You’ve been showered with love for your bundle of joy. So, what now?
You’ve got a little one on the way, and that’s a reason to celebrate! Whether you’ve recently had a baby shower or yours is coming up soon, you may wonder what comes after the big party. Here’s how to navigate that tricky time period between shower and delivery day, so that you can be ready to use every gift for your new bundle of joy.
Say thank you!
It may be tempting to sit on that pile of thank you notes for a while, but trust us — life is about to get A LOT busier. Write and send your thank you notes now.
If your shower is in the future, be sure to have a close friend or family member make note of your gifts and the gift giver. Most registries will save that information for you, but it never hurts to have it written down somewhere (especially for guests that give you things off the registry).
If you’ve had a large shower, thinking about all the thank you notes you have to write can be overwhelming. Give yourself a goal of writing 5 per day. You’ll be through the list in no time!
Organize and take inventory
Your guests were generous…VERY generous. And now you’re surrounded with piles of clothes, toys, diapers, bottles, and baby items you never even knew existed. You’ll want to get things organized now, instead of trying to search for a onesie when your newborn has been screaming for an hour.
Start by separating your gifts into categories we just mentioned: clothes, toys, diapers, bottles, feeding supplies, etc. You may receive items that won’t be useful until your baby is older — set those items off to the side, and consider placing them in a closet or storage for now.
Once you’ve got things categorized, take a deeper look within each category. For example, you’ll probably have onesies that range from newborn all the way to 12 months (or older!) You won’t know what size your baby will be until they get here, so keep everything from newborn up to 3 months readily available.
Buy the things you still need
When you’ve got everything organized, take stock of what you still need. Not seeing that Boppy pillow anywhere? Now’s the time to use your completion discount, available on most registries.
Keep in mind that completion discounts usually expire. If this is your first child, you may not know exactly what you’ll need yet. That’s fine! Just make note of your expiration date and come back to your registry when you have a better idea.
Set up your nursery
It’s nesting time! You’ve got some things to put in that nursery now, so this is the fun part. Again, take note of how you’ve organized your gifts. Place things you’ll need soon — small onesies, newborn-sized diapers, swaddling blankets — in easily accessible places. That adorable tricycle can go into the garage for a bit, but it’ll have a special place in your nursery soon.
Rest and relax!
Your life is about to change in a big, meaningful way. If you can’t get things organized or set up exactly how you envisioned, it’s okay! Remember, babies have been born for millennia and way before nurseries or baby showers or onesies were even a thing. Be sure you’re taking time to relax, recharge, and get ready for your baby. All your baby really needs is you!