This post shows you the 7 best and unfiltered baby planning tips and what you need to do to prepare for a baby!
Congrats! If you’re reading this, then you’re preparing for the most important part of your life and a super exciting journey.
While your pregnancy apps can tell you what size of fruit your baby is and what symptoms you can expect, I’m here to tell you how to go through this journey smoothly and well-prepared!
Most importantly, I’m here to show you how to have an easygoing and fun pregnancy.
Baby Planning Tips That We Don’t Talk About Often
I had two serious medical conditions during pregnancy, and it all ended well. That’s why I said that I’ll show you how to have fun regardless of medical issues and how to be well-prepared, well-rested, and in full control of your body and your life.
Yes, pregnancy is challenging and different (and difficult) for everyone. But there’s a way to create a support system with your partner, the right mindset within you, and the right attitude to all the change that’s coming.
To be able to relax, you need to do some work before the baby comes. But I promise you. Once you do all of this or at least change a couple of things in your life, you’ll be much happier during those blissful 9 months of pregnancy.
Before You’re Pregnant (Pre-TTC) – 3 Months Before Baby Planning Tips
Before you even try to conceive, I suggest you spend some time working on your health, your mind, and your body. I think 3 months is enough time to address any issues and to work on your overall well-being.
While it’s not always possible to plan a pregnancy for a specific date, having a general timeframe and preparing a few key things can make for an easier pregnancy.
1 Health Checkups
If you can, and if you have a good insurance plan, I would suggest scheduling some health checkups before you even try to conceive.
I’ve been a planner and a manager my whole life, and I had a whole list of things to do before I decided to have a baby.
- Schedule a cardiologist appointment, or just see your GP to check if everything is okay. I had some heart problems (arrhythmias), and I really wanted to make sure my body was strong enough to have a baby.
- Schedule a dentist appointment, clean your teeth, and check and fix everything, because it will be hard to take care of your teeth once you’re pregnant. And some procedures may not be safe for the baby.
- Do some basic blood work and check your iron levels, cholesterol, and everything else that can be improved with vitamins, healthy food, and supplements.
2 Start Prenatal Vitamins 3 Months Before TTC
It takes 3 months of regular folic acid intake to build up a solid foundation for your body to be able to conceive and support a healthy baby.
You don’t need to take prenatal vitamins. You can just buy regular folic acid (it’s cheaper), and you might want to choose one with two types of folate in case your body can’t process standard folic acid.
If you don’t spend much time outdoors and don’t get enough sun, then you can start supplementing with Vitamin D.
All of my doctors said that folic acid and vitamin D are enough in the 3 months before TTC. I followed their advice, and then once I got pregnant, I switched to prenatal vitamins recommended by my doctor.
Of course, you should listen to your doctor, but maybe my experience can help, especially because I don’t want you to waste money.
Lifestyle, Mindset, and Relationship Baby Planning Tips
Why do I call these baby planning tips unfiltered? Because we’re swamped with advice not to eat sushi while pregnant, and how important it is to drink enough water. But what no one tells us is how important it is to have the right mindset.
To let go of the stress. To let go of trying to control everything. To address the challenges beforehand and not get overwhelmed once the baby arrives.
You’ll have to change your habits, tweak your mindset, and prepare for some lifestyle changes that are going to bring you so much joy (I promise!). We’ll start with the one that’s most toxic…
3 Stop Drinking Alcohol
Both you and your partner should quit drinking alcohol. Even though you may think that moderate alcohol consumption is safe, and you probably know someone who made a baby after a few shots, it’s always a good idea to quit drinking!
I’m a big advocate for zero alcohol. I quit drinking completely in 2023 just because I wanted to see what it was like. I was sober-curious and felt like alcohol was making me tired (fact), and that was causing some anxiety (also a fact).
Since we always act as a team, my husband quit drinking, too. For over 2 years now, we’ve enjoyed life with zero alcohol.
We don’t even drink at parties or when we travel. So yes, I’ve experienced Rome without the Spritz and summer holidays without cocktails, and it’s honestly the best feeling.
If you don’t want to quit alcohol completely, just make sure you minimize your consumption to only one or two drinks a month.
4 Get Fit and Work on Your Body
Secondly, you should get fit! I’m not saying that you need a six-pack or have to get model-thin. I just mean that you should get strong and healthy and work on your mobility!
Go for light walks together, stretch, do some yoga, and take care of your posture. You’re going to need that body to carry a baby, and I think the best time to start working on it is a couple of months before.
5 Talk About Everything That’s Important for You as a Parent
Now, when it comes to lifestyle changes, I think you both need to be on the same page when it comes to raising kids.
Having honest conversations about who you are right now and who you want to be is essential for keeping your marriage strong. Most couples skip this talk… and regret it. Here’s a detailed guide and topics you need to discuss during your baby planning. Make sure you have this conversation before the baby arrives.
These conversations include:
- talking about life values that you want to share with your child
- how do you look at parenting roles
- how you’re gonna model kindness and virtues in your family
- are you going to protect your kid or let them experience the real world
There are so many things to talk about. That’s why I encourage you to schedule some time with your partner to talk about all these things.
6 How to Embrace Lifestyle Change Without Negativity
If you want to learn how your lifestyle might change, you should talk to some parents and close friends who have children and see how they feel. However, take everything they say with a grain of salt.
Parents these days tend to be pretty negative when it comes to having kids, and they tell you those “just you wait” scenarios to scare you. Misery loves company, so when Chapel Roan said on the Call Her Daddy podcast that she doesn’t know any parents who are happy to have kids, I really felt that.
Parents are not really good ambassadors of parenting, as they constantly miss their old lives. They miss sleep, identity, work, careers, and even though I know they adore their kids, it’s a bummer that they won’t share the good stuff. Only the “sacrifices” and all the things they can’t do.
I’m not saying it’s all rainbows and butterflies. And nowadays, we talk about the challenges of parenting and motherhood, as we should! But we should not talk poorly of our children just because society tells us it’s cool.
If you’re scared of how your life will change, you’re not alone. Here’s what no one tells you about how your lifestyle will change, but I promise it’s not a negative thing. Click the link to learn what you can expect, how to talk about it, and how to be ready!
You’ll have a whole new set of priorities.
A whole new life to care for.
A kind of love you’ve never experienced before.
And your wonderful partner by your side through it all.
7 Financial Planning
Unfortunately, we live in a world where we need to do some serious financial planning before we decide to have a baby.
It’s doable. You can definitely get it done. Ideally, you’d start planning years before even thinking about having a baby, but even a couple of months beforehand is good enough.
You can sit together and figure out how you’ll handle meal prep, food shopping, and daycare costs, how you’re going to invest and save, and where you’re going to do baby shopping.
I’ll tell you something. You can get most of the baby stuff secondhand and skip the fancy, smart Wi-Fi baby gadgets and equipment.
I know some people swear by smart sleepers, bouncers, and whatnot, but you don’t actually need this stuff.
Also, baby stuff is cute, but let me deinfluence you — you don’t need all that cute stuff. You need peace of mind and not to be stressed about money.
You don’t need to have it all together before the baby comes.
You just need to take care of the things that will carry you through—your health, your relationship, your money, your mindset. Those are the things that will matter most.
This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being prepared enough to feel calm, clear, and connected to the life you’re building.
So start where you are. Talk to your partner. Make a list. Change one habit. Say no to one unnecessary expense. Say yes to one honest conversation and use these unfiltered baby planning tips!
Sharing baby planning tips is all part of the Pre-Baby Talk. That’s why, when the baby comes, you’ll be ready and prepared for…
…all the love in the world.
Which of these tips do you think is the most important? Let me know in the comments!
Don’t forget to pin this post so you’ll always have these tips handy!
This post showed you the 7 Unfiltered Baby Planning Tips Every New Parent Needs.
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