Is there anything that you wish you had done,said, prepared for in the last week of pregnancy?

[Bekki]

One week to go and I think I'm ready, but is there anything that in retrospect you wish that you had done before the virtual loss of freedom.

Anything that you wish you had said to your other kids before the arrivial?

Any good tips for preparing relatives, partners, your home for the event?

Agree about the hair Lindy. That was top of my list the second time around.

I also bought some little presents for DS1 and wrapped them so if people came with presents for the baby only, I could give them something to give to the 'new big brother'.

And fill your freezer!

Why not deal with two of these ideas at once by asking relatives and friends to hold the flowers but volunteer themselves for a household chore instead?

YES!! manicure and pedicure and hair and highlights and leg wax. It will be a while before you do them again...

Definitely a pedicure, as your toes may be the first thing your baby sees!

The day I was to be induced for both dd and dd I made my dp shave my legs, it just seemed so important, I couldn't reach them myself. Since then it's turned into a something he does atleast once a week for me and it's nice not to have to do itmyself.

I also found the small gifts for dd invaluable, a stash by the front door!

Good idea about the little presents, its a trip to the toy shop tomorrow then.

Jenie I've already got dh painting my toenails on a regular basis so I suppose shaving my legs wouldn't be too out of the question.

Codswallop I'm glad you mentioned the carseat I'd forgotten all about it.

My dp does that too, you've got him very well trainned, well done. Although sometimes he gets them a bit too blobby I can't complain just so long as I don't have to do it. Besides my dp needs the practise, when he can paint my nails perfectly then I may let him stop.

Perhaps I should be concerned that he does so many girly things for me.....

Oh, and do that haircut, pedicure, lash tint etc early in the week. I went into labour five hours after having mine done!

Has anyone mentioned sleep yet?

Watch out about painting your toenails, if you have to have a csection they make you take it off. Something to do with the thing that they put on your toe to monitor your oxygen levels?
Maybe mears can enlighten us on this.

Just remember a friend saying that she had a stressful time as they couldn't find any nail polish remover!

If you are low on oxygen then your toenails go blue - which can't be seen if you have nail varnish on! So that is why....

Oakmaiden is right SamboM. Have to say I feel really sorry for women when I am attacking their beautiful painted toenails with acetone to take it off! Sometimes women end up needing to go to theatre for various reasons and the nail varnish has to go. I would leave that bit out in preparation for birth I have to say.

motherinferior, I can beat that - went into labour at the hairdresser's. (didn't tell them though and was grateful I'd decided to skip highlights!)

Is clear nail varnish o.k? Oh a bit off point but does anyone know any good diy pedicure treatments for my stressed out hard feet. I'm sure the midwife will be horrified by them in this state.

agree with the hair.

Get Birth Announcement /Thank You cards ready - you could even address them all.

I aske my dp to get acleaner in to clean the house while I was in hopital - unfortunatly he thought I was joking! (mind you I wasn't in long)

get changing stations etc ready

Bekki I'm sure the midwife will take time out from all the blood and gore to examine your toenails and be appalled that you couldn't bother to go for a pedicure. Better get your legs waxed too unless a stray hair misses the razor.

Good point SamboM, my dh said the same thing yesterday.

Ninja- changing stations are sooo ready and have been for about 2 months, but addressing the thankyou cards thats something that I really should do.

Oh and wash that baby bath out, I've been putting that off for 5 months!

Bekki - best no nail varnish - even clear interferes with the accuracy of the saturation monitor. It is monitor that clips over the finger nail area and can measure oxygen levels in you blood.
TBH though, the chances of needing to go to theatre aren't that high. If you feel happier with nail varnish wear it. Midwives are really skilled at removing it if need be anyway

I was told not to wear makeup but I knew dh had a camera so there was no way I was going to be parted from my mascara and lipgloss!

Try not to eat 'windy' veggies. I thought that there was nothing that could be embarass me having gone through childbirth twice, but oh how I wished I was under a general anaesthetic when I farted while the mw was sewing me up!

Oh my god thats awful, but not as bad as when I whispered to the trainee doctor - "I think I've done a poo". She started reeling off some text book stuff about how labour can make you feel like you're having a poo, but it isn't the case. Then she lifted up the sheet and recoiled in horror towards the midwife!

I would like to add to anyone who has not experienced this that I had absolutley no control over this at all.

I definitely pooed myself at least twice out of my three labours. I guess the muscular movements and the bearing down of the baby just push it out! I couldn't stop apologising but the staff were very understanding. The last time they did their best to convince me I hadn't done it but I knew I had.

I was very worried in the weeks before hand that that would happen but I didn't actually care when it did. Looking back at that poor trainee it is actually very funny and lightened the mood for me for a while. The midwife was also laughing not at me but also at the shocked trainee. Poor girl I wonder if it has put her off having kids for life.

A friend told me that she pooed while giving birth, but she was so stoned by the pethidine that she thought the poo was the baby!

I genuinely thought baby was giant poo, being at that point utterly out of my head on gas and air.