Important Things You Need to Do Before Having Your Baby

Your Birthing Plan

• A birthing plan is a piece of paper that lists all of your wishes regarding the birth of your baby. You can make copies of the birthing plan and pass them around to everyone involved in the birth. Your birthing plan will help inform your doctors and nurses about your wishes. On this list, you should mention everything from who you want to have present during the birth to what position you want to give birth in. You should also include information on how you want the pain to be managed and how you plan to feed the baby after the birth. There are standard birthing plans you can find online that give you an idea of what to include.

Your Health

• The health of the pregnant mother is just as important as the health of the baby she's carrying. From the moment you know you are pregnant, you should adjust your lifestyle accordingly. Eat a healthy diet and start taking a prenatal vitamins to eliminate any worries you may have about getting sufficient nutrients. Smoking and any drug use should be stopped because they can lead to a miscarriage, low birth weight and premature birth. BabyCenter.com also recommends replacing caffeinated beverages with decaffeinated beverages because caffeine can limit iron absorption and lead to stillbirths.

Child-Care Decisions

• Even though your baby hasn't been born yet, you should start thinking about child care. Once your maternity leave is over, you may be going back to work and you'll need to figure out who will take care of your baby while you are working. If you live in an area that has a high demand for child care and only a few providers, sign up early to guarantee yourself a spot. If you plan on having a family member take care of your baby, make these arrangements definite early on.

Hospital Bags

• Because you can never predict when you will go into labor, you should prepare a hospital bag for yourself and your unborn baby. You should have this bag packed by your 37th week. That way, if you go into labor in the middle of the night, you will not have to worry about packing bags. Include items such as clothing for yourself and the baby, a camera, cell phone, baby blankets, diapers, wipes and snacks. Put an extra copy of your birthing plan in your hospital bag.