In the flurry of preparations you are doing during your third trimester to make sure everything is ready for baby, don’t forget to stockpile your house before giving birth! It’s easy to get caught up in the perfect nursery, practicing your breathing techniques for labor, and reading all about newborn care.
However, one of the greatest gifts you can give your postpartum self is a well-stocked house. What do I mean by this? This is all about making your life easier by reducing the need to run errands, perform household chores, and even cook when you bring your newborn home.
Below you’ll find advice on what you need to stockpile before giving birth, and all of the recommended products are non-toxic and baby safe. Let’s get ready for when you bring that sweet newborn home.
Why Stockpile Your Home Before Your New Baby Arrives?
With a newborn in your life, a quick Target run or even create an Instacart order can feel like a daunting task. For the first 6-8 weeks after birth you will likely be in a newborn fog. Is it dreamy and full of snuggles? Of course!But it will also feel challenging to do even the most routine tasks.
This is why stockpiling your house during the third trimester is so important. It will free up your partner’s time to be supportive to you, you won’t run out of household essentials, and you won’t be dragging a newborn into Target to grab toilet paper.
It’s best to start chipping away at this stockpile checklist between 36 and 37 weeks. At that point in pregnancy, you really can go into labor at any time, and it’s not so far before your due date that you you’ll use the supplies up before baby arrives.
Essential Products to Stockpile Before Giving Birth
Household Products
For household products, we’re talking about the cleaning supplies, paper products, and other miscellaneous things you use daily or weekly to keep your house running.
Give yourself some grace during the newborn period by being more relaxed about things like using disposable plates, napkins, etc. to make your life easier. Sometimes, it feels really nice to have a zero clean up meal. You can still find options that are compostable and natural.
As for cleaning supplies, this is a great time to make the switch to non-toxic and natural options if you haven’t already. With a newborn around it is important to decrease their exposure to chemicals and toxins.
- Toilet paper
- Paper towels
- Trash bags
- Compostable, disposable dinnerware
- Dishwasher detergent
- Dish soap (pay special attention to getting a soap that will be safe for baby when you need to wash things like pump parts and bottles)
- Sponges
- All-purpose cleaner
- Bathroom cleaner
- Laundry detergent
- Wool dryer balls (if you haven’t made the switch, you’re going to love these as a far safer alternative to dryer sheets)
- Hand soap
- Pet supplies (pet food, kitty litter, etc.)
Kitchen and Food Items
One of the best things I did before having my first baby was stocking my freezer with healthy and delicious meals. This meant we weren’t spending a fortune on take out or compromising our commitment to healthy, organic eating because we were the ones to prepare the easy to reheat food in our freezer. Now, this is one of my favorite gifts to bring to new mothers!
In addition to freezer meals, it’s a good idea to stock nutritious pantry staples (breastfeeding hunger can be intense!), condiments and basic cooking supplies for when you do need to whip something up.
- Freezer meals (see my list of dairy-free freezer meals, and 40 easy freezer meals)
- Grains for sides: pasta, rice, quinoa, etc.
- Cooking oils: olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil
- Vinegars: white, apple cider, rice
- Baking supplies: sugar, flour, etc.
- Butter
- Variety of nut butters: great for snacking especially while breastfeeding! Full of healthy fats and calories
- Condiments your family regularly uses: soy sauce, salad dressings, ketchup, mustard, etc.
- Coffee and tea
- Healthy pantry snacks: bars, trail mix, dried fruit
- Healthy soups
- Other canned pantry staples: beans, coconut milk
As a bonus, here’s a list of refrigerator/perishable items that will be great to have on hand after birth. This is a list you can give to an eager loved one to complete and stock your fridge before you return home from the hospital, or possibly a list you (or your partner) could complete during early labor if your labor comes on very slow.
- Variety of fruit for snacking
- Snacking vegetables
- Cheese
- Yogurt: look for something low in added sugar and high in protein
- Milk/cream/dairy substitutes your family typically uses
- Eggs
- Bread
- Coconut water
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Personal and Postpartum Care Products
Just like stocking household items, this is really about having everything you need at the ready right when you return home from the hospital. This list includes postpartum care supplies as well as general personal/self-care items for you and the rest of the family.
For the items in your all-natural postpartum care kit, create a little basket or zipped bagged of supplies for each bathroom in your home. This way, the things you need to feel comfortable and clean will be at the ready no matter where you (and baby!) are in the house.
For personal care items, it is more important than ever to switch to products that are non-toxic and natural so that you don’t irritate baby’s delicate skin or expose them to harsh chemicals. You will find some of my favorite recommendations in the list below.
Postpartum Care Kit:
- Overnight pads or maternity pads for the first 1-2 weeks
- Thick liners or regular pads for when the bleeding diminishes
- A stock of DIY Padsicles
- Postpartum/perineum cold packs
- Witch Hazel for general swelling and hemorrhoid pain relief
- Aloe Vera
- Sitz Spray
- Postpartum Recovery Herbal Sitz Bath
- Peri bottle
- Maternity underwear: these usually have a wide waistband for comfort and are large enough to accommodate a pad and ice pack as needed
- Stool softener
- Small basket or cosmetic bag to hold essential supplies in each bathroom
Personal Care:
- Shampoo/Conditioner
- Other hair care products you may use
- Baby-safe body wash or bar soap for you
- Baby-safe moisturizer for you
- Lip balm
- Contact lenses
- Toothpaste
- OTC medications
- Essential oils
- Razor blades
For some of my favorite personal care products, check out the Master List of Personal Care Products.
Breastfeeding Products
Breastfeeding is going to take up a lot of your time as a new mother. Having the right supplies stocked before baby arrive will make your breastfeeding a little bit easier and more comfortable from the start. You can create a breastfeeding station or basket with everything you need for each feeding that can easily move about the house with you.
- A great nursing pillow: consider getting one for each floor if you live in a two-story home
- Nipple cream or balm
- Reusable breast pads
- Nursing bras and night nursing bras/camis
- Notebook and pen for tracking feedings
- Insulated water bottle: not a must, but breastfeeding will make your very thirsty and ice cold water will really hit the spot!
Baby Products to Stockpile
Here I’m including items to stockpile for baby care, and baby care items you may have forgotten on your registry. This list isn’t going to include baby gear things like car seats and diaper bags, but more of the consumables like diaper cream and health/care related supplies.
- Non-toxic disposable diapers: it’s great to have a small pack on hand even if you plan to cloth diaper
- Cloth diapering supplies
- Baby wipes
- Baby soap/wash
- Diaper rash cream
- Vitamin D supplement
- Nasal aspirator
- Baby moisturizers/balms
Use this List to Make Your Postpartum Life a Little Easier
By taking the time to stock up on these items in every area of your house, you will have one less thing to stress and worry about when you bring your sweet baby home. That means more time to focus on breastfeeding, snuggling, and bonding as a new family.
To make this more manageable, consider doing a big online order, utilizing Instacart, or joining a membership-type store like Costco. This is also a task you can delegate out to a well-intentioned mother-in-law or loved one that is eager to help you prepare.
What items did you stockpile before baby arrived? Let’s keep the list going in the comment below!
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