27 weeks - when should I start preparing for birth?

[mpops]

This is my first pregnancy and I've really not go any idea what I'm doing.

My ante-natal classes start next week but that's about all I have planned! When should I start buying bits and pieces and preparing a hospital bag? Suddenly someone seems to have pressed the panic button...

Well your classes will cover thing like birth plans etc so maybe get thinking about it once you've covered in class. No point starting too early otherwise but don't leave it too late - I'd say week 36 is when I starting preparing but did a birth plan a little earlier. DS arrived at 41+8 so that was a long wait!

midwife told me at 28 week appt to do hospital bag at 34 weeks. i dont think you are alone in being concerned as i am 29 + 6 with my first and not even thinking about the birth.

Ah, my maternity leave kicks in on week 36 so that's good timing. :) Thanks for the reassurance. I sort of don't know where to start.

I had my hospital bag 'prepared' at week 34, and then packed, re-packed and packed again in the 2 weeks leading up to the due date. Both my DD's came on and just before their due dates. I went on Mat leave at 34 weeks so it gave me something to obsess over

I bought most of the things I needed by about 32 weeks just in case, but if baby came that ealry I knew that the hospital would have supplies.

Best of luck to you, and congratulations on your pregnancy!

I started organising fully just over 2 weeks ago, and Im 36+3 now. I got that funny "nesting" instinct full-force and just went with it:)

I am 34 weeks and have not yet packed a bag or bought things for the newborn. I packed my bag when I was 40 weeks with my first although I did have everything else ready.

Must get on with stocking up on nappies and sleepsuits!!

I've sort of started hospital bag. Most of it will be last minute stuff though like toiletries. Gonna make a list to put with it so I don't forget anything while in early labour, but figure I'm gonna have time to potter about when at home before going into hospital.

i'd pack a hospital bag now i had mine packed at 20 weeks this time just as well as i've had a few hospital stays since then but my ds came at 36 weeks and i wasn't at all prepared i had no bag or anything.

I packed mine the day I was 31 weeks, no idea why I decided to do it then, waters broke 2 days later and baby was born at 32 weeks so it was a good job!

I'm 27 weeks. I started buying stuff a few weeks ago, but that was mainly because I was in the UK for a week and took advantage of the shops!

So now we have all the clothes we need for the first few months, and we've bought a carrycot and grobags in the sales last week...

However, haven't even thought about the hospital bag, except to think that I really need to buy an actual bag as I don't have an approriate one!

I was planning on thinking about that once I'm on maternty leave, so around week 34/35. That's when we're planning on buying some pieces of furniture too.

Our hospital has given us a very precise list of thing to take (including nappies, 2 grobags, thermometers, etc.) so I'm gradually working my way through that list. As it is, I'm already getting very tired so can't go round shops for very long so i'd like to have it all sorted several weeks before the end so I can spend the last few weeks just resting.

Have not at all started to think about learning breathing techniques or stuff like that though. Again, something I'll look at when I stop working I think.

Im also 27 weeks. We've started with the big stuff (cot, changign table) because it's harder to lift and move stuff the bigger you get. I think clothes you can just potter round the shops at your own pace. Haven't even thought about bags yet! Although it IS sale time now...

Also I dont know about charity shops where you are but we got teh furniture from the there for a fraction of the price. Still some things to go though...

Have you got any useful books with shopping lists in them? We got one from the Dr and it has been a godsend.

Thanks for your replies, everyone!

redexpat, I've got some books, yes. I suppose I'd better start reading them. I've got The Fear of Labour so bad that I can't open any of the books in case I see the stages of labour...