What do you wish you had done in the last weeks/days of pregnancy?...

[Miffster]

...now you have had your baby?

Am 39 weeks and expecting DC1 shortly. Freezer filled, birth plan typed up, baby clothes washed, online grocery order ready to be actioned, can fold and unfold buggy one-handed, Christmas decs up, blah blah.

Leaving house for expeditions not really much of a lure due to needing the loo every 17 minutes, and pressure on cervix making me feel like baby is about to fall out. Also dislike being gawped at by members of public in street.

Aside from reading novels, sleeping and watching crap TV (the usual) is there anything you'd particularly recommend?

[smokeybacon]

Sleep sleep sleep and then sleep a bit more. All I wanted to do. With a bit of sleeping in between the sleeping.

[boogeek]

Sleeeeeeeep!
I went to the cinema a lot (and, 7 years on, have been I think 3 or 4 times since!) - but if you don't want to go out, DVDs?
Um. Sleep?

[Miffster]

heh, thank you. I have been rushing about doing things ever since I went on mat leave and now my body is suddenly telling me to sleep. In the day, in the evening, all the time. I don't sleep well at night (needing the loo, DH working late and not coming home til 11pm, DH snoring at 2am, me having back pain after lying in one position all night, etc) so am getting really, really tired.

But sleeping in the day is totally foreign to me so I have been disregarding the impulses.

Think I will go to bed right now.

[Marjee]

I wish I'd gone on maternity leave a bit earlier so I could have had a rest before ds arrived, I worked right up to 40 weeks which in hindsight was a bit too long.

I also really wish I had more photos of me with my bump, I've hardly got any pregnant pictures (I miss my bump)

[bellylicious]

hired a cleaner for after the birth,
with 4 kids and a husband that doesnt know where the washing machine is it comes highly recormended

if i have another it'll be first on my to do list

[hellview96]

done a lot more reading and spent some time on my own, baths etc.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Spent more time asleep and more time reading - those are the things I missed for the first few months.

[NotAnotherNewNappy]

I'll second hire a cleaner.

Stock up the fridge with chocolate.

Get your hair cut and coloured and have a pedicure (or do it yourself, if you can reach ). There will be precious little time for pampering yourself for a while afterwards.

[reddaisy]

I wish I had cleaned the house, DD arrived early and I wasn't on ML leave yet so during labour I roped DP, my mum and my sister into blitzing the house so it was spotless to bring DD home to.

I wish I had gone on ML leave a bit earlier and slept, had a haircut, had a pedicure, bikini wax, gone to the cinema and lazed around in bed reading and daydreaming. There isn't any time for that once the baby is here!

Congratulations in advance!

[theborrower]

Enjoy all the reading, sleeping and watching crap TV and don't feel guilty for a second! Get a haircut if you can because you won't get a chance to 'do your hair' for ages, so at least it'll be in good condition. Clean the house if you feel so inclined (or even better, get someone else to) but most of all, enjoy your bed - you won't be getting a long lie for, oh, a very long time :)

Hope everything goes well for you :)

[cityangel]

stopped pissing about reading pregnancy books about every twinge and cracked on reading the baby books

bought lots more natracare maternity pads, muslin & cotton wool...

I recommend discussing post natal depression with oh & how new mums hide it and what your plan would be to discuss it. (Several friends had it)

Invested more reasearch in a decent sling

Get dh to take ownership of birth plan and discuss fully. Insist that any new shift change midwives read it when they join the birth. That is your main way of verbalising your intentions in advance.

Discuss with family who will visit when. Either load them all up in week 1 and then ban them or just get them to bring things from hand cream to meals to 20 mins babysitting so you can have a shower...

seriously talked to oh about the hot debates... dummy or not, feeding on demand, formula, routine, trusted babysitters etc.

Enjoy chilling out when you can, being relaxed, not sleep deprived and mentally ready will make a big difference.

[maktaitai]

Congratulations in advance

Not a lot really. Maybe chilled out a bit more. Been horizontal a LOT more. Possibly gone to the library and got a lot of books out, especially books with very short chapters that you can dip in and out of.

[pinkyp]

Make sure you have a diary and write down any important dates or just general things you need to remember as it will be almost impossible to remember anything during the first couple of weeks of your newborn, and just to echo what the others have said SLEEP! lol good luck

[HermyaTheRedNosedReindeer]

I wish I'd bought a baby handprints kit to do with DS in the hospital, I know it's not the most important thing but for some reason I wish I had handprints of how small his hands and feet were at that point. I'll be doing it next time.

[PassionKissUnderTheMistletoe]

Get hair done

Sleep lots

Have luxurious baths

Read

Relish eating meals with both hands

Relish cuddling up in bed with partner without small child in the way

Make sure you have lots of new DVDs to watch and nice food you can eat with one hand for afterwards.

Agree with cityangel - get on with reading the baby books!

Congratulations - it is an amazing, amazing experience!

[Miffster]

Thank you for all the great suggestions.

Woke at 2.30 and been up since 4.30am.

Have met NCT group friends this morning for tea and cake, and am now cancelling the planned afternoon of cooking and admin tasks in favour of going back to bed with a murder mystery and a cup of chamomile tea, without feeling guilty, thanks to this thread :)

[ReshapeWhileDamp]

Wished I'd been to the cinema more often, swum more, and finished all those crafts projects I started, feeling all nesty, and didn't complete!

This time round, I really hope we can get the house straight(er) after the move, and that I can make a floor quilt for the new baby, finish my co-sleeper bolster thingy, finish DS's scarf, the new baby's knitted trousers, and a pair of earrings for my MW!

Hmmmm...

[MrsBonkers]

Found out where all the baby changing facilities are in local town.

Looked up mother and baby groups / baby singing groups - Its sooooooo boring not knowing what to do with your day.

Teach DH how to make meals/use the washing machine / fend for himself.

Lots of pelvic floor exercises.

Rip up birth plan!

[Bobby99]

I wish I hadn't worried about the birth.

I wish I'd got on and finished making those curtains (11 months on and they're still not done).

I wish I'd made a few more meals to put in the freezer.

I wish I'd not done my back in with coughing...

[heartsnflowers]

bought some thank you cards for the inevitable presents you`ll be given and put them in an sensible place with stamps and addresses----remember getting stressed and leaving it too long to do them,try and do 1 a day maybe

[eldritch]

Sort out any admin paperwork/filing etc. as your brain won't be the same for a while (I think my brain put in an appearance at about 6 months postpartum )

[DancingThroughLife]

I wish I'd have got a haircut and gone to the cinema a couple of times.

Although my local Odeon does a parent/baby showing on a Tuesday, which is a nice afternoon out for me and some of my 'mum' friends, and we can take the babies in knowing we don't have to do a runner the second they wake up and make noise.

But definitely enjoy the time with just you. I still can't believe how surprised I am by the constance of being a mum. There's always a large part of my brain firing on all cylinders ready to leap into action in case the baby needs something. No more relaxing and being lazy...

Good luck! And congrats in advance

[lorisparkle]

I agree rip up the birth plan and make sure you have lots of food you can prepare and eat with one hand.

[lorisparkle]

Oh yeah I also wish I had read all the baby books like the baby whisperer and gina fords babys first year and then ignored all the bits I did .not like but had a better idea of what to do.