| | Health/Medical |
 | Continue seeing your OB/practitioner. |
| Choose a pediatrician. (In most cases, you’ll need a pediatrician to examine your baby before the hospital will discharge you.) |
| Create your birth plan and/or baby care plan, if you are using one. |
| During your last few weeks of pregnancy, start perineal massage. This can decrease the chance of vaginal tearing during labor.
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| | Continue your healthy eating and exercise habits. |
| | Preparation |
| Start your childbirth education class (if you're planning on taking one). |
| | Pre-register at your local hospital. (Pre-registering can hasten your admission to the hospital once you’re in labor. Who wants to be filling out forms in between contractions?) |
| | Tour the hospital or birthing center. |
| | Take an infant care class. |
| | Take an infant CPR class. |
| | Update your list of phone numbers, since some hospitals don’t allow cell phone use. |
| | If it’s within your budget, consider a baby nurse, night nurse, or postpartum doula. (This is more common in some regions than in others.) |
| | Make sure the infant car seat is installed correctly. Most hospitals won’t let you leave without a properly installed car seat for the baby. |
| | Get rid of toxic cleaners in your house; bring in eco-friendly cleaners and detergents. |
| | Wash baby’s linens and clothes in advance, using a gentle, fragrance-free detergent. |
| | If you're thinking about taking a Mommy & Me class, look into the options available in your area. It may sound crazy, but some may require you to sign up – or put yourself on a waiting list – before your baby is born. |
| | Do a dry run to your hospital or birthing center. |
| | If you have children and/or pets, arrange for care. |
| | Stock up your freezer with pre-cooked meals… or gather up your favorite delivery menus. |
| | Fun Stuff |
| Get the nursery ready: Stock the changing table and set up the cradle or co-sleeper! (Unless you plan on putting your baby in his crib for naps early on, you likely won’t use the crib for a few months.) |
| | Select your baby announcement. (See our Birth Announcement section and The Cradle’s E-Card Announcement options!) |
| Pre-address baby announcement envelopes. |
| Make a haircut appointment before due date. (For first family photos or just because you may not be able to get there for a while). |
| | Pack your suitcase. (See hospital checklist for items.) You might even want to put it in the trunk of the car a few weeks before your due date. What if your water breaks while you're out at dinner 20 minutes from home? |
| | Take a shopping trip to stock up on the things you’ll need post-delivery. |
| Try to ignore the people – most of whom just a few short months ago congratulated you on your pregnancy – who are starting to scare the heck out of you about having a newborn! (No sleep? Life changing forever?) Remind yourself that if it were all that bad, people would have stopped having children a long time ago. |
| Count how many people have reached out to touch your belly… without asking! |
| Count how many people have asked when you’re due and were shocked to hear the answer. (Either you look too big to be due so late or too small to be due so early – since when is everyone an expert?) |
| Start getting excited... you'll be meeting you new son or daughter soon! |
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| | Move on to: What to Pack for the Hospital |
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ou're in the home stretch. (Well it sounds better than "the last third," no?) Just a few loose ends to tie up before you'll be bringing home a healthy, angelic baby who sleeps all night and never fusses. Hey, it's not too much to ask for... is it?
