Last 6/7 weeks, what should I be doing or done by now in preparation for birth and baby!?

[BabyMadandBIGbump]

I'm 33 weeks, I must have a PG at the moment I feel restless like I should be doing something but what......? We've done the Baby's room and got anything WE/I need and want for this Baby more or less. I've started getting a hospital bag ready but I'm planning on having a HB but having a scan in a few weeks to see if the placenta has moved out the way then fingers crossed my HB can go ahead. What can else can I do in preparation for this birth and baby?

sleep sleep sleep sleep its a shame you cant store it up! these last few weeks can seem to go on for ever. look after yourself, calm before the storm. go for a swim, maybe a pedicure, swan about a bit. i remember that feeling that there should be something you must do but you cant quite put your finger on it. good luck x

If I could do it again I would:

Read up on breastfeeding and learn how to express colostrum (obv only if you are planning to bf)
Buy one or two nice outfits in a larger size than usual so I had something to wear other than jogging bottoms for the first six weeks

Things I did that I'm glad I did were:

Cook lots of extra stuff to freeze for the first few days
Sleep

HTH and good luck!

Practice putting the baby seat in the car, and putting up and down the pushchair, whilst holding something in one hand, and get your dh/dp to practice too. You'll want to be able to do these things efficiently, whilst a traffic warden approaches/your little one screams/vomits and your hormones are a mess!

I'd read up on breast pumps too, if you are hoping to feed. Lots of people need to express for a while, and so it's good to be prepared now.

Best of luck.

Don't worry I've mastered the pushchair/s (4 ) and carseat . I don't know weather I'm BF or not yet but yes I will read up on them things thanks! Sleep is the one thing I wish I could do I'm only managing a few bad hours at the moment, maybe my body getting ready for them night feeds, joys!

Sleep, read, if you feel like it do a bit of cooking for the freezer, sit doing absolutely nothing in total silence.

Or as somebody recommended to me, the best propertion for a baby is to tear up your favourite magazine, then try to read it one handed while drinking a cup of cold tea.

I would definately recommend making up batches of food to freeze, will make the first few weeks so much easier if you don't have to worry about cooking. any man regardless of their culinary ability can heat up your meal while you have 10minutes to yourself. I would relax, read a book(don't know when you will next have the opportunity!), take short walks, have a pampering session: either in a salon or even have a friend round to paint your toenails(i am guessing you can't reach them by this stage)
my point is relax and enjoy this time. good luck xx

katelyles advice about the magazine and cold tea just about sums it up!

Ooh - get your toenails done. When your feet are up in stirrups and the world and his wife are wandering by, it can be your last bit of dignity. I meant to, but forgot, and lay there, staring at chipped nailvarnish!!

As well as the freezing meals, one of the most useful habits I got into was making sandwiches in the evening - for DH, DD1 and me! You'd be surprised how much time a small person takes up and how you won't even feel like making a sarnie - you'll just head for crisps or biscuits. That's why having a sandwich in the fridge is great - I used to munch mine whilst feeding. Oh, and always have a glass of water to hand, or fill up a sports bottle and keep it with you - if you BF it's thirsty work!

As for preparation - just read through any notes you have, I didn't do a formal "birth plan" but jotted down a couple of reminders to myself (eg walking sideways up and down stairs to help speed things up!) and was glad I had as it meant I didn't forget them.

Just in case you end up in hosp, have a nightie as well as PJ's ready - I only had PJ's (apart from the nightshirt I'd given birth in) and as I ended up with a catheter overnight it was a struggle to sort out getting that over the top of my PJ bottoms!

When packing your bag it does help to keep your stuff and baby stuff in separate bags - if you are dopey like me you shove everything in one holdall then DH ends up scrabbling round the whole lot trying to find the little sleepsuits!

Have some friends round for coffee if you have any that are not working - enjoy a conversation that's uninterrupted! If you don't know any other mums in your area, why not see if the local NCT has a "bumps and babies" coffee morning? I went to this in the last few weeks and am still in touch with a lot of the mums (DD2 is now 4!) - one of whom is now one of my closest friends.

notquitegrownup - good idea - when I had my TENS machine on I used the epilator to do my legs! (A bit of contortionism inolved but hey it hardly hurt!)

id uy a paddling pool for when it gets really hot and lie in it

i did this last summer i look very brown and glam in my after the birth pics
i also second the pedicure pamper route maybe get a haircut too as well

LO at katelyle's advice .

If you're not feeling too tired, go to the cinema to see a grown-up film, go to your favourite child-unfriendly restaurant, posh shops, library, art gallery, get a haircut. It may be quite some time before you can do any of these things spontaneously again! Good luck .

If you're going to read up on breastfeeding here are a couple of sites for you... they include information on where to go for support

www.abm.me.uk
www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk

Lots of good advice on here - will be using the sarnie tip myself!

Do spend some time on yourself, have a pamper, defuzz, toes, scrub, tan whatever, it'll make you feel better after the birth.

Pack your bags, even if you are having a homebirth, you'll still have everything accessible, sorted and to hand in the bags.

Read a book, one that isn't about babies.

Have some nice dinners with DP. Enjoy your time as a couple (if this is your first).

Stock up on loo roll, soap, all that kind of thing. Milk & bread in the freezer (no more popping out without a big palaver!)

Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

Enjoy lie ins (never again)

Cook lots of meals you can freeze and defrost as you will NOT feel like cooking after the birth (nor will your DH/P). I did enormous batches of bolognese sauce, curries, chiles, lasagne, tagines, and didn't have to cook for about 3 weeks which was bliss.

Do a huge supermarket shop (internet shop if you can, save you carrying the bags).

Have a haircut and if you get your legs waxed make an appointment for that.

See a dentist (it is still free for the first year after the baby's birth but if you do it the week before it's due then you get 2 more free checkups - does that make sense?)

Go out to dinner with your DP and have a romantic evening, and tell him how much you love him. It will be your last chance to be together as a couple for a little while!

Have only read OP but I would suggest:

Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep
Make time for you and you OH - be spontaneous - go to cinema, out to dinner; spend a lazy sunday morning in bed reading papers......
Sleep
Pamper yourself
And did I mention sleep!!

Thanks everyone, for them that don't know I have 2DS's but my youngest is 5, I've forgot such a lot for some reason or is it just the PG brain . I've set a date to do my hair cut & colored, going to book a dentist app for week 36/37 as I really don't like the dentist and I'm abit worried that the worry will put me into labour so that's why booking it around 36/37th week! Going to start having a once a week Pampering day (nails, hair, looooong bath and so on). I cant fill my freezer with food as I have a very small freezer but DH can just pull his weight once LO is born (he didn't with our 2nd so he can make up for it ) and I've been internet food shopping for just over a year and a half now so shopping isn't a worry for either one of us. Thanks again!

sleep, sleeep and more sleep