What should I be doing?

[justhayley]

Hiya I'm 33 weeks and feel like I should be doing stuff to prepare myself for labour and the baby but to be honest I'm really not sure what!
How did you spend your final 6/7 weeks? And what should I have done by now - hospital
bag is the only thing I can think of - which I havnt done. Ideas please.

Thanks Hayley x

Not much help, but I pretty much slept..

I was very laid back though as was an elective section, so knew the date I was going in.

Oh and I ate lots of ice cream - just because I could.

*to be

Not really alot you can do i dont think, just take the time to get as much rest as possible

Hi Hayley, think we are due about same time (25 April here)

I just washed baby clothes this weekend, but packing my bag isn't going so well as everything I want to put in I'm still using (comfy PJs, iPod etc). Think I will do the baby parts of the bag but I have a handy list of everything I need to chuck in. And have drafted a birth plan, nothing fancy. Things I'm starting on nowish are:

• writing a list of stuff to cook and freeze when I start ML in 2w
• trying to be organised enough to do a meal planner for first couple of weeks so we don't have to think about what to even buy at supermarket
• stocking up on things like shampoo, nappies etc so if I don't go out for 2 weeks I'm sorted
• reading as much as possible (baby stuff and for pleasure)
• getting my haircut!
• picking a couple of good films out to entertain me in early labour
• picked up some massage / aromatherapy oils and getting DP to practice!
• working out how the TENS machine works
• buying millions of batteries for said TENS and various other gadgets, night lights etc etc (want everything set up and working with minimal flappage)
• thinking about starting perineal massage (eek)
• taking raspberry leaf capsules
• finished the nursery so I can sit down and not flap when I finish work
• painted my toes as they are almost out of reach
• yoga birthing workshop with DP today
• finishing planning our wedding for 1 Sept, hmmm something tells me that won't be top of the agenda in about 6 weeks!!

Am now willing the next 2 weeks to fly by.... Did not expect to be so keen to be off work and sleep! Good luck!

Kate

Resting! Enjoying your last few weeks alone with your partner. Go our for a nice meal, a nice walk somewhere and generally making the most of it being just the two of you.

Book a mini Mani and pedi if you can for a little nearer your due date-but not too close!

Buy the basics you use a lot of like tea, sugar, coffee, washing up liquid etc.

Maybe buy announcement or thank you cards ready for after the birth.

But to be honest, resting and nesting gave always been at the top of my agenda at this point.

Good luck!

Thanks all,
Hi Katie - I'm April 28th, maybe we will share a live birth thread lol
Thanks for your list it's very helpful, I may just totally copy your life & work my way through it . I think the only thing on there I am doing is having raspberry leaf - I'm drinking the tea though instead of capsules.
Iv had a really easy pregnancy & havn't been stressing about labour, but starting to feel maybe I'm too relaxed & actually have loads more to do than I think.

The nursery is getting there - cots up, along with a chest of draws & changing unit. I'm deciding if I want one wall wallpapered or not, so that may need doing. Only thing left furniture wise I want to buy is a little sofa bed, & then add all the pretty & unnecessary things I have stocked up

Iv washed ironed & put away clothes that people have given to me, everything I have bought new is sitting in a box. Really don't want to wash the new clothes - not because I can't be bothered, but because I love that new look and feel they have, that goes as soon as things are washed .

Birth plan is not at all organised - I know I want gas & air & a water birth, but that's it! Need to look into other forms of pain relief. There's something I no I don't want - can't think what it's called though, apparently it makes you really quite out of it &also leaves the baby abit drowsy for a few hours after birth don't like the sound of that one bit!

How are you feeling now?
Hope your well & feeling good.

Thanks again xx

Thanks boysboysboys. Would love to enjoy a few weeks with my partner, but he's in the Army & isnt at home at the moment luckily he's only at Sandhurst not Afgan so I don't have to worry about him for now.

Never thought about stocking up on normal essentials like tea bags toilet roll & food to be honest, but that really makes sense.

wrt the birth plan - I wrote it, then went along to the NHS birth prep class and changed a lot of it! I think I basically realised I was planning the unplannable! So I chilled out a bit and only put down the stuff that was REALLY important to me. I was quite anti-pethidine too but was good to get a lot of more the facts about it and side effects of all pain relief - that was really helpful for the birth plan imo.

And feeling GREAT! thank you . Now if only I could sleep, I really would stop complaining.... but everything else like yours seems to have gone like clockwork, let's hope it continues! Looking forward to that live birth thread!

oh and have you looked at the cute stickers you can get for nursery walls? We've put a load of trees and animals etc up as and alternative to wallpaper. You can get some great bargains, loads of different places do them and they are so easy to remove / change later as LO needs a more grown up bedroom.

maybe you could stock your freezer up with frozen home meals so you don't have to cook if you don't want/have time after baby? :)

Presume you have kit for baby - somewhere to sleep, clothes, nappies etc?