Prenatal Prep To-Do List
Some people are go with the flow people, and some people want a list of things to do prenatally to prep for birth… Here’s the list I’ve created with a rough outline of what to do at certain milestones to prepare for birth!
Copy and paste this to your own device and alter it as you see fit! Check it off as you go. Everybody is on a different timeline so be sure to stay in communication with your provider and doula to check in about these things! This is a general timeline and every body is different.
IMMEDIATELY
Create your team! Goal is to nail this down around 10 weeks
Interview a few providers - OBs or midwives
Interview some birth and postpartum doulas
Start reading and learning! A lot of doulas and birth centers will offer a lender library so check with your team before going out and buying new books!
Start thinking about work and what you will do for income while you're healing postpartum. Can you take leave? Should you reach out for community financial support? Do you have enough savings? Removing as many worries and stressors as possible ahead of time to prepare for postpartum will be very helpful.
WEEK 15
Start the search for a pediatrician
Start the search for community - sharing space, Facebook groups, etc.
Start chiropractic care to assist with aligning back and hip pain but mostly helpful to assist in aligning the spine and pelvis to help baby into the ideal position for a vaginal birth. Recommend going about once a month until baby is born.
Start acupuncture, if desired, to help with pain and hormones through pregnancy, and prepping body for birth.
WEEK 20
Start conversations with your partner about roles through postpartum and beyond. So much changes. I have a connections class that you and your partner can do together to help facilitate some of these conversations!
Spinning babies movements to help get baby in ideal position and get body prepped.
Find a therapist or doula to help process your birth and the new life transitions.
Find a pelvic floor physical therapist. This is a good thing to start prenatally, but you definitely want this for postpartum as well. While you have the time, find someone who takes your insurance and you like!
WEEK 25-30
Take a childbirth prep class: the ones I can speak to from personal experience are:
Austin Doula Care: A lot of their classes are beyond just childbirth education and talk about getting in tune with your mind and body as well. The doulas who teach their classes are phenomenal. Link to their classes is here.
ATX Doulas is another doula org in Austin. Link to their classes is here. While most classes are a series type of deal, they do their 6 hour class all in one day, which is pretty convenient. The teacher, Amy, is a doula herself and really fun.
Hospitals and OB offices typically offer a class but keep in mind they may be limited on what information they can provide based on hospital policy and you may not gain the full scope.
There are so many classes out there like newborn care classes, cloth diapering, infant CPR… The list goes on… Think about what type of classes would be beneficial to you and your family and then look into taking those around this time as well!
Start meal prepping! Make freezer meals, create a meal train with friends, and buy easy non perishable, healthy snacks to keep by the primary feeding spots in the house to snack on. On average, someone body feeding burns 500 extra calories just from the feeding. Keeping snacks close by is key!
WEEK 34
Start perineal massage
Have a babyshower
pro tip: ask for financial assistance to pay for birth and postpartum doula support rather than 15 swaddles and other material things you may not need.
Bring your birth preferences to your OB/ midwife to ensure they’re on board.
WEEK 36
Start eating dates (limit sugars if you have GD) and drinking red raspberry leaf tea to ripen cervix.
Start to hand express and collect colostrum if able. Collecting colostrum can be helpful in the beginning days of feeding baby. Though many people don’t produce colostrum until baby is born or closer to the day baby is born, some nipple stimulation is helpful to produce oxytocin, which helps labor.
WEEK 40
Natural induction methods (run by provider as needed)
SEX! The prostaglandins from semen help to ripen the birthing person’s cervix. If you are a person that does not have a parter with semen, orgasms are still very helpful! Orgasms release loads of oxytocin which is one of the primary hormones in labor. *Pro tip: if labor “stalls” taking a break for clitoral stimulation can be very helpful!
Slow movement.. yoga... walking...
Acupuncture to induce and then chiropractic care helps with ideal fetal positioning.
Hand expression can help induce labor too. Even if you don't get any colostrum from it, the stimulation tells your body to get to workin.
Drinking lots of water and going to the bathroom often to keep everything flowing.
Doing some of those Spinning Babies exercises daily and getting baby in that best position will help your body to feel good progressing as well.
WEEK 41
Most OBs will schedule inductions for 41 weeks if baby has not come already. Be sure to know your rights and what you feel comfortable with. There are many ways to be induced, find the one that is best for you, based on your body. If your provider has your induction scheduled then a could days before hand dedicate good chunks of time towards more intensive induction methods at home to try to avoid the hospital, more invasive methods..
Talk to your doula and provider about all the different methods of induction to better understand your options. My go-to at home to get labor going if you're on a deadline are to start pumping in cycles, have lots of sex, and do things to care for your basic needs.. If our body doesn’t feel safe then receptors in our brain go off to stall or postpone labor starting.Remove as many stressors as possible and focus on you and baby.
