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November 2026 Babies 🇺🇸

Labor planning!

I did this last time before our toddler was born, but this time I’ve taken it to a whole different level 😂

I’ve basically planned out almost every realistic situation I can think of that could happen when I go into labor. I have different plans depending on where I am, where my husband is, where our toddler is, whether my husband is home, at work, at basketball, out with our toddler, etc., and whether labor is something we have time to prepare for or something where we need to leave immediately.

For each situation, I’ve written out exactly what needs to happen next. I’m going to keep those plans in my notes so that when labor actually starts, I can copy and paste the appropriate one to our family instead of trying to explain everything while I’m in labor. That way everyone knows what is happening, whether they need to come to our house, meet us at the hospital, take over with our toddler, or help with transportation.

I’m also going through the house and labeling everything so that whoever is taking care of our toddler knows where his diapers, wipes, clothes, pajamas, food, snacks, bath supplies, and other things are. I’m putting together a laminated day-to-day care sheet for him too. It has his normal schedule, how we get him down for naps, what he likes to do, how we handle reading, bath time, things that tend to upset him, what to watch out for when we’re out in public, and all the little things that aren’t necessarily “rules” but make taking care of him much easier.

I’m also getting the house set up ahead of time for postpartum recovery and the baby. I’m organizing the bathroom and shower supplies, setting up the bassinet, creating a bedside station so I have the things I’ll need without constantly getting out of bed, and setting up a pumping/milk station with the pump, bottles, storage supplies, mini fridge, warmer, etc.

Then there are the hospital bags for me, the baby, and my husband, plus the car kit and our toddler’s emergency go-bag. I’m trying to have everything prepared so that if we suddenly need to leave, nobody is standing around wondering what needs to be grabbed or where something is.

The last thing I’ll have to finalize is the induction plan. If I don’t go into spontaneous labor, I’ll make it to my 40-week induction. We don’t have that scheduled yet, so it could be at 40 weeks exactly or 40+1, depending on what gets scheduled. Once we have that date and time, I’ll make the final plan for who will be watching our toddler, when they need to come over, what they need to have, and how we’re getting to the hospital.

It probably sounds a little insane when I write it all out 😂 but honestly, planning all of this makes me feel SO much better.

I know labor is unpredictable and not everything is going to happen exactly according to plan. That’s not really the point for me. The point is that I’ve already thought through the logistics while I’m calm and can actually think clearly, so when the time comes I don’t have to make a million decisions at once.

It makes me feel more prepared, more organized, and honestly just a lot more in control of a situation that is otherwise pretty unpredictable. And this time around, knowing that I also have a toddler to think about makes having a plan feel even more important. 🩷