The short answer: The Countdown to Baby Prep Kit is a free, 30-page printable that breaks everything you need to do before baby arrives into three stages, from booking a pediatrician to packing your hospital bag. Enter your email below and it’ll land in your inbox.
Congratulations! You’re expecting a baby and, if you’re anything like me, you’re thinking, “WTF do I need to do?”
After two kids and more than a decade of running Pregnant Chicken, I wanted to make a concise but thorough to-do list for expecting parents. This kit used to sell in my shop for $17. Now it’s free because both Etsy and Shopify are a pain in my butt.
It’s a series of checklists broken down by stage, so you don’t feel like you’re drinking from a fire hose. You don’t have to do it all (and you can definitely go nuts), but it covers your bases. It’s all lists and checklists: no journal, no filler, and no random graphics that waste your printer ink.
What’s inside the free baby prep kit
The kit is a 30-page PDF, letter sized (8.5″ x 11″), so it prints on regular paper at home. Print any page as many times as you need, or skip the ones that don’t apply.
Stage one: getting started
- Baby Prep Stage One to-do list
- Maternity Clothes Checklist
- Baby Task List (who’s doing what, for you and your partner)
- Baby Names
- New Baby Checklist (two pages of everything to buy or borrow)
- Borrowed Item Tracker
- Gift Tracker
Stage two: the big stuff
- Baby Prep Stage Two to-do list
- Birth Preference Discussion
- Questions for My Birth Team
- Birth Preferences
- Hospital Bag Checklist
- Postpartum Planner (including when to call your provider)
- Postpartum Watch (for your support person)
Stage three: final touches
- Baby Prep Stage Three to-do list
- Nursery Layout
- Safe Sleep Space Checklist
- Safe Baby Sleep Checklist
- Baby Proofing Checklist (two pages)
- Emergency Info
- Call List
- Birth Announcement planner
- First Month Admin checklist
- Notes
How the stages work
The kit is broken into stages instead of trimesters, so you can go at your own pace. Pregnancies don’t follow a schedule, and neither do the people living them. Here’s a peek at what each stage covers.
Stage one: the fun stuff and the not-so-fun necessities
This is where you get your bearings. A few of the to-dos:
- Find a doctor or midwife and check your insurance
- Look into childcare options (waitlists can be long)
- Set up your baby registry and start researching gear
- Talk with your partner about who’s handling what
- Prep siblings and pets for the new arrival
Stage two: the big stuff
This stage gets the major tasks out of the way, so no one is scrambling if this kid decides to come early.
- Pick a pediatrician and pre-register at the hospital
- Install the car seat
- Order your breast pump (and check if insurance covers it)
- Sign up for product recall alerts
- Make a will and name a guardian
- Pack your hospital bag and set up for postpartum
Stage three: final touches
The last stage focuses on your home and the final details.
- Set up the sleep space or nursery
- Wash baby clothes and stock up on basics
- Learn infant CPR and safe sleep basics
- Baby proof (yes, before they’re mobile)
- Confirm child and pet care for when you go into labor
- Prep freezer meals, snacks, and your binge watch list
Who this kit is for
- First-time parents who don’t know where to start and want everything in one place.
- Second (or third) time parents who need a refresher, because it’s amazing how much you forget.
- Partners and support people. The task list and Postpartum Watch are made to be shared.
- Adoptive, surrogacy, and foster parents. Skip the birth and maternity pages, and use the rest.
My tips for using it
- Print what you need. Start with the stage one to-do list and the New Baby Checklist, then print the rest as you go.
- Keep it somewhere visible. A binder or a clipboard on the fridge works better than a file buried on your laptop.
- Share the load. Fill out the Baby Task List together. It’s a lot easier to divide night wakings and bottle washing before you’re both sleep deprived.
- Bring it to appointments. The Questions for My Birth Team page is there so you don’t forget what you wanted to ask the second the doctor walks in.
Baby prep checklist FAQs
When should I start preparing for baby?
There’s no wrong time, but many parents start in the second trimester, once the early exhaustion lifts. Try to have the big tasks done, like installing the car seat and packing your hospital bag, by around 36 weeks in case baby comes early.
What should I do first when I find out I’m pregnant?
Find a doctor or midwife, check what your insurance covers, and start a prenatal vitamin if you haven’t already. After that, look into childcare. Some waitlists are long enough that it’s worth getting on them early.
What are the most important things to do before baby arrives?
Install the car seat, set up a safe sleep space, pick a pediatrician, pack your hospital bag, and stock up on diapers, wipes, and a few basics to wear. Everything else can be done over time.
Is the kit really free?
Yes. Enter your email, and I’ll send the PDF to your inbox. You’ll also get my newsletter, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
Can I print it more than once?
Absolutely. Print as many copies as you need for your family, partner, or support people.
Get your free Countdown to Baby Prep Kit
There are tons of printables for what to buy for a baby, but not many that cover everything you need to do before you bring one home. This one does. Pop it in a binder and check things off as you go.
Want more detail? These posts go deeper on the checklists in the kit:
The post Free Baby Prep Checklist (Countdown to Baby Prep Kit) appeared first on Pregnant Chicken.
