Newborn baby Check list
There’s a special kind of excitement that comes with waiting for your baby to arrive. You’re imagining what they’ll look like, wondering what those first cuddles will feel like and counting down the weeks until you finally get to meet them.
At the same time, there suddenly seems to be so much to organise before your baby arrives. From preparing the nursery and washing tiny clothes to packing your hospital bag and getting those last-minute jobs done, it can be hard to know where to start.
The good news is that you don’t need to have absolutely everything perfect. A little preparation before your due date can make those first few weeks at home feel calmer and give you more time to focus on getting to know your new baby.
I’ve put together this practical before-baby-arrives checklist to help you work through some of the things you may want to organise before the big day including a few things that are surprisingly easy to forget.
Prepare Your Baby’s Nursery
Creating a cosy and welcoming space for your little one is one of the most exciting things to do before your baby arrives. Start with the essentials, such as choosing a cot that meets current safety standards and organising somewhere practical to store nappies, wipes, clothing and all those little baby items that somehow seem to take over the house!
Once you have the essentials sorted, you can start adding the personal touches. Choose colours and décor you love and create a space that feels calm, comfortable and special for your growing family. You don’t need to have a picture-perfect nursery — it simply needs to work for you and your baby.
I absolutely love home décor and really enjoyed decorating both of my babies’ rooms before they arrived. I even handmade unique pieces for their nurseries. For me, preparing their rooms was about more than decorating; it was a way to feel connected to my babies while I was waiting to finally meet them.
There is something so special about standing in that finished little room, looking at all the tiny clothes and imagining the baby who will soon be coming home to fill it.
Organise Baby Clothes
Organising all those tiny baby clothes can be one of the most exciting parts of preparing for your new arrival. Babies grow incredibly quickly, so having a few different sizes washed, organised and ready to go can make those first few months much easier.
Sort your baby’s clothes by size and season, then wash the items you’ll need first and store them somewhere easy to reach. You’ll probably be surprised by how quickly your baby moves from one size to the next!
A little tip from me: my first baby was a girl, and I spent far too much time buying adorable newborn outfits that she barely had a chance to wear. If you fall in love with a special outfit, consider buying it in a slightly larger size. They’ll usually get much more wear out of it, and you’ll have more opportunities to enjoy seeing your little one in it.
And don’t feel like you need dozens of beautiful newborn outfits — in those early weeks, you may find the simple, comfortable onesies get far more use than you expected
plan Hospital Bag
Packing your hospital bag a few weeks before your due date is one of those jobs you’ll be very glad you did ahead of time. Having everything ready by the door means there’s one less thing to think about when the big moment finally arrives.
Pack comfortable clothes, toiletries, a phone charger and anything else that will help you feel comfortable during your stay. For your baby, organise a few outfits, nappies and a special coming-home outfit. It’s also a good idea to have any important paperwork or documents together and ready to go.
And a little tip from experience you probably don’t need as much as you think! With my first baby, I packed so much stuff that it looked like I was heading off on an international holiday rather than going to hospital.
By the second time around, I definitely knew how to pack a little lighter!
Book Photography
Booking your maternity and newborn photography sessions while you’re still pregnant is a great idea, especially if you have a particular photographer or timeframe in mind. Newborn photographers can only take a limited number of sessions around each due date, so booking early gives you one less thing to organise once your baby arrives.
When choosing your photographer, look for someone whose photography style you genuinely love and who makes you feel comfortable and relaxed. For newborn photography, experience is especially important. Ask about their training and experience in safely handling and posing newborn babies so you can feel confident that your little one is in experienced hands.
Your maternity photographs capture the anticipation of waiting to meet your baby, while your newborn photos preserve those first tiny details once they finally arrive. Together, they tell the beginning of your family’s story.
And once your baby is here, the last thing you’ll probably feel like doing is researching photographers! Having your newborn photoshoot booked before your baby arrives means you can simply enjoy those first days knowing everything is already organised.
Tip: If you’re planning newborn photos, book while you’re pregnant and confirm the exact session date once your baby arrives.
Get your babies car seat ready
Safety comes first when it comes to bringing your new baby home. Before your due date, make sure your baby’s car restraint is correctly installed and ready for that very first journey home from the hospital.
In Australia, newborn babies need to travel in an approved rear-facing child restraint, so it’s worth organising this well before your baby arrives. If you’re unsure whether you’ve installed it correctly, consider having it checked or professionally fitted by an authorised child restraint fitter.
It’s one of those little jobs that feels so good to tick off the list. When the big day arrives, you can concentrate on your new baby rather than trying to work out straps and car-seat instructions in the hospital car park!
And that first drive home with your brand-new baby? It’s definitely one you’ll remember.
Prepare for Feeding
Whether you’re planning to breastfeed, bottle-feed or use a combination of both, it can be helpful to have a few feeding essentials organised before your baby arrives. Every feeding journey is different, and sometimes what you need only becomes clear once your little one is actually here.
You might like to have bottles and a few basic feeding supplies ready, as well as a comfortable place where you can sit for feeds. A cosy chair, feeding pillow, water bottle, phone charger and a basket of easy-to-grab snacks can make those long newborn feeds a little more comfortable especially in the middle of the night!
With my first baby, I knew I wanted to breastfeed, so I assumed I wouldn’t need bottles or a breast pump straight away. Once she arrived, things didn’t quite go to plan, and my husband ended up rushing out to the baby shop to buy a pump and bottles while we were trying to establish feeding.
That experience taught me that you don’t necessarily need to buy everything before your baby arrives, but it can be useful to know what you might need and where you can get it quickly.
Most importantly, give yourself some flexibility. However your baby ends up being fed, those quiet feeding moments will become a huge part of your first few weeks together.
Baby-Proof Your Home
It’s never too early to start thinking about making your home safe for your growing baby. While your newborn won’t be crawling around straight away, those first few months pass surprisingly quickly, and before you know it, they’ll be reaching, rolling and exploring everything they can find.
You can start with some of the basics, such as securing unstable furniture, keeping cords and small objects out of reach and planning for baby gates around stairs. If you have pets, it’s also a good time to start thinking about how you’ll introduce them to your new baby and adjust their routine before your little one arrives.
Of course, every baby is completely different! My daughter never really bothered exploring too far from me, so baby-proofing seemed pretty easy at first. Then along came my son… and let’s just say he made sure I stayed on my toes!
That was when I quickly discovered just how many things around the house suddenly become very interesting when you’re a curious little person determined to explore everything
Plan Your Meals
Cooking can quickly fall to the bottom of the priority list during those first few weeks with a newborn. Between feeding, settling, recovering and getting used to your new routine, having something ready to grab from the freezer can make life so much easier.
Before your baby arrives, try preparing and freezing a few of your favourite meals in individual or family-sized portions. You can also stock the pantry with simple foods, easy snacks and quick meals that don’t require much preparation. A meal delivery service can also be a lifesaver during those first few weeks.
I was incredibly lucky with both of my babies to have my mum stay with me for two weeks after they were born. Having someone there to help with meals and everyday jobs meant I could focus on recovering, resting and bonding with my new baby.
If friends or family ask what they can do to help after your baby arrives, don’t be afraid to say “bring food!” Sometimes a home-cooked meal is far more useful to a new mum than another bunch of flowers.
Build your Support System
Having a good support network around you can make such a difference during those first few weeks with a new baby. Before your baby arrives, have a chat with your partner about how you can share some of the everyday jobs and what support you might need once you’re home.
If family or friends offer to help, take them up on it! Whether it’s bringing over a meal, doing a load of washing, watching an older sibling or simply holding the baby while you have a shower, those little things can make the early days feel much easier.
It can also be lovely to connect with other new mums through a local mothers’ group, baby class or community group. Having other women going through the same stage of life gives you people to share the funny moments, ask questions and celebrate all those little milestones with.
I’ve met so many amazing mums throughout my own journey as a parent, and some of them have become pretty cool friends along the way. Sometimes the friendships you make because of your children end up becoming an unexpected and really special part of motherhood.
Take Some Time for Yourself Before Baby Arrives
With so much focus on preparing for your new baby, don’t forget to make a little time for yourself too. The final weeks of pregnancy can feel like a mixture of excitement, anticipation and wondering when your little one is finally going to make their appearance.
If you can, enjoy some of the things that help you relax. Book a prenatal massage, enjoy a quiet lunch, read a book, take a gentle walk or simply put your feet up without feeling guilty about it. You’re about to enter a very busy and exciting new chapter, so there’s nothing wrong with slowing down while you still can.
It’s also a lovely time to spend some quality time with your partner. Go out for dinner, have a quiet date night or simply enjoy being together before life changes and your family grows.
And if you already have children, spend some special one-on-one time with them too. Their world is about to change just as much as yours, and those last moments together before they become a big brother or sister can be really special.
why a before baby arrives checklist helps
Preparing for a baby can sometimes feel like there are a hundred little things to remember. Between organising the nursery, washing tiny clothes, packing your hospital bag and preparing for those first few weeks at home, it’s easy for something to slip your mind.
Having a simple before-baby-arrives checklist gives you somewhere to keep track of everything without feeling like you need to remember it all at once. You can work through it gradually during your pregnancy and enjoy that satisfying feeling of ticking things off as your due date gets closer.
And don’t worry if you don’t have absolutely everything organised. Babies have a funny way of showing us that things don’t always go exactly to plan! The goal isn’t to create a perfectly prepared home it’s simply to make those first few weeks a little easier so you can spend more time recovering, bonding and getting to know your new baby.
From my own experience, some of the things I thought I desperately needed barely got used, while other things resulted in last-minute trips to the baby shop! Prepare what you can, accept the help that’s offered and give yourself permission to figure the rest out as you go.
That’s part of the adventure of becoming a parent.