Two weeks until birth, what do I need to sort?

[whiterabbity]

Two weeks until I’m booked in 😅 nerves kicking in now! What shall I do practically speaking to make sure I’m all organised for her arrival?☺️ appreciate any advice!

So exciting! I would ensure that you have the baby’s bag and your hospital bag packed. Have some big knickers ready as they are useful for a c section and comfy anyway. Get some big pads for after the birth and perhaps those big absorbent mats to sit on. Have some nice easy meals all ready. A long charger for the hospital. I think a flask for drink is really handy when you’re camped out on the sofa with a baby on your lap. What else… have a good think about names. Maybe get that haircut sorted so you feel nice after the birth and don’t have to worry about haircuts for a bit. Can’t think of anything else right now… maybe get the Moses basket/cot set up and check you know what you’re doing with the pram. Get the car seat installed, if you have a car.

And enjoy these last weeks. I know everyone says it and it’s frustrating as you want to meet your baby now, but it’s so full on after the birth, so please do try to take advantage of your free time.

Thank you so much, I really appreciate your list and suggestions!💜

With our first, we’d set up the bedside cot and Moses basket, but hadn’t put the sheets on because I didn’t want them to get dusty. It sounds like such a quick and easy thing to do, but it was a faff to do it when we got home from hospital, very tired, in a rush, because otherwise we didn’t have anywhere to set her down. For the next two babies I put the sheets on the night before the C sections. I also got the changing mat ready on the changing unit, got nappies out, put bags in the nappy bin, set up the bouncer - basically left everything as ready as possible for arriving back home.

Good luck, hope it goes very smoothly!

Ooh exciting!! Get stocked up on paracetamol and ibuprofen and take them regularly after the birth! Are you having a c section?

Will you be breastfeeding? Silver nipple cups are expensive but saved me! I did breastfeed but my baby was literally on me for hours at a time while I was waiting for my milk to come in, fed 12 hours straight after birth. Had brought some of that preprepared ‘first feed’ formula with the disposable teats which I wasn’t planning to use but were fab and let my husband take the baby for a few hours so I could rest. Midwives didn’t recommend it but oh well.

Ooh and I was glad to have snacks in my hospital bag, didn’t eat anything in labour but absolutely demolished them on post natal afterwards.

Water wipes (or any dupe) are handy for the hospital so you don’t have to faff around with cotton wool and water.

Your hospital bag packed, baby items packed too.
bedside crib set up for when you get home
lots of big dark knickers, breast pads and maternity pads. Same for paracetamol and ibuprofen!
Batched cooked meals in the freezer, lots of teabags and biscuits!