To Do List for Every First-Time Expectant Parent

Congratulations! I’m so excited for you!!!

This is the beginning of the most incredible journey of your life! More than you can ever imagine!

As much as you’re very excited, I’m sure, with that comes a feeling of overwhelm, am I right?

Where do I start, what do I need to get, what do I need to learn?

Well, there’s lots to do so let’s get right to it.

Let’s divide things up into two general part:

Pregnancy & Parenting

Let’s start with Pregnancy, shall we?

Pregnancy.

You’ll want to find yourself a good OB/GYN or midwife. You might also want to consider getting yourself a doula.

Along with that comes getting yourself signed up for real rock solid childbirth classes.

Not sure which one to choose?

Read my blog post

Or take the quiz -

Boost Your Healthy Eating Plan

If you want to know one thing that will really have an impact on your baby - it’s taking care to eat the right things. Often we know what the healthier choices are, but sometimes we chose to eat something easier or sweet.

Right now - do your best to start eating whole foods, colorful veggies, fresh fruits and good proteins. Think of varying your daily menu and try to set up a system that will help you keep it up for your entire pregnancy as well as while you are breastfeeding.

Real Plans is a meal planning app/site that helps you plan a weekly whole food, healthy menu - every week. You can chose a type of diet like vegan or Paleo, or you can choose to exclude certain foods like allergies, you choose how many meals a day and per week you want to plan for and voila - it creates a menu for you - along with recipes and a shopping list!

When I discovered some allergies that my kids had I don’t know how I would have survived without Real Plans - literally saved me!

Pregnancy is a beautiful time - but can also be overwhelming. If creating and upkeeping a healthy meal plan is going to be too stressful - consider joining Real Plans.

If you want to check out Real Plans’ free version go here.

Either way - make sure to get back to healthy eating - you and your baby will reap the benefits for years to come!

2. Learn More About Birth

As I’m sure you’ve either done or are thinking about - picking a health care practitioner is high on your priority list. Thing is, sometimes it’s hard to pick a health care practitioner if you haven’t decided what kind of birth you’re looking to have.

Are you considering going a more natural route? Would you want to go with a midwife instead of a doctor? Maybe you’re looking for an alternative birthing center or considering a home birth?

Learning more about birth and your options is your next move.

In this day and age - you are in luck! There is a plethora of information at your fingertips, sometimes too much that it can feel overwhelming.

This Quiz will ask you 6 easy questions to help you find the perfect online birth classes that fit your personality and your needs.

Long Sleeve ShirtsAt the newborn stage, having long sleeve shirts with mitten cuffs is just what you need. Babies don’t have any control over their hands when they’re born, and they will often scratch themselves. That’s why hospitals will put long sleeve shirts with mitten cuffs on them, and that’s what I’ve bought for my newborns as well. Nail clippersThe absolute scariest thing in the world is cutting your newborn’s finger nails. Yes, it does happen, I’ve cried myself silly when I cut a finger accidentally. So you want to find the best possible nail clippers for infants. This one worked for me.

Nursing/Bottle Supplies

Nursing PillowNursing is a bit of a challenge at the beginning. Getting your positioning right, holding your baby in place for an extended period of time. Let’s just say, you’ll grow some muscles. Or you can opt for a nursing pillow that will make things all that little bit easier. This one’s a great option.LanolinYour breasts are going to feel a little bit beat up for the first couple of weeks and lanolin is the solution. It’s all natural, so it’s ok for your baby and it’s very soothing.Nursing padsNow how should I describe this? Basically, if you don’t want to have wet stains on your shirt from leaking breasts then you want to get some nursing pads. Yep, they leak. Medela Breast PumpWhen I had my first baby someone older and wiser than me gave me some really good advice. She said ‘Go out and get the good pump.’ I was thinking, spend $200 on a breast pump? That’s pretty steep. But no, she said it was worth the investment and otherwise I’d never continue nursing while I was working.I took her advice and let me tell you – this advice is worth passing on. Not only did I stay nursing full time while I was working because of this pump, but it was totally worth it to have for all my subsequent babies even though I was full time at home with them. Just being able to pump out extra milk for a babysitter or when the baby is teething and doesn’t want to nurse. It’s totally worth having a working pump. Trust me, those hand pumps are impossible to use. The amazing thing is as much as the Medela pump is worth every penny, the price hasn’t gone up in the last 17 years. Nice.PacifierNot all pacifiers are created equally. I couldn’t get my babies to suck most of them. Until I found this one. It just might be your life saver too.Avent bottleI went through many different brands over the years until I found Avent. I was generally nursing full time, but needed a bottle to feed my own bottle milk in the event that I was out and someone else was watching my baby. I found that the Avent bottles gave the easiest transition from nursing to bottle with the least nipple confusion from all the bottles that we tried.

This is where many first-time parents are feeling very lost. I know, it’s that feeling like:“Ok, I’ve got the nursery put together but… I don’t know anything about taking care of a baby!”Yep, that was definitely me the first time around.So here’s where you want to invest in learning the ropes. Just like when you take on a new job that has new skill requirements, you’re going to go out and read books and take courses. Same thing here. You’re taking on a new job as a parent, so now is the time to go out and acquire the new skills that you need.Here are some fabulous resources for your journey:

Childbirth

Mama Natural Birth Course

9-month Spiritual Road MapThis is a short mini ebook that I’ve put together about the spiritual side to pregnancy. It’s free. Hope you like it. Mama Natural’s Online Childbirth CourseThe one thing you want to do is get yourself educated about childbirth. Now I’ve seen a lot of online childbirth courses, but this is the one I trust most. Mama Natural’s course is natural, it’s empowering and she’s got a LOT of amazing content including nursing tips and all sorts of postnatal help. You’re going to thank me for this one – check it out here.Miracle Maker Mom's YouTube ChannelI’ve also got lots of great tips about childbirth on my YouTube channel, so make sure to check it out and subscribe.How Smart is Your BabySo you want a smart baby, right? You’re assuming that babies are born the way they are and there’s not much you can do about your child’s smarts. Right? Wrong! A baby’s brain grows depending on how you help that brain to grow. How Smart is Your Baby is a classic book written by Glenn Doman and it’s jam packed with everything you need to know about advancing your baby’s smarts by helping his brain grow right from day 1. It’s a great read. He really teaches you what to do from day 1, so start reading it now. I’m telling you, you’ll love it and your brilliant child will thank you one day…Baby Proofing Your Marriage book + Miracle Maker Mom's videoHaving a baby is one of those life events that somewhat takes over your life. That’s true. However, it’s important to know how to handle the changes so your important relationships don’t suffer, especially your marriage.Here’s a cute video I did on the topic Thriving in Your Marriage After a Baby.And here’s a top selling book for you as well. Baby Proofing Your Marriage is a great read, and seriously funny too.

Parenting

Don’t forget about parenting skills! I once heard a parable about a man who was moving to Japan but had a connecting flight in France first. He spent months learning about the French culture, learning to speak French and all - and when the day finally came he was all prepared for his day in France! However, it only last a short time and then he realized that he hadn’t prepared at all for life in Japan - his actually destination!

Being pregnant for the first time (and second and third and eighth time) is truly a miraculous feeling! But don’t lose sight of where you’re going.

You’re becoming a parent. You’ll be raising this precious soul for the next two decades and more - which is an incredible journey.

Eat well, prepare for your birth - but don’t forget where you’re going. More than anything - prepare for parenting.

For a full listing check out my blog post 8 Parenting Books Every Mom and Dad Needs to Read.Communication SkillsTop priority is developing excellent communication skills. You want to be able to talk in a way that your kids love to listen to you and of course listen in a way that your kids will want to listen to you. I’ve got 3 Free videos for you on this exact topic. Hop on over and get started. Not to worry, until your kids start talking, you can practice on your spouse. 😊Parenting CourseI readily encourage all expectant parents to learn top parenting skills before their baby arrives. See my blog post 9 Benefits to Investing in Parenting Skills Before Your Baby is Born.I would be honored to have you join Miracle Maker Mom’s parenting course – Parenting Toolbox. This course gives you a plethora of parenting skills, from becoming the role model you want to be, to communication skills, developing healthy attachment, knowing how to deal with misbehavior and so much more. Please join me in this fabulous parenting journey. Miracle Maker Mom’s Parenting Toolbox course is jam packed with all the parenting tools you’ll need to become the confident, patient, positive parent you want to be for your kids.What can I say. Becoming a parent is a process… one that happens every single day.I’m honored to be part of your journey.

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