Things to get sorted before baby arrives

[MorelloKiss]

Hello all,

I'm looking to collect a list of things together (both baby and non baby related) that I may wish to consider getting sorted before baby arrives.

I am due mid October , so far I have:

• make Christmas cakes first week of mat leave
• Buy and wrap Christmas presses for family etc
• buy and write Christmas cards
• sort birthday cards and gifts for anyone celebrating before spring
• sort out birth announcements so good to go nice have details
• meals for freezer

Please add anything and everything you can think of

All I will say is that maternity leave can be REALLY boring so you might want to leave yourself some things to do. You will still have time to do everything you need to do along with baby, they just slot into your life and do sleep/ entertain themselves sometimes!

Disclaimer- I am having dc3 in two weeks and have done nothing since starting maternity leave other than nap and watch tv. We still haven't even set up crib or sorted clothes, equipment etc as our builders are still building our bedroom! Relax

Set up changing area
Buy all the baby kit
Write birth plan

Hiya there, I'm French am due on the 27th November and am also worried about what to put in my hospital bag! Help!

Seems kind of strange to me to write christmas cards now. Surely they would be completely generic..? Surely you might want to write something about baby in them, but they haven't arrived yet, so..?

Otherwise it all seems very organised!

Good point on Christmas cards, maybe just the envelopes

Just a little point from me, I don't k ow when you plan on starting your mat leave but I started mine at 37 + 6, had a tonne of things I wanted to do before baby came... Waters went at 38 + 1 baby arrived early 38 + 2...

So my advice is:
Prioritise! Pack the hospital bag, wash baby clothes, have the change area and baby's moses basket set up. The rest (cooking, gift buying, card writing etc) will follow :-)

This is not intended to panic you, but hopefully will mean you won't frantically be racing around whilst leaking waters and trying to simultaneously wash and dry baby clothes, set up baby's bed and find things to pack in your hospital bag !! (Like I was )

Good luck!!

Go to the cinema. Go by yourself if you have to, but go to the cinema! That is all.

File your fingernails down if not already short. Look at jewellery - I have a three week old and have temporarily stopped wearing my engagement ring due to the upright setting of the stones and the risk of scratching my dd's skin.
Try doing things one handed from the area where you normally sit in your lounge/living room. Can you reach for a hot drink without having to move, would you be reaching down or up, would the drink be secure (ie on flat non wobbly table?). Me and my dd love cuddling with her lying on my chest, her face down on my shoulder. Once I got used to picking up drinks, mumsnetting etc with one hand I was well away.
Sign up for lovefilm or Netflix. I've watched some cracking box sets via Netflix since being off work. I'd rather watch something good than washover drivel!
Set up a small 'oh, crap' savings account. You can use this for takeaways so you don't have to worry too much about money when you're knackered and hungry. If, like in my case, all your friends and relatives buy clothes gifts for your child in size 3-6 months plus, yet you really thought you would get gifts in 0-3 so didn't buy hardly anything (argh) you can use savings to help get some nice things.

"hopefully will mean you won't frantically be racing around whilst leaking waters and trying to simultaneously wash and dry baby clothes, set up baby's bed and find things to pack in your hospital bag !! "

this made me

In some ways I hope it is a bit of a whirl and I dont end up spending 3-4 weeks on mat leave sat about just 'cos she is late. I'm going to try to work to 38 weeks... I will certainly prioritise the most important things though.

Also the suggestion about having somewhere near and secure for drinks is a good one - there are a few re-arrangements I can make to assist.

Thanks all.

Keep 'em coming

At 38 weeks, you might also find yourself quite knackered and unable to stand for more than 30 minutes before your back screams for mercy, and the list of 'things I'd like to do' goes down to watching DVD boxsets, drinking raspberry leaf tea and eating pineapple whilst praying for an early labour. Just sayin'.

Going to the cinema is a good idea! Also packing the baby's bag and hospital bag and getting the clothes and nappies ready.

What to put in a hospital bag

Relax & enjoy pitting your feet up & pottering around.

Also buy in supplied of stuff like loo roll, tea/ coffee that won't go off but you really don't want to run out of.

Treat yourself to some nice hand cream & place next to sink- you will be amazed how much you wash your hands with a newborn & they become like lizard hands within a few days!

What about any paperwork type stuff? Stuff that you would rather do now than when you have a small baby? Car service, passport, etc.

I am due in early September. Other than the usual stuff these are a few little things I am planning on doing is figuring out how to use my camera properly. Also to make photobooks of special holidays etc as I will probably never get around to it after baby arrives (will have too many shots).

I am also going to try to get a few new recipes under my belt.

I will restore an old wicker chair and stool and few little projects like that.

Good Lord, how does having a baby in mid October mean that you need to have all your Christmas cards written before the baby arrives?!? I think you are over thinking things. Food in freezer might be an idea but otherwise just get what you need for the baby and put your feet up before you never get the chance again!!!

Make a new Will, appointing guardians.

DH arrived just before Christmas and I had already organised cards, envelopes and half-messages so that was a weight off my mind - but October? Make sure you have a cards list, but leave everything later, to do while lo is sleeping (yes, there will be a few moments!) and enlist help of dp.

Make a list of nearby, well-priced hotels for out-of-town guests We had one guest arrive as I was leaving the hospital to come home, one night to ourselves, then 2nd guest arrived for 3 weeks. I wish I'd had the balls to tell them both to book into a hotel , but they were my parents and neither lifted a fucking finger

Pack your hospital bag, clean your house, bulk buy tea /- organise photos is a nice idea. Leave a spare set of things like: nappies, different sized babygros, spare nightie for you etc on your dining table just before you go to hospital - that way if you need anything, you can give a friend/family member your keys and they can just grab stuff rather than go through draws (I was in longer than I thought I'd be and needed another nightie).

Stock up on paper plates and other environmentally unfriendly disposable things to save time washing up!

Congratulations