8 weeks till due date. Feeling slightly overwhelmed.

[SweetPea86]

I've been wishing this pregnancy would hurry up due to sickness and spd.

Now it dawned on me that there's only 8 weeks till my due date.

This is my first so I feel I'm walking around a wee bit clueless.
We finished the baby's room got things like nappies, wipes, vests, changing mat, cot, Moses basket, pram pretty much every thing. I plan to breast feed but have bottles just incase it doesn't go to plan.

I know I need to pack my bag for hospital but will wait a bit longer to do that. I feel totally unprepared.

Is there any thing I need which is a must.
The pregnancy felt as tho it's totally dragged now looking back it's all a blur. ( could be the sickness tablets I was on lol)

[Aaliyah1]

I'm at the same stage as you and so far have nothing I think I'm in denial. I need to start buying baby things but now feel overwhelmed about where to start so end up leaving it and burying my head...oh dear..

[mameulah]

Our pfb was born just before Christmas last year. There was plenty stuff on the tv to tape and watch through the nights when feeding. (I just couldn't get comfy to do it properly in bed). Honestly, a box set to see you through the feeding is not a bad idea.

Food in the freezer is a must.

Other unusual things I found helpful.

Buy in heaps of cards for the thank you notes. And stamps.

It is exhausting keeping on top of that but far better to do it as the gifts come flooding in. Writing one or two every other day is better than a million one night when your baby is ten months old.

Remember to pack your phone charger for the hospital.

Lypsal.

At least two multi pack boxes of capri sun, frozen. Take out on the way to the hospital. Drink them after labour. I drank a whole multi pack at once.

Rent a tens machine from either Boots or Tesco. I don't know what I would have done without mine. My friend relied on the hospital providing one, it was broken.

Biscuits for the visitors.

A purse with cash only for the hospital, if it gets stolen it won't matter as much as if your card went missing.

I know it all might sound odd but I hope it helps. If I think of anything more then I will let you know.

[SweetPea86]

Thanks that's really helpful stuff I never even thought about :) Aaliyah I only just started buying things once told people I was preg my friends kept saying they had bought me stuff, and if I'd bought any thing my self. I just felt too overwhelmed to do so.

Don't worry if u haven't got any thing yet it will all fall in to place. I just woke up feeling like I needed to buy stuff.

I have to say even now if I'm at a baby shop and at the counter and they ask me when I'm due it feels so weird telling them. X

[mameulah]

Well, seeings as you don't find me too odd here are another couple of things I did. Whether you find them helpful tips or not I suppose depends on how you like to do things.

With the Christmas cards I addressed and stamped all the envelopes so I just had to write the cards. If you know who you would expect to give you a gift you could do the same kind of thing. I know it sounds rude and presumptious but no one need know you have done it and it will save you time when you are exhausted. Well I am a big believed in thank you notes so it was an important thing for me to do.

I wrote a card in the hospital for the staff and left chocolates for the day and night shift.

I obviously couldn't repay the midwife who delivered our pfb with any kind of monetry gift to show our gratitude but I wrote a letter to her and her boss to say thank you for all that they had done. I got her name so that I was able to do it properly. And promptly, before she forgot who we were.

Also, I used to put the gifts on a chair on in the living room and only put them away when I had written the card and it was ready to post. My head was mince because I was so tired so it meant that I didn't forget anyone. Well, I don't think I did.

A bottle of water in the fridge that you can keep refilling so that in the middle of the night you can just collect it, rather than keep filling a glass up.

Gets loads of tea and coffee in. And those ready to microwave packets of rice. That means if you take a chilli or whatever out of the freezer you only have to blast both items in the microwave to produce dinner. Fast and hardly any washing up.

Anti bacterial soap hanging about. We weren't pfb about germs but we did have an odd really, really annoying cold sore incident with one guest and if we had had the soap kicking about it would have made it less awkward telling her to wash her hands.

Extra washing powder in.

Decent toilet roll and those feminine wipe things.

I am sure it will be wonderful. Enjoy!

[mameulah]

MOST IMPORTANT.

Don't be hard on yourself about any kind of official routine or sleep pattern until your baby is six months old. You just know when it is time to do something and get a bit of order about the place. My friend who has had three, now adult, daughters said that when they are small it doesn't matter how you get them to sleep. I agree. Lying in your arms is lovely for both of you. Don't be hard on yourself about enjoying it!