Mumsnet Talk

I am a terribly disorganised pregnant person in my 3rd trimester and I want to copy you.

People keep asking me if I'm all ready. Um, no.

I've dug out some baby clothes and will get around to washing them this week. But I don't know if I'm having a girl or a boy, so I don't know whether to wash girl or boy clothes. Oh, and I need to buy NON-BIO I think. Is that right?

I've bought some nappies and breast pads.

I feel I ought to pack a hospital bag but I can't for the life of me think what to put in it.

I haven't written a birth plan, but I have a good idea of what to expect, and have opinions about all the Stuff That Happens. I shall just talk to people as I go along.

I've probably got some nursing bras somewhere. I can dig them out too.

What else should I be doing?

Oooh, maternity pads! I'll need some of them.

Anything else? TELL ME. I'll be your best friend if you do. In fact we could be pregnancy buddies in that time-honoured completely mismatched personality type way. It would be hillarious.

I started writing a list yesterday of all the things that still need buying/doing/thinking about.

Once I got to three pages I gave up!

Well I would not call myself super organised, but I can tell you what I have done at 32 weeks.

Hospital bag for me:

Nightie for birth
Pack of big knickers
Maternity pads
Breast pads
Nipple Cream
Overnight toiletry bag
Towel
Slippers
PJ's
Snacks
Hair bands/hair brush
Will get nursing bras in a few weeks

Baby:

Blanket
4 vests
4 babygrows
Nappies
Cotton wool
Hat

Have got the moses basket out, bedding washed, car seat out.

I have used non bio wash. I have a DS so I have washed his baby clothes, although I don't know what I am having either. However, I have no issue with putting a girl in boys baby grows, especially at home/night time when they get through loads in one day.

I have not done by birth plan, but I am hopefully having a VBAC so I do want to sit down and do it properly. Maybe speak to your MW about it?

To be honest, I am now concentrating on getting the house ready for the newborn as we have a toddler and no near by family help. Also we are about to start major building work after the baby is born. (Madness, I know) So I am cleaning cupboards, sorting out things etc.

HTH

That's a great start Moscow! Thank you.

Forgot to get non-bio again this morning.

Oooh I'm joining this thread too. I'm 25 weeks and know at some point a room will need to be magicked from somewhere to house the baby and she will need clothes, a bed etc.

It was a big step for me when I bought a pair of maternity jeans!!!

Do write some kind of birth plan, just in case. It doesnt have to be structured or proffessional in any way, just write down what you want and what you dont want.
Its all good ane well to talk about it as you go along, but if you are anything like me I go into full 3 year old toddler tantrum mode during labour and you will not get any sense out of me apart from that I want to go home have a cuppa and I want chocolate now. So write it down so at least the MW can refer to what you want amongst the tantrums.

I don't think I am the tantrumming sort. I whimpered a bit with my last two... but only in a polite, don't want to trouble anyone sort of way.

Hee hee! I've bought a ton of stuff already (25w) but I'm having twins so they might be early and if they're not, it doesn't matter because I'm rapidly passing the point where I can be bothered standing in shops any more.

My maternity notes have a hospital bag list, maybe yours do too?

Hey, does anyone know about sterilising powder for clothes? My baby book says you should soak clothes and bedding that have been in contact with poo, overnight using sterilising powder. But I've never ever heard anyone else mention it.

sob wish I'd never read this I'm 31 weeks with my first and haven't done anything - we are moving house in 3 weeks and I have only just started packing for that.
Starting to get a bit panicky about it! I have ordered cot, car seat and pram to be delivered in about 5 weeks time and my mum has bought lots of baby clothes and nappies and cotton wool etc. Is this ok!?
Can I leave the washing, cleaning, hospital bag, nursery sorting etc until about 35 weeks? Or would this be pushing it slightly?

Don't panic ladies, I'm 34w tomorrow and until today had done nothing! I did order a new baby monitor and changemat today and got breast pads and lansinoh in my shop today (33% discount offer!). Need to get some newborn nappies but waiting til they are on offer, oh and maternity pads. Need to get baby clothes, crib & carrycot for the bugaboo out of the loft. Clean aforementioned items. Pack bag.
Have been quite organised with birth plan, and have seen consultant midwife to sort that out, but I'm having a VBAC (hopefully!)

Whats the reason for non-bio? Didn't do that with DD's clothes first time round! But will pick some up if necessary...

I could have written your post, OP! I'm 34+3 and have done nothing for the arrival of DC2. I still need to move DS1 into his new bedroom (after we finish decorating it!), buy stuff for & pack hospital bag, write VBAC birth plan, get out all DS's baby stuff from the garage, sort & wash it (and we didn't bother with non-bio either as it doesn't wash things very well, especially baby poo & sick! Will only bother if DC2 shows any sort of sensitivity to the bio stuff), tidy & clean house, sort out internet grocery shopping list for when baby arrives etc. So much, and so little energy/motivation to do it! I think we need some more ladies on here that have managed it, as we seem to be a group of ladies who need a kick up the arse some help to get motivated, with a couple of exceptions

<waves at PiggyMad - long time no 'see'! Hope you're doing well. We miss you on the 2012 Graduates thread >

Hi Davina! Someone offered me the davina pre- and post-preg fitness dvd the other day and I thought of you!!!
Went awol from thread and have been too to come back!

I am 36+2 and am mostly ready.

Essentials:

Clothes wise so long as you have the basics it doesn't matter what colour, they will not know anyway.

Cot/moses basket bedding + cot/moses basket.

Baby monitor.

Car seat.

Pram/sling.

Food for you and household basics like loo roll so you don't have to worry about shopping straight away.

For hospital bag for baby:

Sleepsuits x 3, bodysuits x 3, cardigan, scratch mitts (or integral on sleepsuits), hat, blanket, pramsuit if weather will be cold, newborn nappies, cotton wool, nappy cream. Anything else can be brought in later if neccessary

For you:

Old t-shirt/nightie for labour
Button up pyjamas for afterwards
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Slippers
Flip flops for shower (the one on ante-natal ward I was in last time had used sanitary towels on the floor and was digusting!)
Comfy clothes for going home in
Big knickers
Towel
Nursing bra
Nipple Cream
Breast pads
Maternity Pads
Snacks and packet drinks (hospital toast and tea 10 hours after you gave birth just doesn't cut it)
Birth plan (I am having a VBAC too and will be meeting supervisor of midwives next week to discuss ahead of time)
Maternity notes
Money in change form
Hair bands
Hair brush

Food for DP/DH for during labour

If you have big babies you may want to have 0-3 month clothing washed and on stand by somewhere at home where DP/DH/family member/friend can find them easily.

I only finished packing hospital bag at the weekend and house is still in chaos as we are having new kitchen and bathroom in plus decorating bedrooms all before baby comes. Plenty of time!

Great list Zen!

Yikes! I am 37 +3 and have only just washed and packed the nappy bag for DS. I have yet to pack (or organize) anything for myself. I should get moving I guess...

I am 36+5. (I just had to check that on a due date calculator.)

Good lists!

I bought some non-bio and got all the baby clothes out and some baby bedding and stuff.

Today I was going to buy a bag and some maternity pads, but now I have to meet my friend for a coffee instead. But next week I will buy a bag and some maternity pads and then start getting it all together.

And some new flipflops maybe.

Also, in a mad rush of brilliancy, I stole a disposable toothbrush set from a hotel and I'm going to put that in my hospital bag!

A few extras from me (dc3 is a week old, so this is still fresh in my mind ;-)):

Change for hospital car park
Lavender oil/ arnica for postpartum healing
Extra nightie / PJ for overnight stay (you won't want to sleep in the one you've laboured in)
Flannel, in case the MW needs to wash you post epi or EMCS (I didnt have one so got washed with a new J cloth!)
Magicool spray or fan
Reading material in case labour gets off to a slow start
Phone and charger

We had a checklist of the things that couldn't be packed until the very last minute as I'd still be using them e.g. phone. It was really useful, and avoided DH having a blind panic when my waters broke.

Oh and a nail file.Dd2 had phenomenally long nails at birth.

Def take some anti bac bathroom wipes to hosp. With the best will in the world lots of post natal women sharing a bathroom can get a bit. . . .

I'm 30 weeks with dc2. Still got a pack of newborn nappies from dc1 (13 months), have washed some white newbaby sleepsuits, got a double buggy reduced to a bargainous £40 a few months ago, found nightie I wore for dd's birth in loft last week and have washed that.

I need to buy a cot + bedding, bottles and some more sleepsuits.

That is pretty much all I can think of. Although for dc1 I took a suitcase and rucksack into hospital, such was my mania for being prepared

Crumbs, you've done far more than me. I must get my arse in gear. I got distracted while attempting birth plan and it says "Gas and air, white with one sugar" and that's it

Am impressed with hotel toothbrush thievery.

37 weeks tomorrow and have literally done nothing until today. I only finished work yesterday. I've got all the baby clothes and bedding out. Now I plan to wash everything at 60 and see what survives. There are so many things Ive forgotten about that I'm going to need. . Scratch mits? Tiny hats?

I love the gas & air, white with one sugar and the sheer genius of the stolen disposable toothbrush. I think we might have one somewhere in the depths of the bathroom, that DH got on a flight to Canada. If its still in the packaging, it's going in my case!

Thanks for those that have added lists - they will really help.

Did you get the Davina DVD, Piggy? I got it last time and found it a bit slow going initially, but better for the later stages when you're bigger, and starting back up afterwards before going back to the crazy version . No need to be about going AWOL - we've all done it, so if you fancy popping back even if it's just to say hi, I'm sure the ladies would be very glad to 'see you' (Sorry for the hijack!)

at gas and air, white with one sugar! I may write that in to my maternity notes!

<waves to IslandIsla> (sorry to hijack)

Hope you are doing ok, that's me 32wks and hoping for VBAC too.

I have done NOTHING at 32wks with DC2.

Need to wash clothes, get crib mattress, pack bags etc. Sometime...