The last month....

[user1465146157]

Any tips from you experienced mums on what to do in the last month?

I'm 35 weeks and its my first time pregnancy - doing the usual things like buying muslin cloths and reading about pain relief - what are your real tips that wouldn't necessarily be a first search result on Google.

I feel like I'm following lists online of what to pack for hospital, what to buy etc, but know there is stuff I'm not thinking about.

x

Hi, if I could go back to my first pregnancy, I would read more about labour and how it all works and what your different options are for different senarios. I had read all about pain relief options but nothing about labour. It meant when things were not progressing as standard, I didn't really have a clue what was happening. I was not in a good position to make the best decisions as it was all so alien to me so ended up going along with what the midwifes said and looking back, this wasn't really the best decision.
I made the same mistake with baby number 2 (thinking-I've done this before so will be fine)! Baby number 3, I read loads about labour and how the body works in dealing with pain, etc. I felt knowing and understanding really helped me feel in control and stay much more relaxed.

If you're planning to breastfeed, the kellymom website is good. It's helpful to have a good read about what is normal in terms of feeding patterns, etc. Also, may be worth saving some websites and breastfeeding helpline numbers to your phone so you've got them handy if needed.

My mum also organised me a little box downstairs with my first with nappies,spare clothes,bibs,etc so I didn't have to keep running upstairs for stuff. I just topped it up as needed.

Maybe make some freezer meals. Buy lots of snack food for yourself too.

Make sure you've got memory on your phone for lots of pictures!

Good luck.

All great suggestions by PP! I was the same about labour, didn't know as much as I thought I did for sure! Was caught unprepared and didn't know what to do for the best at the time.

Another suggestion, spend time with your partner. In post-partum hormonal state I felt like I missed my partner so much in the first few weeks, even though he was at home with us a lot, just missed the one on one time and time to chat and relax together, so top up on that if you can!

Thanks so much both - really good advice! x