own comfortable dress to labor in, I had to labor in a hideous, wrinkled, floral hospital gown that was several sizes too large, itchy, and did not have easy nursing access postpartum. Worse than that, when I got home from the hospital, I had nothing convenient to wear around the house. At least in the hospital, I had that ugly dress. That was something. I ended up in sweatpants and oversized t-shirts which had me feeling like a ragamuffin for weeeeeeks. Do yourself a favor and invest in this dress or this dress that comes with a matching robe. You WILL thank yourself.