Third Trimester Stockpiling: What You Need to Have on Hand, in Bulk

You have made it to the third trimester and now it is countdown mode until baby arrives! There are quite a few things that you will want to make sure that you have on hand in bulk to help make life postpartum a little easier.

Why Stock Up in Bulk?

By creating a stockpile of necessities that you will need this will help make your new journey to parenthood, or adding to the one that you have been on. Many first time parents find that your newborn baby will come with many surprises such as feedings at all hours of the night, diaper changes…or explosions, and sleep deprivation.

Don’t forget all of this will be going on right after you have just given birth! So there is your postpartum recovery and healing that you need to consider as well. By loading up on things that you will need, The last thing you want is to be stuck on the toilet in between feedings, in pain, and realizing that you are all out of toilet paper!

While you find yourself with some extra energy during the third trimester, why not put it towards getting your home fully stocked and ready to go!

Necessities

While you might expect the list to be filled with only baby supplies, having your household supplies in bulk will help to make your life even easier!

The following items are necessities that you will find yourself using daily, if not multiple times a day:

• Baby safe laundry detergent – With a new baby, comes lots and LOTS of laundry! By having a few containers of baby safe laundry detergent on hand you will be prepared for the many loads to come!
• Dish cleaner – Along with loads of laundry, you will find yourself quickly buried in dishes. This is especially the case if you are pumping or bottle feeding. You will need to clean and sanitize your pump and bottles a few times a day. Make sure to find a cleaner that is non-toxic and baby safe.
• Toilet paper – During your postpartum recovery, you will find yourself making many trips to the bathroom. You may also be having an influx of visitors going in and out of your house during this time. You will thank yourself later by having a lot on hand.
• Diapers and wipes- The hospital will provide you with plenty of diapers and wipes to start off with during your time there. But once you go home you are in charge of the supply. Whether you are using disposable diapers or cloth, you will want plenty on hand. You will quickly find yourself swimming in dirty diapers with your bundle of joy. Having a few boxes or bags, as well as wipes on hand will help to avoid making some last minute trips to the store at least within the first few weeks.
• Postpartum helpers for mom- Don’t forget that you will be healing during the first few months after delivery. To help make your recovery process easier, you might want to stock up on depends, pads, nursing pads, and comfortable clothes.
• Breastfeeding/ Pumping supplies- If you are planning on breastfeeding you might also want to stock up on nursing friendly clothes and nipple cream. Pumping moms will want to stock up on supplies such as milk storage bags and bottles.
• Batteries – The last thing you want to happen is for the batteries to run out in your baby’s Rock’n’ Play at 2 a.m. and you have no more batteries in the house. Take the time to determine which batteries your bassinet, Rock’n’Play, and any other lifesavers you plan on using use. Once you have your list, stock up in bulk to help keep you and baby happy!

Extra

While the following things are not necessities, you may want to have the following items stockpiled at home to help make the change even easier :

• Freezer meals – To help make your life easier once the baby arrives you might want to prepare freezer meals in bulk that are ready to go when the time comes! You will find yourself quite tired and busy once you get home from the hospital and the last thing you will probably want to do is cook dinner in between feedings and sleep.
• Snacks – If you are breastfeeding or pumping you will find yourself VERY hungry. It is recommended to add about 500 more calories to your daily intake to help upkeep with supply and all of the work that your body is doing. By having snacks around in bulk you will be able to eat those extra calories easily and without much worry. You may even want to create piles of snacks in the areas you plan to spend the most time in with the baby once they arrive.
• Paper plates/ utensils – On top of the dishes that you will have from pumping and/ or bottle feeding you might want to avoid adding any more. By having paper plates, cups, and utensils in bulk you can avoid spending time washing even more dishes. This way you can focus your energy on your little one.
• Baby soap – When you first bring your baby home, you will be doing wash cloth type baths for the first few weeks. However, once the your baby’s umbilical cord falls off bath time can commence! Make sure to have special soap on hand as babies have very sensitive skin.

Overall

Bringing your newborn home will be one of the most exciting times of your life! By having things prepared around the house you can enjoy this time even more. You might even want to section off your items by where you think you will be when you will need them most to help organize the bulk even more.