With Valentine's Day less than one month away, it occurred to me that that means our due date is less than two months away. Yep. 46 days (or less). I honestly don't know if I'm hoping for the day to hurry up and arrive or if I could stand to wait another several months. In some ways, I am terrified and want all the extra time I can have to work, tie up loose ends, finish the baby preparations and enjoy Trent being the center of attention for just a while longer. But on the other hand, I am just kind of ready for her to get here so we can jump right in and start establishing a routine/figuring out how things are going to work instead of just worrying/wondering/attempting to plan it out every day for the next 45 days. So with each passing day, we are both more excited and slightly more overwhelmed at baby girl's upcoming arrival!
As I said, there are still so many things that need to get done, one of which is possibly my favorite pre-baby ritual, if you will: The Great Pre-Baby Stock Up Shopping Trip! Aside from the freezer meals, which we still consider the most valuable thing we did before Trent, the stock-up was just about the greatest thing ever. In the first few weeks (okay, months) after Trent was born, I could barely get myself up and ready for a public appearance, much less myself, a newborn, a diaper bag, etc. It was beyond nice to have everything I could possibly want and need stashed away in the house to avoid errands and save hubs from daily "Can you stop on your way home for 'blank'?" trips. And let's be honest, asking him to stop for Tucks pads or an exact shade of concealer wasn't going to go well anyway...
So I dug out the list I had saved from last time, went on a coupon clipping rampage and begged the hubs to help me hit up Costco, Target and a few other stores for a stock up marathon! If you can't afford the time or expense of doing a full stock-up all at once, keep your list with you (or on your phone) and just grab one or two things each time you go to the grocery store for the last few months of your pregnancy..especially when something on your list happens to be on sale. Clipping coupons is great for the stock-up shopping, as there are always a ton of coupons floating around out there for toiletry items and paper/food storage goods which can get pretty pricey when buying them all at once.
Here is the list I went by last time with a few additions from lessons learned. I tend to go a bit overboard stocking up, but I know it is all stuff that we will use and/or will make life a million times easier which is a major priority for us with a newborn at home. This list doesn't include all the pantry and refrigerated goods/freezer meals or ALL of the newborn/postpartum essentials...this is just "buy ahead of time" stuff. Look out for the next post with freezer meal recipes and shopping list!
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For the Home
- Toilet Paper
- Kleenex
- Hand Sanitizer Pumps x a million
- Hand Soap
- Paper Towels
- Paper Napkins
- Paper Plates
- Ziploc/Freezer Bags
- Foil
- Plastic Wrap
- Slow Cooker Liners (for all those freezer meals!)
- Vinegar (to clean the sterilizer)
- Trash Bags
- Dishwasher Tablets
- Dish Soap
- Extra Baby Bottle Brush
- Laundry Detergent (the pods make life so much easier when you have to put hubs in charge of the laundry!
- Dreft
- Dryer Sheets
- Dog/Pet Food, Treats, Bags
- Dog/Pet Flea/Heartworm Medicine
- Cleaning supplies (counter spray, swiffer pads, windex, etc)
- Light Bulbs and Batteries (a chirping smoke alarm can make a postpartum momma do crazy things, trust me)
- Air Conditioner Filters
- Refrigerator Filters
Toiletries (don't forget one of all of hubs' stuff too!)
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrushes
- Floss (I have an obsession...this may not be on your must-have list!)
- Razors/Razor Heads
- Shaving Cream
- Deodorant
- Lotion, Face Moisturizer
- Sunscreen (if needed)
- Shampoo/Conditioner
- Body Wash/Shower Gel
- Face Wash
- Breathe Right Strips (if your significant other has a snoring problem.... xoxo, Matt!)
- Earplugs (see above)
- One Extra of All Makeup Products (concealer, foundation, powder, mascara, eyeliner, sponges etc)
- Q-tips/Cotton Balls/Cotton Rounds
For the Pantry
- Coffee/K-Cups
- Sugar for Coffee
- Fiber Wafers
- Prune Juice
- Bottled Water
- Dry Goods (rice, pasta, pasta sauce, etc) for quick and easy meals/sides to go with your freezer meals
- Wine
- Wine
- Wine
For Mama (you can find more of my post-delivery mama must haves here)
- Tylenol/Motrin/Advil (whatever your doc says is safe for you and breastfeeding baby) for all those nasty postpartum headaches!
- Reusable ice packs (again with the damn headaches and of course the hot flashes/night sweats. Lovely.)
- Nursing Pads
- Nursing Gel Pads
- Lanolin
- Tucks pads
- Pads/Panty Liners
For Baby
- Saline
- Diapers in a few sizes
- Wipes x a million
- Diaper Genie Refills
- Lotion/Bath Supplies
Whew. And believe it or not, this is not even a complete list of everything I want to have on hand...there are many more must-haves (a Keurig, some specific nursing bras, etc), but this is the buy-in-bulk/stock-up ahead of time shopping list. Stay tuned for more lists, a stock-up printable to throw in your purse, freezer meal recipes and more! Happy shopping, mommas!
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