Pregnancy Planner & Organizer~ Ends Feb. 10 Open to US Only

10 Tips to Getting Organized Before the Baby Arrives -- and a Giveaway for a Pregnancy Planner and Organizer!

When you’re pregnant, there are so many things to keep track of, such as doctors’ appointments, shopping lists, future babysitting contacts, work-related issues, and much more. Professional organizer Pam Socolow now makes this task a lot easier with the publication of The Family Facts Pregnancy Organizer & Planner for pregnant moms!

This 6-ring binder opens flat and comes fully assembled with four tabbed sections -- Calendar, Contacts, Health, and Baby Planning. It accommodates the needs of both first-time moms and women who already have children. Here’s what each section is for:

• The Calendar section features a non-dated weekly calendar with ample space for recording pregnancy and non-pregnancy events so there’s no need to carry around two planners.

• The Contacts section has pages where you can enter the names of your Health Care Providers, Service Providers, Referrals, Health Insurance information, Friends, Family, Neighbors, and Babysitters -- all organized so you can find who you need to contact fast. There are special pages to plan and record who to call once you go into labor and after your baby is born.

• The Health section contains a set of organized pages that prompt you to record crucial information chronologically from pre-natal visits, lab test results, questions for your healthcare provider, and more -- great for referring to during this pregnancy and other pregnancies in the future.

• The Baby Planning section is for keeping track of all the fun information you don’t want to forget, like favorite baby names, advice from friends, books to read, web sites to visit, logins and passwords, what you need to buy for your baby and for you, a list of gifts received, store credits, maternity leave information and more.

[And if you’re expecting twins, there are also two pages of Resources for Moms of Multiples. On one side, you can record organizations and support groups to join, and on the other side you can list other moms of multiples to call!]

The Family Facts Pregnancy Organizer & Planner comes with waterproof, clear vinyl covers, a business card holder, a zippered pouch, a pocket folder, a sturdy metal pen, and 300 peel-off stickers to highlight days, events, and important actions or activities.

Following are 10 tips to getting organized before the baby arrives from author and organizer Pam Socolow:

• Mark your calendar so you always know what week of your pregnancy you’re in. Also mark which prenatal screening tests you will need in the recommended timeframe. If you’re taking maternity leave, mark your calendar when it’s too close to your delivery date to travel, and start planning when and for how long you’ll be on leave.

• Mark when to exercise. Make notes reminding you to drink lots of water and eat certain vegetables.

• Write down all the mothering advice your friends and family have given you in one place.

• Make lists of things by category of what you need for yourself and the baby. Suggested categories for baby include: the nursery, changing supplies, clothing, medicine cabinet, getting around gear, and feeding. Suggested categories for you include: maternity clothes, breastfeeding, and stationery.

• No later than halfway through your pregnancy, set up a baby registry at your favorite baby store.

• Make a list of possible baby names. With so many things to remember, simply write down all your favorites. When the time comes, it’s easier to eliminate from the list than to have to remember the ones you’ve forgotten.

• Create a list of what you want to include in your “delivery day” bag and add to it the minute you think of something new. When the day comes, your customized delivery day bag won’t be missing anything. Do the same for Dad so he has a jump bag ready when the time comes.

• Mark on your calendar the date you schedule for a hospital/birth center tour (if you haven’t delivered there before).

• Mark on your calendar the dates for any and all classes you take for new moms now, while you have the time.

• Make 2 very important contact lists: (1) who to contact when you go into labor and (2) who to contact after you have the baby. You’re not always thinking clearly during each of these times, so a list always proves the most successful. If you have a C-section, you might not even be doing the calling! Don’t forget to add to your “after delivery” list the store(s) that are waiting for your call that you’ve had the baby so they can deliver the goods

To enter this giveaway, go to
http://susanheim.blogspot.com/2011/01/10-tips-to-getting-organized-before.html