Can anyone be really prepared before the birth of their baby? Most mums try to be to ensure a smooth transition for when baby arrives home. Here are 18 simple ways to organise your life before you give birth to your new baby.

1. Have a freezer packed with some pre-cooked meals. I was exhausted even thinking about cooking dinner each night when I was pregnant with my third baby. The key is to cook extra food that can be portioned into freezable containers. If you’re not a cook, why not have convenient frozen food that can be cooked in the oven like pizzas and garlic bread, lasagna, pre-prepared roasts or fish fingers. Keep the pantry stocked with baked beans, spaghetti and cereal for those nights when the freezer is looking grim or you want something quick to feed your other kids.

2. Save a some money for takeaway. Sometimes baked beans on toast won’t cut it.

3. Have newborn nappies, wipes and baby bath wash ready for when you bring your baby home.

4. Get the capsule fitted professionally to your car. If you have an emergency birth, install the car seat but get a professional to check over the installation.

5. Practice putting the capsule in the car and taking it out.

6. Practice putting up the pram and learning how to collapse it and place it in the boot of the car. Some boots may be limited in space which may require the pram to be placed in a certain way for the boot lid to close.

7. Pre-wash all baby clothes, bedding and burp cloths.

8. Set up the nursery by installing cot, change table and any other furniture for you and your baby.

9. If funds are available, book a cleaner for the 6 weeks after birth. If there are no funds, accept offers of help or organise a friend or family member to come and help with the housework.

10. Get hair done. This will look good for the afterbirth photos (or not necessarily if the labour was long). It’s easier to get your hair done pre baby because you don’t have to worry about feeds or bringing baby to the appointment which won’t make it relaxing for you.

11. Get immediate family members who will be around the baby a lot to have their whooping cough vaccinations up to date.

12. Look at the calendar and see what events and occasions are held in the following three months after baby’s birth. Organise presents for Birthdays or Christmas as a best as you can.

13. Have the baby swing, cot, bouncer and play mat ready for when baby arrives home. Your baby may not use them immediately when you’re home, but when your baby is ready, you don’t want to have to clean them or prepare them for use.

14. Organise groceries to be delivered home in that first month.

15. Keep the car topped up with petrol. You never know when you will need to make an emergency dash to the hospital. (But let’s hope you don’t).

16. Have stomach calming, colic relief and natural remedies on hand just in case baby has wind or reflux from feeding. Baby Panadol and Nurofen are good to have in the first aid kit or pharmacy box to assist with teething but please read the boxes to see when safe to use. For Baby Panadol it is 1 month old and for Nurofen it is 3 months old. Make sure you speak to your doctor or pharmacist on when your baby is old enough to have these medicines and if they are needed at all.

17. Organise who will babysit other siblings when you go into hospital to have your baby. Have a back-up person in case the original babysitter is unable to care for your children.

18. Have formula and bottles on hand in case breastfeeding is unsuccessful. If you don’t want to have a tin of formula, why not gather some samples in case you need to feed your baby a bottle?

You can never be too organised before the arrival of your baby and if you have the above covered, you are doing well. But if you don’t, don’t stress. Just do the items on the list that you know will give you peace of mind for after the birth.

Can you add anything to the list?