In taking care of the general debris, you’ll need to consider the size and function of your bathroom. I’ve been in postage stamp-sized bathrooms and one so large the couple had a small refrigerator for late-night snacks. No matter the size or the number of bathrooms in your home, you don’t want to scatter your energy and run from one to another in a wild organizing frenzy that yields poor results. I’ll divide the process into steps over the course of three days.

You most likely have one bathroom in your bedroom and with any luck, Baby has his own as well. Very often the guest room has a bathroom nearby, although it’s likely your guests and Baby may have to share. Many homes and some apartments also have a guest powder room near the entry. This is a lifesaver on many levels. You’ll want to tackle them all, but one at a time. I would work in the order I mention them here so the most difficult is taken care of first.

While organizing the bathroom, we’re also going to take a look at your linen closet. The linen closet is meant to serve the bathroom and the bedrooms. If yours is large and the bathroom is small, we might be able to sneak in some organizing totes and make the linen closet more useful. Are you ready to begin? Depending on your physical size and energy level, you may want to call in the organizing sidekick you’ve been using throughout the past few months. Don’t forget about the possibility of hiring a professional organizer. A week of physical activity is a nice balance to the weeks of research, phone calls, and e-mails you’ve been handling.

Now a word to the wise: Moving quickly is essential. Women get stopped in their organizing tracks by two things: emotional items, like photos and old love letters (think boyfriends prior to your hubby), and purchases they made for the bathroom. There is something in our estrogen that makes us feel tremendously guilty if we use a mascara, shampoo, or moisturizer once or twice and decide we don’t like it. We want to toss it but we hear a voice in our head saying something along these lines: “You are so wasteful!” “Keep it. You never know when you’ll need it.” “Maybe you’ll feel differently later on.” You know the drill. There is a certain reality you have to face. There is a shelf life to beauty products. They don’t sit there for years hoping you’ll give them a second chance. Check every product for an expiration date. If you’re past it, toss it. If it’s still viable but you know you don’t like it, set it aside for a friend who might like to try it. You can ask your girlfriends to do the same and have a swap party. One final caveat: If you used a product one or twice and the container looks clean and inviting, put it in a bag or small box for a swap party or to give it to a friend. Maybe your helper today would like these lotions ’n’ potions? But if you used half and the item looks extremely uninviting, please toss it. Not even your best friend wants your sloppy seconds!

Here is a list of items you might want to eject from your bathroom:

While your assistant is hauling the trash bags and the donation box to the next bathroom, take a look around and see if you need to do any of the following before the birth:

Let’s move to the baby’s bathroom. I realize that in many homes this will also be the guest bath, so we have our work cut out for us. Today our task is merely to eliminate. Follow the exact same guidelines you used for the master bathroom. If this is going to be your baby’s bathroom, you may want to paint or put up some decorative wallpaper. Just be sure it’s done well in advance of his arrival. You don’t want your baby wearing a HAZMAT onesie!

If you have a separate guest room with its own bath, you’re in the catbird seat because you have an area that’s ripe for storing the backup supplies everyone needs. You may also find that Dad decides to use this bathroom so he’s got a bit more room for his grooming items. Some couples do everything together, while others need a bit of breathing space. There is no right or wrong and I would bet the need for sharing or for space grows out of your individual childhood experiences. Meagan has five children. When they grow up, the rough-and-tumble sharing that goes on in a big household will be the norm for them. It will probably feel comfortable and familiar. I, on the other hand, am an only child; space and privacy are the norm for me. In other words, if Dad migrates down the hall to a different bathroom, don’t push the panic button. Rather, make this room as organized as possible. Use storage tools made of wood or dark colors so it feels more masculine. Get him some towels in his favorite color. Here is another example of the need for communication and an opportunity to nurture and love through the space itself and not just with words. You know the old saw: “actions speak louder than words.” And you thought the bathroom was a big bore, didn’t you?

Finally, it’s time to look at the linen closet. Your old, frayed, faded, torn, and stained sheets and towels will be welcome at the local animal hospital. If your linen closet is stuffed, remember that you need to make room for the baby’s linens. If you have an area with shelves, you can use shelf dividers to set apart the areas for different rooms. You can also label the shelves. Keep in mind that your home may be flooded with relatives and friends all eager to help after the baby arrives. You don’t want them trashing the order you create this week. It really saves time if the linens for a specific room reside next to each other on a designated shelf. It also saves you from opening folded sheets and asking yourself: “Is this for the king in the master or the queen in the guest room?”