ByDueDate

Due-Date Plan

Your plan, week by week

What to do and buy, how many, and when: from week 20 of pregnancy to your baby's fifth month. Every safety fact links to its official source.

Your plan for a due date of Feb 28, 2027.

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Part 1 · Weeks 20 to 27

Plan the essentials

Lists, insurance and hand-me-downs

  1. Start a short registry

    Build it from this plan, not a 100-item list. Most of what you need fits in around 30 items.

    To doHow many About 30 items

  2. Check hand-me-downs for recalls

    Borrowing saves a lot. Check each crib, car seat and sleeper against CPSC recalls first, especially anything not new.

    To doCPSC recalls

  3. Ask your insurer about a breast pump

    Most US health plans must cover the cost of a breast pump. Ask which ones and when you can order.

    To doHealthCare.gov on breast pumps

Part 2 · Weeks 28 to 35

Set up for sleep and the ride home

The few things you need on day one

  1. Choose a pediatrician

    Comparing offices is much easier now than with a newborn. The AAP lists questions worth asking.

    To doAAP on choosing a pediatrician

  2. A crib, bassinet or play yard

    Firm and flat, meeting CPSC safety standards. The AAP advises sharing a room, not a bed, for at least the first 6 months.

    Buy before birthHow many 1 safe sleep spaceAAP safe sleep guide

  3. Fitted sheets for it

    One on, one in the wash, one spare for night leaks. A fitted sheet is the only bedding: no blankets, pillows or bumpers.

    Buy before birthHow many 2 to 3AAP safe sleep guide

  4. Infant car seat

    You need one installed to drive home from the hospital. Babies ride rear-facing. Skip it if you won't be driving.

    Buy before birthHow many 1 rear-facing seatAAP car seat guide

  5. Swaddles or sleep sacks

    Wearable blankets keep a baby warm without loose bedding. Stop swaddling at the first signs of rolling.

    Buy before birthHow many 2 to 3AAP on swaddling

  6. Newborn diapers and wipes

    A starter supply only. Some babies outgrow newborn size in a few weeks, and some are born too big for it.

    Buy before birthHow many About 2 boxes

  7. Bodysuits and sleepers, 0–3 months

    Assumes a load of laundry every 2 to 3 days. Gifts tend to arrive in this size, so wait for the baby shower first.

    Buy before birthHow many 5 to 7 of each

Part 3 · Week 36 to your due date

Ready to go

Checks, the bag, a few bottles

  1. Have the car seat checked

    The AAP suggests a certified child passenger safety technician before your baby is born, for a safe ride home.

    To doAAP car seat guide

  2. Set up the sleep space in your room

    Close to your bed, not in it. Keep it bare: no blankets, pillows, bumpers or toys.

    To doAAP safe sleep guide

  3. Pack the hospital bag

    We put it at week 36 so it is ready if your baby comes early. Include the going-home outfit.

    To do

  4. A few bottles, if you plan to use them

    Babies can be picky about nipples. Try one kind before buying a full set.

    Buy before birthHow many 2 to 4 to start

Your due date

Feb 28, 2027

Dates from here assume your baby arrives on the due date. Shift them if not.

Part 4 · Birth to 6 weeks

The first six weeks

Mostly time with your baby

  1. Start tummy time

    Always supervised and awake. The AAP says you can start the day you get home, then build up as your baby enjoys it.

    To doHow many 2 to 3 times a day, 3 to 5 minutesAAP on tummy time

  2. Note what is running low

    Two weeks in, list what you have actually used up. That list, not a store list, decides what you buy next.

    To do

  3. Swap unused gifts for bigger sizes

    Newborn sizes go fast. Exchange unopened ones for 3–6 months while return windows are still open.

    To do

Part 5 · 6 weeks to 5 months

Once you know your baby

Buy now and you buy once

  1. Size 1 diapers in bulk

    By now you know which brand fits without leaks. Buy more once a box works.

    Buy at 6 weeksHow many A box at a time

  2. Arms-free sleep sacks

    Swaddling stops once your baby tries to roll, which can start at 2 months. Sleep sacks that do not swaddle can be used as long as you like.

    Buy at 6 weeksHow many 2AAP on swaddling

  3. Clothes in the next size, 3–6 months

    You can see how fast your baby is growing before you buy.

    Buy at 6 weeksHow many 5 to 7 of each

  4. A high chair

    Ready ahead of solid foods, which the AAP recommends starting at about 6 months.

    Wait until 4 monthsHow many 1, plus a few soft spoonsAAP on starting solids

Any time

What most families skip

Less to buy, less to store, and some of it is not safe

  • Crib bumpers, pillows and inclined sleepers

    Not safe for sleep. The AAP says keep the sleep space bare, and any surface inclined more than 10 degrees is unsafe.

    SkipAAP safe sleep guide

  • Wipe warmer

    Most families never miss it. Room-temperature wipes do the job.

    Skip

  • A big stock of newborn diapers

    Wait until you know the size and brand that fit. Two boxes is enough to start.

    Skip

  • Newborn shoes

    Cute, but they slip off, and your baby will not walk for months. Socks are enough.

    Skip

Keep your plan

Copy a link to bookmark it or send it to your partner. Your due date travels in the link and never reaches our server.

How to read this plan. Dates are planning targets, not deadlines. "How many" numbers are our planning assumptions, with the reasoning shown, so adjust them to your laundry, space and budget. This is general planning information, not medical advice: for anything about your health or your baby's, ask your doctor or midwife.

Sources: CPSC recalls, HealthCare.gov on breast pumps, AAP on choosing a pediatrician, AAP safe sleep guide, AAP car seat guide, AAP on swaddling, AAP on tummy time, AAP on starting solids. Car seat standards: NHTSA car seats. How we build the plan.