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Original poster

Things you wish you had done before baby arrived

22 replies

TheSlug · 30/12/2013 13:48

Hi all, just after some ideas please. My first baby is due in a few days so don't have long left (although I'll probably be overdue) and I was just wondering if anyone has thing they really wished they had done on maternity leave while waiting for baby to arrive? Or equally, anything that anyone is really glad they got around to doing and would recommend trying to fit in?

Hope that makes sense! Thanks Thanks

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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Misty9 · 30/12/2013 13:56

Blimey, by your stage I think I'd just focus on resting and distracting yourself until the big event. There's plenty I wish I'd done before even getting pregnant with my first, but that's another thread! Good luck, and congrats for a few days time :)

summerlovingliz · 30/12/2013 13:57

Pamper yourself.. Hair cut, toenails painted etc etc., it will make h feel good and u won't have time for a while after baby arrives!! Smile

FoxyRevenger · 30/12/2013 13:59

Yes, totally agree with haircut and pedicure. I remember the midwife commenting on my toenails - which were red and lovely - as she stitched my bits checked me out after having my son.

Read a lot, lie about rubbing cream on your tummy, maybe maybe venture to the cinema if you can be arsed.

BigW · 30/12/2013 14:02

Enjoy quiet. Read, watch films and rest. DS is 1 mow and for the year I can count the periods of peace and quiet on one hand!!

Mrswellyboot · 30/12/2013 14:04

I had a couple of months off before having our baby
Was glad

I slept

Sleeeeep zzzzz

Decorated nursery
Decluttered the whole house. You will gather a lot of stuff
Bought a label maker and cream boxes and labelled them 0-3 3-6 and listed stuff as it arrived.
Bought few wicker chests, house always looks tidy
Batch cooked enough for six weeks
Had lots of perishables bought in
Had hair done
Charged camera, bought extra batteries
Went through wardrobe for transition clothes (still in them Blush )
Went to a nice restaurant with dh and theatre a lot

Good luck!!!

LittleH78 · 30/12/2013 14:40

Everyone I have asked this of has said filling the freezer! We have just bought a new one to go with new kitchen hence I have filled both with portions of curry, chilli, bolognaise, various pies and pasta sauces....

They are now full to bursting and I'm 3 days overdue...so it's Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and messing around on the internet for me!

Look forward to any more suggestions to fill the time...

TwerkingNineToFive · 30/12/2013 14:42

Sleep.
Make food for the freezer.
Nice lunches out in places where you won't be able to take crying kids.

Alexjoy · 30/12/2013 14:43

This may sound ridiculous, but cut all the labels out of your baby's clothing! I've just had a baby and hunting around for a pair of scissors to cut labels out is a major annoyance when you new born is screaming and you are trying to change him! Best of luck!

PenguinsDontEatStollen · 30/12/2013 14:47

Nothing.

A lot more doing nothingGrin Grin

Original poster
TheSlug · 30/12/2013 15:00

I was expecting very different replies to be honest... But now I'm doubly glad I started this thread!! Thank you everyone!

OP posts:
Remembermyname · 30/12/2013 15:02

Eat every meal slowly and savour every mouthful. Now, I shovel at speed!!

EnidClowes · 30/12/2013 15:45

Pop out and meet friends for a cuppa/lunch. Leaving the house will no longer be that quick and spur of the moment once your baby is here.
Thing I miss most about the last days of my first pregnancy is the amount of blissful lounging around and snoozing. Second time around there's just not the same level of relaxation. Enjoy, bask, have a bath or two, get any filing/tax returns done (woohoo!)
Eek so exciting.

TobyLerone · 30/12/2013 15:53

I'm in my last week too, OP. We've been decorating for the last couple of weeks, so today I've basically done bugger all because I'm knackered.

Definitely need to do some cleaning (tomorrow!), and build the crib and pram.

The freezer is full. Cinema is planned for Wednesday. All baby clothes are washed and bags packed. I've never cut labels out of baby clothes though, and I don't plan on starting now!

hubbahubster · 30/12/2013 16:15

Go to the cinema if you can beat it. Go out for dinner on the spur of the moment after 7.30pm. Have more sex ;)

hubbahubster · 30/12/2013 16:16

*bear not beat

natwebb79 · 30/12/2013 16:16

I went to the cinema by myself, had pampering treatments, visited a friend on the train reading magazines at leisure during the journey and sat on my arse at home reading books. Ooh and cooked and froze meals for when baby arrived Smile

jen2014 · 31/12/2013 14:41

If you're going to do a baby book/ keepsake box make sure you get it/ start it now. Lots of them have sections for info about mum and dad, pregnancy moments etc which you can write now to give yourself a head start. Make sure you have a box/ basket somewhere to keep all the birth cards, flower bouquet notes, hospital name tag etc. Sounds odd but if it's one if those things you really want to do you end up with piles of stuff and never get round to all the cutting, sticking, printing of photos etc. DS is 2 and I still haven't quite finished his baby book (thought to be fair he's yet to have his first hair cut so I think I'll be waiting until he's 4 for that...)

WeeTeaJenny · 31/12/2013 14:57

Plenty of long lies ... I havnt had one for over two years now , and SO miss just lounging all day on the couch with a pile of magazines and trashy telly all day ...
Buy packs of thank you cards and stamps too so you can write them out and just pop in nearest post box as there is no way you will want to brave the Post Office queues with small noisy baby x
Buy various flavours of Snack a jacks these are great easy low cal snack to have to hand
Just basically chill, have lovely baths, defo get hair coloured , maybe a few outfits organised for yourself too for after baby...

EmB1715 · 01/01/2014 14:20

We have a newborn and I really wish we'd figured out how to best fit the pram in the car/thought about getting the pram, bags, baby in heavy car seat etc in and out of the house/car. With a crying baby and pouring rain it's not so fun! Other than that...relax!

beela · 01/01/2014 14:31

Sleep. Have a lie in, then a nap, and then sleep some more. Then maybe have an early night.

The weekend before my DS was born we sat in bed with the sunday papers until about 11am, that was over 3 years ago and I don't see any likelihood of being able to repeat that experience anytime soon (esp as #2 is due in April).

Pixielady83 · 02/01/2014 14:09

Loads of sleep, a couple of nice lunches or dinners out, some beauty treatments. Eyelash tint might be useful - saves applying mascara and time removing make up at night. We went out for a lovely lunch the day before I had DD and I still remember how lovely it was to be able to linger over a long lunch with a glass of wine Smile good luck! Oh, and in case you go overdue, try and book things in (even if it's just things for you to do on your own) for every couple of days, like coffee with a friend, or cinema etc as then it'll pass the time a bit quicker than sitting hoping to go into labour!

Christelle2207 · 02/01/2014 15:07

Work out how to get the car seat in and out of the car.

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