Many moons ago (it seriously seems like forever ago!) I shared the 10 Things To Do Before Baby arrives on the blog, specifically focused on the ‘treat yourself’ indulgences that new parents should take advantage of before the impending arrival of their new responsibility – ahem, baby. Three years later and here we are again, welcoming a new member to our family but with a caveat – there’s a toddler in tow.

These last three years have matured me a bit (just a smidge!) and my focus for the time before Baby Boy Mason’s arrival was more on the responsible things we should be doing as a family. I created this working list seven weeks before my due date and as the clock ticked closer to the delivery I felt somewhat prepared for what was to come. So today I thought I’d share with you

the list of things to do before your second baby is born in hopes of helping you feel prepared and ready to tackle the transition from a momma of one to a momma of two!

1. Retrieve items from storage. The crib, car seat, pack-n-play, baby clothes, baby bottles, etc.
   can be a definite money savers the second time around. Before baby number 2
   arrives you’ll want to have all those items out from storage, assembled and
   ready for use.
2. Wash items that have been packed away in storage. If you follow me on
   Snapchat (username: joannealma), then
   you saw how I had gone through Remy’s baby clothes and took out any gender
   neutral pieces that could be worn by Baby Boy. Items like gender neutral onesies, bibs, burp clothes and blankets
   can and should be utilized to save money. I’d also suggest cleaning big ticket
   items like the car seat and the bassinet.
3. Sterilize bottles. So you’ve got a box full of bottles you can use for the second
   child, yay! Now it’s time to ensure that they are properly cleaned and ready
   for use. Simply boil them in water and allow them to air dry and viola, you’re
   done!
4. Register for items you may
   need. Hopefully
   you didn’t get rid of any of the big ticket items but even so, there’s a chance
   you may need a few additional things for the second
   child. If you are planning on having a baby shower or a sprinkle shower it’s a
   good idea to register for those missing necessities. For both of my pregnancies
   I opted for MyRegistry.com. It allows you to add products from any website to
   one registry list. While we had many of our bigger items, we realized we still
   needed video baby monitors and a double stroller. MyRegistry.com made it super
   easy to add both items, from different stores, to one centralized list.
5. Check the expiration date on your car seat. Car
   seats have expiration dates, who knew?! If you are planning on using your first
   child’s infant car seat for your second child, you’ll want to check the expiration
   date. On standard car seats you can usually find this information on the back. Car
   seats typically expire after five or six years, however you’ll want to guarantee
   that the one you are planning to use is within the date of use. Unfortunately, ours
   got ruined on the flight from Phoenix to Virginia (damn you United!?) but thankfully a friend has gifted us hers for
   Baby Boy Mason. Thanks, Lauren!
6. Have a handle on your insurance. Let’s face it, it’s just good #adulting practices to check insurance
   and make sure you have a handle on what you’re expected to cover for labor and
   delivery (and any surprise additional cost). The same coverage benefits for your first pregnancy/delivery may not
   apply for the second, so I highly suggest you are knowledgeable about the in’s
   and out’s of the process.
7. Appoint who will be staying with your first born during the delivery
   of your second born. Unless you’re having a scheduled C-section, going into
   labor happens at random. When that time comes you’ll want to make sure your
   eldest is taken care of. Either appoint this task
   to your parents/in-laws or have a discussion with willing friends, either way
   you’ll want to have a plan set into place.
8. Have a bag packed and
   ready for your oldest. Piggybacking off of #7, it’s probably a good idea to have a bag packed for your firstborn.  I packed a duffle bag for Remy that
   included three days’ worth of clothes, pajamas, extra underwear (in case of accidents), her favorite
   blanket and a beloved stuffed animal from home. This ensures that, no matter
   the time of day you go into labor, you won’t need to worry about packing ALL THE
   THINGS for your firstborn.
9. Have your hospital bags packed and ready to go. This one’s fairly obvious. I would hope you know the drill after
   going through the rush and excitement of labor the first time around. Whether you
   are keeping a bag of necessities for you, dad and baby number 2 ready and waiting in your car or by the door,
   have a few items stashed away so that when the time comes you’re all set! For
   those interested, here’s my “What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag” post!
10. Do something/get something special for your first
    born. Whether
    it’s a special book about becoming
    a big brother/sister (we got this one for Remy), a trip to the toy
    store to pick out a gift to commemorate the new title, or a fun trip to a zoo (or something to that effect), acknowledging
    the change and the responsibility as something special for your oldest to
    experience.

Any additional tips you’d suggest?

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