The Best Pregnancy Planner Checklist: The Stress-Free Way to Prepare for Baby!

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What is a Pregnancy Planner?

A pregnancy planner is a book that helps you stay organized as you prepare for baby. It has checklists, helpful information, pro tips from experienced moms–everything you didn’t know you needed to know to prepare for baby, all in one easy-to-use place!

A pregnancy planner can be an amazing tool for helping new parents get and stay organized when getting ready for baby. But a lot of people never get the chance to use this game-changing tool because they don’t even know that pregnancy planners exist!

When you research pregnancy organization, most of what you find are checklists (which are great, but why not have all these checklists together in one convenient place?) or full books, like What to Expect When You’re Expecting

But those aren’t quite what you’re looking for, either. You’re looking for an actual planner, like a day planner for pregnancy. A guidebook, or a handbook that will hold your hand and walk you through every single step of preparing for a new baby. 

We’ve got you covered! Let us tell you about the easiest way to prepare for baby that you never knew existed!

A woman hands hold the best pregnancy planner opened to a page entitled "On the Go With Baby" with a bright pink pen in her right hand and with a brightly colored baby burp cloth and brown Dagne Dover baby bag on the white counter in the background of the photo
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What’s in a Pregnancy Planner Book?

Our pregnancy planner is a tabbed guidebook, just like your day planner, that guides you to the appropriate sections to meet you where you are. This way, you can understand what needs to be done now without worrying about what needs to happen later. 

It’s everything you didn’t know you needed to know, along with all the checklists you knew to look for. Everything you need to know is in one easy-to-use place, so you can always keep up with where you are in the planning process and whether you’re forgetting important things you need to do. 

Talk about sleeping better at night!

Here’s a brief sampling of what you can expect to learn:

The Expecting and Organized pregnancy planner book lies open on a flat beige surface with the page opened to a tab that reads "Section 2 Ready Home" and the page headings' reading "Specialty Retailers" and "Local Retailers" in white text on a soft blue-green text bar
The best pregnancy planner is lying open to a page with the heading title of "Choosing Baby's Pediatrician" in white text in a sage green text box with a white wood background behind the book and a woman's hand with bright gold bracelets on her wrist holds the upper left hand corner of the book with her left hand.

From the essential checklists to ensure you have what you need when you need it to the down and dirty on what to expect during labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery; here’s a glimpse at all the goodness you will find inside:

  • What to expect during delivery no matter how you deliver
  • Sh*t no one tells you about recovering after birth – we care about caring for you, mama!
  • Exact gear & items you need for baby – including our favorite brand recommendations and pro tips
  • Brilliant ways to get organized before baby by creating useful stations around your house, making freezer meals, handling all the boring paperwork, and more
  • Know exactly what to pack in your hospital bag using our 2-bag system
  • How to be an empowered patient to have a good pregnancy and birth experience
  • Ideas for involving family and friends so they can actually help
  • Step-by-step plan to ask for and accept help when you need it – and you will need it
  • All things mental health so you never feel alone & know exactly where to turn if you need help
  • Tips for bringing a baby home from moms who’ve been there – including resources on diapering, feeding, sleep, and more
A pregnant woman in a bright pink dress sits with the Expecting and Organized pregnancy planner open on her lap while holding a bright pink pen in her right hand and about to take notes on a page of the pregnancy planner book that reads "gearing up for baby."

Why use a Pregnancy Planner Book

You know when people are planning weddings, they order these big, beautiful, organized books that help them keep track of all the details, big and small? When there are so many moving pieces, it’s hard to keep up with everything, and you save your sanity by having it all in one place! 

Why don’t we do the same thing when we’re pregnant? Let’s be real here–the stakes are high! Being prepared for a new baby BEFORE they arrive and usher in a whole new level of sleep deprivation–it’s game changing. 

Your life will be so much easier for having done everything you need, strategically prepared your home, and really being ready for a baby. 

This is where a good, organized pregnancy planner becomes such a game changer. 

  • Not sure if you’re finished making your registry? Refer to the checklists in your planner.
  • Don’t know if you’re packing the right things in your hospital bag? Your pregnancy planner will tell you!
  • Confused about when you need to choose a pediatrician, talk to your insurance company about adding baby to your plan, or pre-register at the hospital? Good news! There’s a planner for that. 

A well-organized pregnancy planner gets rid of all this confusion, overwhelm, and anxiety. It tells you what you need to know, when you need to know it, and gives all the best advice on how to effectively accomplish each task. 

Side view of a pregnant woman's torso in a black dress whose belly is being held by her left hand and a spiral bound book titled "Expected & Organized Pregnancy and Newborn Baby Planner" is being held by her right hand with a crib with patterned sheets in the background.

What a Pregnancy Organizer does not do

While there’s so much a pregnancy planner can do to support you through your early parenting journey, there’s one thing a good pregnancy planner does not do: it doesn’t tell you how to parent. 

A pregnancy planner or organizer makes things easy on you, and that usually includes suggestions for products you might need, organizational tips you might enjoy, and more. 

But it isn’t meant to tell you how to parent. A good pregnancy planner will tell you about breastfeeding and bottle feeding, cloth diapering and disposable diapering, preparing for sleep with a variety of methods. 

A good pregnancy will meet you where you are and help you become the best version of yourself as a parent–but it should not attempt to do any of the parenting or decision-making for you!

When should I buy a Pregnancy Planner Checklist?

The best time to get a pregnancy planner is whenever you feel ready. We know women who buy planners the day they get a positive pregnancy test, and others who wait until they’re well into the third trimester. 

Our suggestion is to buy a pregnancy planner by around week 24, but unless you’re expecting to pop within the week, it’s not too late to get a pregnancy planner. 

The beauty of a pregnancy planner is that it’s organized in a usable way, so if you’ve already completed your baby registry, you can skip that part and still get plenty out of the planner. 

But if you buy a pregnancy planner early, we suggest only using the sections meant for early pregnancy. Remember–these books are meant to get rid of your overwhelm, but if you look at every single to-do item all at once, you will feel overwhelmed. 

So when you do order your planner, check the table of contents, see what the different tabs say, and start where you are. The rest will come in time!

A pregnant woman in a knit black dress has a brownish pink diaper bag over her left shoulder with a tan furry elephant baby toy poking out of the bag's top and holds the gold spiral bound Expecting & Organized baby planner in her left hand while opening the door to a black vehicle with her right hand.

This is the BEST Pregnancy Planner!

If you’ve been around for a while, then our answer won’t surprise you, but if you’re new here, we’re about to tell you about something you likely never knew existed. 

The best pregnancy planner you can find is Expecting & Organized: Pregnancy & Newborn Baby Planner. 

This amazing planner is the brainchild of an overwhelmed mom who desperately wished someone had told her all the things she didn’t know she needed to know. And yes, that mom is me!

Why I Created Expecting & Organized: Pregnancy & Newborn Baby Planner

When my son, Jack, was born, I felt blindsided by how unprepared I was, despite having everything I’d been told I needed. I was afraid to plan much for Jack’s birth because I’d lost 4 pregnancies prior to that point, and it was hard for me to trust that he’d actually be born safely. 

But even still, I forced myself to plan–an experience that overwhelmed and exhausted me. I searched for all the checklists, checked every product’s safety rating, read thousands of product reviews. My home was ready and organized–or so I thought. 

Then he came home, and I was flooded with overwhelm: 

  • How was I supposed to eat when I had no free hands during the day? I was starving!
  • Why did no one tell me how to know which cream to use for his diaper rash? 
  • How was I supposed to use all these postpartum care products people had told me to buy?
  • I’d spent weeks choosing the right car seat, but I wouldn’t take him anywhere in it because it took too long to get out the door, and I wasn’t sure how to manage both Jack and a cart somewhere like a grocery store.

There were solutions to all of these problems, and the thousands of other ones that came up. But no one had told me about them. No one thought about them because we block out those confusing, awful moments, and we don’t like to talk about how parenting doesn’t just “come naturally.”

The Expecting & Organized pregnancy planner was the solution. 

A pregnant woman in a vibrant pink dress and a pregnant woman in a black dress stand opposite of one another with their bellies touching and each holds a corner of a gold spiral bound book entitled "Expecting & Organized Pregnancy & Newborn Baby Planner"

How I Created the Best Pregnancy Planner

I set to work to support other mamas in a way none of the books, checklists, or well-meaning friends or family had done for me. 

First, I brainstormed every problem I remembered having, and I crafted a solution that worked for me. Then, I talked to other moms, especially those who were still pregnant and in the early days with a new baby.

  • What problems were they experiencing?
  • What were they embarrassed they didn’t know how to do?
  • What was stressing them most?
  • What one tip helped them most?

After brainstorming, interviewing, planning, and organizing, I did what turns out to have been the most integral next step–I brought other moms with different experiences into the creation process. 

One such mom, in particular, had just had her third child, so she had plenty of wisdom to share. She helped me design, organize, and structure the entire planner, so we could get it ready for testing and make it the best we possibly could. 

Then, we started testing it–getting it into the hands of expecting moms and getting their feedback before and after baby. 

Finally, after almost 18 months of labor, my planner baby was born. 

Now, with the help of new moms, we update it at least once per year, ensuring you’re getting the best advice, tips, and product recommendations possible!

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Expecting & Organized reviews: what other moms are saying about this Pregnancy Planner

I can talk about this incredible pregnancy planner until I’m blue in the face, but the reality is, I created it, so you expect me to think it’s the best on the market, right? 

But I’m with you–I care what other moms think too! Here’s what they’re saying. 

“This planner is everything that I hoped it would be and more. As someone who has a lot of anxiety around new experiences and uncharted territory (which pregnancy, birth, and motherhood all are for me!) this guide has taken so much guesswork out of the process. UndefiningMotherhood has really thought of everything – topics that have been swirling in my brain and ones I hadn’t even thought of yet. I definitely recommend for all first-time moms!” -Kristin S. 

“I am a freak when it comes to checklists, I love being able to mark stuff off. Not only does this have checklists for every step of pregnancy and getting ready for baby, it is so informative! It gives you reasons you would want to do certain things and why certain items may be useful! Definitely the best pregnancy purchase I have made!” – Sammie

“It’s one of the most useful books I’ve picked up so far and I love that I’m able to personalize it to my exact experience.” -Sarah K.

“As a first-time mom, this planner has been so helpful! There are things in here that I didn’t even realize I needed to think of.” – Alexis W.

“It is worth the INVESTMENT. Everything thats in the book is effective. It gives you structure and even checklist to complete task . . . so good that you really don’t need a doula . . . My anxiety went down instantly!” – Brianna 

“Being pregnant can be overwhelming and this book definitely helped ease some of my stress. I’ve always been a planner and love to have practical lists to help me feel organized. This planner does exactly that and has so much useful information for things to focus on while getting ready for your little babe. Very glad I purchased it!” – Chelsea

A pregnant woman in a black dress stands smiling in a kitchen with white cupboards and soft yellow lighting with a brown bag over her shoulder and the gold-spiral bound Expecting & Organized pregnancy planner checklist is tucked inside the bag with the top of the pregnancy planner poking out the top right of the bag along with a small furry tan elephant baby toy.
A pregnant woman in a black dress stands holding her pregnant belly with her left hand in a kitchen with white cupboards and drawers with a brown bag being held in her right hand with a gold-spiral bound Expecting & Organized pregnancy planner book tucked inside the bag with the top of the pregnancy planner poking out the top right of the bag along with a small furry tan elephant baby toy.

Baby Planner FAQs

Why should I use a pregnancy planner?

Using a pregnancy planner will help you stay organized while reducing stress about the planning process. You’ll know you have all the information you need at your fingertips, and you can use it to feel confident you haven’t forgotten anything important. 

When is it too late to get a pregnancy planner?

A pregnancy planner is meant to help prepare for baby, so we don’t recommend getting one after baby is born.

Do you need a pregnancy planner?

A pregnancy planner is a great idea for expecting parents who want to keep everything organized in one easy place. It’s not necessary for parents who prefer to go with the flow and get overwhelmed by checklists and calendars. 

How early should you start planning for pregnancy?

The March of Dimes recommends you start preparing your body for pregnancy 3 months before you begin trying to conceive. Once you’re pregnant, we suggest you begin new baby planning whenever you feel ready, but definitely by the middle of your second trimester. 

What should be avoided while planning for pregnancy?

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends you avoid drinking, smoking, and other recreational drugs. Talk to your healthcare provider, as you may also need to discontinue certain medications.

A woman in a vibrant pink dress holds a gold spiral-bound book with a white and sage green cover entitled Expecting & Organized Pregnancy & Newborn Baby Planner out in front of her with both hands

Did you use a pregnancy planner to get ready for baby?  Tell us about your experience in the comments!

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