Everything You Should Do Before The Baby Arrives

For couples expecting a baby, we've put together this handy guide. It's a significant event in anyone’s life, whether it’s your first baby or third. You’ve likely done a couple of internet searches looking for community, items you want for your house, and baby shower ideas, and we’re here to help you get organized with all the fun things you need to think about during your pregnancy. Once that little one arrives, you’re going to want to rest and soak up those moments that seem to fly by.

Start preparing for your baby’s arrival now with this ultimate online guide to everything Bringing Home Baby. You’ll find ways to connect with your pregnancy community, the best baby gear out there, inspiration for a meaningful and beautiful baby shower, and a whole lot more. First things first, let’s find your pregnancy community. You don’t have to go through this major transition alone.

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Get Started On This Baby Journey

As you move through the process of growing a human, you’re likely going to want to surround yourself with community and the necessities to get you through pregnancy, like maternity clothing. Below you’ll find all the resources you need to feel confident about your baby’s arrival.

Find Your Pregnancy Community

You’re expecting a new baby, and it’s time to find your pregnancy community. There are a few different ways to go about this. You can find those who share your birth month through any mom’s clubs in your area or build online communities through social media groups. Below you’ll find the top pregnancy community resources so you can surround yourself with support and love during this beautiful and intense chapter of life. The three most common stages of pregnancy include the first, second, and third trimester. As you approach that final one, you’ll likely have built-in friends with babies who are the same age. Building community doesn’t have to be complicated. It just takes a little time and effort to find the people with who you resonate, and you’ll be ready to share all the ups and downs of pregnancy in a safe and supported space.

What To Expect has all kinds of fun pregnancy calculators, blog posts about pregnancy, and community groups you can join. You can track your pregnancy by week and so much more.

Fertility Friend is an ovulation and fertility tracking app that is great for those trying to get pregnant (or trying not to get pregnant).

Babycenter is another site that offers a week-by-week breakdown of what to expect when you’re expecting. You can create baby registries, build community, and learn about the ins and out of pregnancy and beyond.

Very Well Family’s Pregnancy vertical is full of resources about all things pregnancy. It reads like a magazine with articles that answer all the questions you never thought to ask.

Whether you’re trying to conceive or have a baby on the way, The Bump will give you all kinds of “Bumpdates” about your pregnancy. You can also connect with community, build a registry, and browse baby names.

If you’re more into listening to baby wisdom than reading it, this list of the best Ted Talks on pregnancy will likely pique your interest.

Stay Up-To-Date On Pregnancy Health

As you move through pregnancy, you may be curious about up-to-date guidelines and wisdom on pregnancy health. We’ve gathered some of the best online resources for pregnancy health information below.

Grow by WebMD is a valuable resource for all things pregnancy health.

The CDC is a one-stop shop for all of your pregnancy health-related matters across the world.

Learn how to maintain a healthy pregnancy through resources at Healthline.

Choosing a health care provider, pediatrician, or doctor for pregnancy and childbirth just got a whole lot easier with healthgrades.

If you want to make shopping incredibly easy, create a baby registry with Amazon. Most people already shop with Amazon and can send you gifts ahead of time.

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Preparing The Shopping Lists

Now’s the time to start preparing your shopping lists. This is a favorite for most people because you can individualize the experience to your tastes. When you start to create registries, it might be worth setting up a budget plan so you feel good about your expenses.

Have Fun With Maternity Clothes

Feel beautiful in the skin your in by purchasing clothing designed to fit your rapidly growing body. Maternity clothing has come a long way over the years, and you’ll find some chic and adorable options for all types below. Our favorite stores include:

Pink Blush Maternity has some of the most stylish maternity clothing for all seasons. You’ll find hip-hugging dresses, swimwear, boho skirts and pants, and other modern designs.

Motherhood Maternity will offer you all the basics you need (that are anything but basic). Find supportive undergarments, leggings, jeans, and even postpartum clothing.

Supportive undergarments are absolutely crucial for your growing body. Find some soft and comfortable options at Kindred Bravely.

Ingrid + Isabel offers stylish mama and baby clothing that is both supportive and adorable. You can also find pregnancy articles and other resources on their site.

Find luxury stapes for any occasion with A Pea In The Pod maternity and post-pregnancy wear.

Seraphine offers cozy and stylish maternity clothing for all body types and occasions.

The Hatch Collection brings you maternity wardrobe building blocks to carry you from the first trimester to a post-baby body.

Shop affordable maternity clothing with Old Navy — style and comfort without breaking the bank.

There are so many places to find fabulous maternity clothing, and it’s no surprise that Amazon has plenty of options for moms-to-be.

If you want even more maternity clothing options, head over to our overview of the best maternity stores where you can shop in-stores and online. Don’t be afraid to have fun with maternity clothing! Sure, you won’t wear it for very long, but most maternity clothing holds its value. Just resell it or gift it to other moms in your pregnancy community when you’re done with them.

Create A Baby Registry

Now the fun is really amping up. Creating a baby registry is when it hits home that you’re really having a baby. Before you start a registry, make a list of all of the essentials that you really want so that you can set them as a priority option when adding them to your registry. There are plenty of awesome places to access the best baby registry services. Creating baby registries is so much fun! You’ll want to create your registry before you send out specific announcements like baby shower invitations so people will know where to shop.

Amazon makes it easy to create a registry, add your address, and receive your items quickly.

Babylist is a cool option for creating a baby registry from any store you want, accessed all in one place.

Target is a mama favorite, and for good reason. Create your baby registry with Target for a stylish and affordable experience.

BuyBuyBaby is another excellent online option for creating a baby registry with plenty of options.

If you’re looking for affordable baby registry items, Walmart’s got you covered.

Pottery Barn Kids is the place to go for creating a baby registry to feel your nursery with beautiful, long-lasting items.

Use myregistry.com to create a universal baby registry from any store your heart desires.

Crate&Kids is another baby registry service that will elevate the style of your home in the swipe of a card.

Pregnancy And Birth Announcement Cards

Are you looking for birth announcements and pregnancy cards? You can find some gorgeous ones online for any budget. If you don’t want to opt into paper copies, you can even send virtual announcements. Sharing beautiful photos of your new bundle of joy with friends and family is a special way to show how much you love the people who have supported you and to show off your baby. Some of our favorite pregnancy and birth announcement cards can be found at the resources below.

Minted allows you to create beautiful birth announcements along with other types of art you want to cherish forever.

Magnet Street is a one-stop shop for birth announcements in all shapes and sizes — magnets, postcards, and more.

Greenvelope stands behind its name, offering digital pregnancy and birth announcements you can send online.

Tinyprints from Shutterfly make for affordable and easy-to-make birth announcements for your friends and family.

Let The Shopping Commence

You’ve done a little bit of the shopping, but now it’s time for the big stuff. Sometimes it’s challenging to find the best stores for baby clothes, what gear to buy, and other learning and toy options. A quick internet search will give you a zillion options, so how do you choose? We’ve compiled a list of our favorite brands and products to help narrow down the search. Pick one or two to start, and let inspiration guide you as you prepare for the arrival of your little one.

Start Shopping For Itty Bitty Baby Clothes

Are you one of those people who melts when you see those adorable itty bitty baby clothes? If so, you’re going to like this. There are so many incredible baby clothing brands out there, so you’re bound to curate the perfect ensemble for your little one.

Affordable meets adorable. Gymboree has sweet little clothing options that’ll make you say “awwww.”

Children’s Place is another option for cute yet budget-friendly. They have some of the best footie pajamas your little ones will love.

Janie and Jack climbs in price a little and is well worth it. They last a long time and the clothes are absolutely adorable.

Maisonette offers beautiful neutrals and soft patterns to create a chic closet for any babe. Elevate your baby’s style with this beautiful brand.

If you want to look at reviews first, Amazon is your baby clothing mecca. They have millions of options to choose from, and all you need to do is filter the search to your desires.

Boden creates adorable, brightly colored designs with snuggly animal prints, cute raincoats, and so much more. You can’t go wrong with a Boden baby wardrobe.

Hanna Andersson features bright colors and fun designs for your little one. If quality, comfort, and affordability are your jam, you’ve come to the right place.

You didn’t know Burts Bees made baby clothes? Now you do. Go check ‘em out! All of their clothing is organic cotton fabric to protect your little one’s skin while caring for the environment at the same time.

If you want more inspiration for baby fashion, check out our overview of more baby clothing shops. Shopping for baby clothing is so much fun. If you’re on a budget, you can always add these beautiful items above to a baby registry. Anything that isn’t purchased, you can find on resale websites and as hand-me-downs from friends.

Snag The Best Baby Gear

Shopping for baby gear is usually where decision indecision crops up because gear is typically a lot more expensive than baby clothes and requires a fair bit of research to make sure you’re investing in high-quality baby monitors, swings, strollers, baby carriers, and so on. You don’t want to spend a fortune just for an item to break. Thankfully, most websites these days offer real-time reviews from customers. If the reviews feel too positive, look the item up on a different site to see what people say about it. A few items are worth spending a little more on or buying used if you want a top-of-the-line piece. These include strollers, baby carriers, baby monitors, and car seats. Below you’ll find a list of some of the best resources and brands for baby gear, as well as websites that offer buying guides to help make an informed choice.

An online resource for purchasing all things baby. Shopping online at buybuybaby is the equivalent of walking into a major shopping center with only one focus — babies.

All parents seem to love Target. We know you will too! Creating a registry is simple, and the designs are modern, versatile, highly rated, and affordable for all of your baby gear needs.

Walmart offers affordable options for buying baby gear. Just because it’s on the less expensive side doesn’t mean you can’t find modern, quality pieces. They make creating a baby registry easy too.

Pottery Barn Kids ups the ante for adorable and well-crafted baby gear. You could decorate the entire nursery with their gear, and then take it on the go with strollers, diaper bags, and so much more.

Chicco

Are you looking for the best car seats around? Look no further than Chicco. These are some of the best-rated car seats, strollers, and gear for babies on the market. They last a long time too.

Nuna revolutionizes riding and other modes of transporting your baby around. Their 360 degree rotating car seat makes this the ultimate convertible car seat. Discover the world in style with nuna.

The Doona travel systems are hard to compete with. While doona is an investment piece, it is well worth the cost. You’ll travel safely, and with a sophisticated style for parents on the go.

Bugaboo builds baby gear that’s meant to last. You can find side-by-side strollers for siblings, newborn baby essentials, and baby gear that is built to last through all kinds of terrain.

Buying guides are curated with the best of the best. The best doesn’t always mean the most expensive. You can find high-quality items in most price ranges. Consumer Reports is where you’ll find honest reviews and buying guides for all of your baby’s needs.

Toys and Learning

If your house isn’t packed full of learning toys now, it likely will be soon. It takes some restraint not to turn the home into a toy shop, especially with so many innovative and well-made options. When your baby is first born, they won’t play with much. Most parents invest in super-soft stuffed plushies, while others might start building an inventory of teething rings, blocks, and other stimulating toys. Finding toys for your little one is as simple as an internet search. Do your research, and you’ll be playing with your toys more than your baby because toys have come a long way over the last few decades. Below are a few places to find toys and learning products for your baby.

Buy Buy Baby will give you plenty of learning toys and options for your new arrival. Stroll the virtual aisles for more toys than you can possibly imagine.

Curate the playroom with gorgeous toys from Crate and Barrel. Your baby will play and learn in style, and the pieces will blend well with “adult” decor to keep the spaces in your home beautiful.

Oompa offers natural toys for a Waldorf-inspired play space. There’s something magical about simple wooden toys. Say goodbye to the bright lights and plastic with Oompa toys.

Never run out of ideas or reviews with the many baby toys found on Amazon. You’ll likely get tired of scrolling before you get to the end of the toys available here. The best part is when you find a toy you’ve never seen that has incredible reviews.

Walmart offers affordable toys that are well-built and brightly colored. Just add them to your registry, and watch sweet little gadgets and learning products for your baby start to fill up the nursery.

Check out Target’s modern and adorable assortment of toys and learning activities. You never know, you might play with these cool toys more than your kids do. Plus they look great with your current home decor.

Find more toy stores at our easy overview of the best online shopping sites for toys and games.

Check out eBay for great retro toys and collectible games and toys. Sponsored

Final Preparations

You’re getting closer to the birthing day. Are you ready? It’s ok if you’re not. You’ll be great! It’s time for the final preparations for bringing home your new bundle of joy. Is the nursery finished? Have you picked out a name? What about baby showers and childcare options? Take a deep breath. You’ve got this. Below you’ll find some final preparations for a successful pregnancy and to support you postpartum.

Nursery Decorating

Have you decorated your nursery yet? You can go for a minimalist look with neutral colors and wooden toys or amp up the color with brightly colored toys and layers of soft fabrics and patterns throughout. Whether you’re planning to share a room with your baby or you have a dedicated space, you can find inspiration to incorporate those baby vibes throughout the house. Some of our favorite stores and inspo resources are found below.

Pinterest is the number one stop for most people when it comes to any type of inspiration gathering. You can find all kinds of nursery decorating inspo to get your baby’s room looking beautiful.

Mydomaine offers all kinds of nursery decorating inspiration through blog posts. Just scroll the headlines until you find what kind of inspiration you’re looking for, and voila! You’ve got plenty of ideas to begin.

The Spruce is another blog post style inspiration website where you can find cool ideas for playroom storage ideas, creative bathrooms, and how to design a nursery.

Purchase different nursery decorations at buybuybaby — the place where you can buy almost anything related to caring for a baby.

Once you’ve gathered inspiration, you can start the shopping. Target has so many different nursery decorating essentials that you’ll have to work hard to not buy everything in the baby aisles.

Elevate your baby’s room with chic and timeless nursery room furniture from Crate & Barrel. You’ll discover cribs, nursing chairs, changing tables, nightstands, and more.

Pottery Barn Kids is another one-stop shop for luxury baby furniture and decor for your nursery and throughout the house. It’s more expensive than some other brands, but you can see the cost in the details.

Serena and Lily offers gorgeous furniture and inspiration for your baby’s room and is on the higher end for baby essentials. Enjoy the neutrals and style with this brand.

Wayfair offers nursery furniture across a wide spectrum of prices. One thing you’ll always find here are beautiful pieces, accurate reviews, and plenty of options to choose from.

Nordstrom offers a variety of brands and baby products that you can add to your baby registry and to the nursery. You can find more than clothing at this department store, with options for strollers, artwork, and other goodies.

You’ll be excited to step into the virtual world of Ashley Furniture — a store loaded with beautiful nursery furniture, decor, and inspiration. You can find artwork, beds, and beautifully-crafted storage solutions.

For even more interior design inspiration, check out our handy overview of the best decorating websites or check out our overview of the best home decor stores on the Internet. Have fun decorating!

Organize A Baby Shower

If you haven’t organized a baby shower, now is the time to do it. Historically, a friend or family member throws a baby shower for you, but there’s nothing wrong with organizing the event yourself. Likely your best friends will step in to support you. Everyone loves babies and oohing and awing over adorable tiny clothes.

If you need some inspiration for your baby shower, head on over to parents.com. You don’t have a new baby every day. Enjoy the celebrations because you’re worth it.

Choose A Baby Name

Perhaps one of the most critical and challenging parts of the imminent arrival of your little one (besides actually birthing the baby) is choosing a baby name. For some people, this part is easy because they chose a name long ago and happen to agree with potential partners about it.

For others, they don’t choose a name until a few months after the baby is born to see which one fits the best. You can use BabyNames.com or TheBump to help you choose a baby name. Take your time here because your kiddo will have this name for quite some time, their entire lives if they so choose.

Research Childcare Options

Many people don’t think about childcare while still pregnant unless, of course, you have to go back to work relatively quickly. Even if you plan to be a stay-at-home parent, it’s crucial to research childcare options ahead of time. Sure, you’ll be the primary source of childcare, but parents need self-care and a break consistently for optimal mental health.

Two of the most popular childcare resources are Sittercity and Care.com. When you’re looking for childcare, plan to interview people well beforehand. They need to be qualified for caring for a newborn, but their parenting style and vibes need to mesh with yours. Don’t be afraid to ask difficult questions, and take the time to find someone you feel really good about. You’ll be grateful for the peace of mind later when they’re taking care of your pride and joy.

You can always count on Amazon to have plenty of choices when it comes to nursery decorations. The fun part about this massive marketplace is you may find some quirky or unique pieces that you wouldn’t have found otherwise.

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Final Remarks

There’s a lot that goes into planning for a new baby. We hope this guide is a valued resource to support you throughout your pregnancy. Of course, pregnancy health is a top priority, but don’t be afraid to have a lot of fun during the process of building your baby’s wardrobe, travel systems, and nursery.

We’re celebrating your journey right along with you!