9 Everyday Activities You Need to Do Before Baby Arrives
In the oh-so-relaxing pre-baby days, you can do anything you want, from doing a DIY spa treatment to binging your fave shows on Netflix. Life is a little less hectic now, so if you’re still counting down the days until your baby’s birth, take the time to savor the small stuff. Read on for the nine totally everyday activities that you should sit back and enjoy right now. Sure, they may seem super simple, but they’re the things you may start to miss in a few weeks when you’re a new parent.
1. Take a long shower. We mean one of those, “Oops, I just used up all of the hot water” showers. Wash your hair, put on a deep-conditioning mask, and shave your legs (if you can still reach them). Take your time. When you’re done, spend all the time you want toweling off and lotioning up. Heck, invite your S.O. to join you too! This may be the last chance you get to really savor a shower — at least for the next few years.
2. Do something with your ‘do. Dry it, curl it, braid it, stick dozens of teeny-tiny flowers in it — just do something special with your hair. In the first few days after baby arrives, you’ll be lucky if you can manage a ponytail or a bun.
3. Wear dangle earrings. Before you know it, that newborn will be a tiny tot who is constantly reaching out and grabbing everything. Dangle earrings are a big no-no. Your baby will likely try to grab and pull on them, and you know what comes next. Now’s the time to wear those oversized hoops and let your jewelry dangle, girl.
4. Go to the grocery store. Pretty soon you’ll prefer to spend the day cuddling with your newborn over pushing a cart through jam-packed aisles. Before baby, all you need to do is grab your purse and head out the door. After baby, you’ll need to pack up a diaper bag, change your baby, dress your baby, change your baby again, and, well, you get the point… it’s much easier to do these everyday activities alone. So, stock up on non-perishables, and make your post-pregnancy days a teeny bit easier.
5. Call your friends. Forget about texting. Take the time to actually speak to your BFFs before baby arrives. Make a point to find out what’s going on in their lives and try not to talk about your pregnancy or baby gear (at least not the whole time).
6. Eat at a restaurant. A real restaurant, not a fast-food, take-out type of place. Have a sit-down meal with your S.O., sister, MIL, or BFFs. Take your time. Order appetizers. Have a salad. Enjoy that main course, and definitely get dessert. There’s no time limit here. Just relax, savor the meal, and enjoy the experience with the people you care about it.
7. Make your bed. Sure, you can do this anytime, but when baby arrives, your housekeeping skills may slip. No one blames you. There are more important things to do than making sure that the flowers on your comforter line up with the pillow shams or positioning the dust ruffle just so. Now’s the time to spruce things up and make your room look pretty!
8. Sit down. Sounds silly, right? Just sitting there. By yourself. In silence. Turn off your TV, cell phone, and laptop, and just try it. As a new mom, you’re not going to experience a whole lot of peace and quiet. Enjoy the opportunity to just sit and be by yourself.
9. Hang with your dog. (Or your cat, hamster, or pet fish.) Your pets adore all the attention you lavish on them. There are lazy days spent cuddling on the couch, trips to the park, and plenty of together time. You’re not going to abandon your animals when baby arrives, but you won’t have as much one-on-one time (not at first anyway) to spend with them.
What’s your one must-do before baby gets here? Share your pick and tweet us @BritandCo!
(Photos via Getty)