35 weeks pregnant... give me your tips please!

[NoHeavenNoMore]

Just as the title says really, 35 weeks pregnant and want to know what I need to do/don't need to do, should do/shouldn't do over the next few weeks.
Grateful for any tips, big or small thanks in advance!!

35 weeks too so I’m going to sneak in and follow.

Tips for what? Pregnancy? Childbirth? New baby?

Chill out, rest, nap, watch Netflix, sleeeep! I went into major nesting mode and spent my last few weeks cleaning and sorting every inch of the house and then wish I’d chilled out after baby arrived! I neatly folded and arranged all the baby clothes in the drawers which have never been folded since

33 weeks pregnant with my second child.

Current list of what I consider to be essentials (in no particular order):

1. Rest
2. Hypnobirthing practice (found it helpful last time
3. DIY jobs around the house that will bug me if left until after baby arrives (as we won't have time to focus on them afterwards)
4. Tick off general "life admin/to do list" jobs that are easiest done before baby arrives. This also helps me to relax knowing that there's nothing important to do!
5. Pack hospital bag
6. Organise things for new baby (in my case, get equipment and baby clothes down from attic, wash as required)
7. Book/do activities I enjoy and might not have a chance to do for a while after baby arrives. In my case, lots of things with my toddler to make the most of it, in your case, date nights or spa days!
8. Pregnancy massage

@BunnytheFriendlyDragon

Tips for what? Pregnancy? Childbirth? New baby?

Anything! Any gems you wish you'd been told/found out afterwards? FTM and I don't have a clue what I'm doing (on the practical side of things) but I'm very ready to love my little human!

@Jorja02

Chill out, rest, nap, watch Netflix, sleeeep! I went into major nesting mode and spent my last few weeks cleaning and sorting every inch of the house and then wish I’d chilled out after baby arrived! I neatly folded and arranged all the baby clothes in the drawers which have never been folded since

Haha I have literally done the exact same thing! Colour coding baby vests.. I'm sure this will never, ever be done again 😅 I have spent the afternoon watching Catfish UK and feeling like maybe I should be doing something more productive! im still in work for the next 3 weeks too

@Poppins2016

33 weeks pregnant with my second child.

Current list of what I consider to be essentials (in no particular order):

1. Rest
2. Hypnobirthing practice (found it helpful last time
3. DIY jobs around the house that will bug me if left until after baby arrives (as we won't have time to focus on them afterwards)
4. Tick off general "life admin/to do list" jobs that are easiest done before baby arrives. This also helps me to relax knowing that there's nothing important to do!
5. Pack hospital bag
6. Organise things for new baby (in my case, get equipment and baby clothes down from attic, wash as required)
7. Book/do activities I enjoy and might not have a chance to do for a while after baby arrives. In my case, lots of things with my toddler to make the most of it, in your case, date nights or spa days!
8. Pregnancy massage

Thank you for sharing your list. Really good suggestions... especially the pregnancy massage!

if you haven't done it yet buy some disposable maternity knickers and those really thick maternity pads.
also get some bed protector sheets - useful if your waters break while in bed and afterwards, especially with heavy lochia.

if you are breastfeeding always put in a fresh pad - during bf is when the uterus tends to contract more (so it gets smaller) and that causes sudden, stronger bleeding. don't get caught out, it's quite yuck🤣

make it a habit that when baby drinks you drink - esp if bf. it's an easy way to make sure you keep hydrated throughout the day!

whether bf or ff I found a C-shaped feeding pillow incredibly helpful to position baby/make feeding easier & less back breaking

I have a reasonable amount of knowledge (7 kids here) but as my youngest is now 7 (today!) so I can help better of there are specific questions. so feel free to ask anything!!

Get your DH on board with knowing where things are and what they're for. You don't know what state you'll be in and he needs to be ready to take charge. DH packed the hospital bag with items I chose, so that he'd know where things were when I was focusing on giving birth the catching up on sleep afterwards. Make sure he knows what's in the freezer and how to do a supermarket order, if he doesn't already. Also, make sure you're on the same page about visitors: who, when, where, how long. My final two tips: after the birth don't be in a hurry to tell the world - enjoy the magic of you being the only ones who know for a few hours. And once you're home, make sure you have a pint glass of water next to you when you're feeding. Once you're sat down you might be there for a while! Good luck.

Don't pack a bag expecting an amazing last minute week end away..
Ime

Didn't make it past maternity having an emcs!!

Definitely get jobs and life admin sorted now. The first three months especially were a haze!

Get some meals frozen in advance.

Decide now to accept any and all help offered, and request it if you need it! Family are usually keen to come over and hold the baby, but you can ask them to hold the baby (or take for a walk) while you get some rest. Let them make drinks etc.

Read about the symptoms of post natal depression now and put a plan in place for coping/seeking medical help if needed. Let your partner know what to look out for. It happens to a lot of people and from personal experience it is pretty soul destroying at the time.

Get out of the house every day. It really breaks the day up and makes you feel good even if knackered! I had a c section, and they say walk as much as you can. It wasn't far at first but I do think it helped me to heal quickly.

Get a few large muslins (metre square) as they're awesome for breastfeeding covers, general burping, and even a very light blanket.

Good luck with the birth and enjoy your baby!

@zing thank you so much! Protector sheets is a brilliant idea, hadn’t thought of that. My mum got me all stocked up on disposable knickers and pads but I imagine I will be needing more too..
I am planning on breastfeeding, my partner isn’t putting any pressure on me and I’m just going to try and go with the flow. I really do hope I can make it work, but we were gifted a prep machine so I’m going to keep that next to bed too. With regards to breastfeeding, is it really as awful as some people have told me for the first few days? Pain-wise I mean? I don’t want to give up too easily, I want to be mentally prepared. I’m stocked up on nursing pads and nipple cream!

Happy Birthday to your little one, by the way!

Personally never had any negative issues with bf. It does go well for some op and isn't always a struggle...

1. Lower your expectations.
2. People love to give advice, ignore it and do you.
3. If you can't/don't want to breastfeed, that's ok.
4. Lots of maternity pads.
5. Take the drugs, no one gets a medal for doing childbirth without drugs.

@NoHeavenNoMore Ohhhh so exciting ☺️ Not long to go now!! I had my 1st baby in November 😊 A few things that I would suggest:

• Absolutely agree with @ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba about the protector sheets 👍🏻 You can get packs from Boots 😊 Also pop a couple in the car for the way to and way home from hospital to protect the seat 😊
• Buy as many maternity pads as you expect to need...and then buy some more 🙈🤣
• Make sure your birth partner knows where things are in your hospital bag. I packed baby’s bag with each outfit in a little ziploc bag - vest, babygrow, nappy in each and labelled with the size. Meant it was easy for DH to grab a full change out of the bag.
• Get a portable fan for hospital. Maternity wards are SO warm! Also, a long phone charger cable.
• Make sure your birth partner knows all your preferences for during your labour!

As for breastfeeding - there were a few things that caught me a bit off guard:

• for the first few weeks, as baby feeds your uterus contracts - so you bleed heavier during the feeds. I had one night about 3/4 days in where baby literally fed on and off for about 8 hours and...COMPLETE TMI...when I stood up in the morning a blood clot the size of a small chicken breast fell out of me 😬

I was expecting my nipples to get sore but I wasn’t expecting the cramps etc in my belly!

• Also, might just have been me but every time baby latched on to feed I got major hot flushes mainly in my feet and legs. I couldn’t stand anything being on my feet 🙈
• Mu baby had problems with latch so I had quite a bit of pain. Smother your nipples in Lansinoh cream after every feed 👍🏻 Also, I highly recommend MultiMam compresses. You get them in Boots. They’re like super moisturising cooking sheet masks for your nips 🤣

Apart from that I would say have a few meals prepared in the freezer so you have some decent food for when you get home from hospital, enjoy time now with just you and your partner - maybe have a date night etc 😊 and honestly just try to relax! Your whole world is about to change in the most amazing way 😊

That should say cooling sheet masks 🤣

@NoHeavenNoMore

yes, bf can be a bit painful in the beginning - honestly I'm surprised most people don't throw in the towel by day 3 when it's not quite going well, you are hormonal, exhausted, fed up...it's bloody hard!

it can be a bit of a nightmare but PLEASE PLEASE know that perfect latch & perfect feeding takes time & patience.
if you ever feel like crying & beating yourself up because "it should be easy and everyone can do it but mee" I will need you to call me so I can pop round and slap some sense into you!🤣🤣

you might be getting the hang of it quite quickly or it might take a bit of time.
aim to persevere for 2-3 weeks, the initial pain should settle by 7-10 days.
get a bf consultant/midwife/health visitor to help you with latch as soon as you feel you need it.

And make sure your baby is checked for tongue tie BEFORE you leave the hospital and if there are still feeding problems (sore nips, baby wanting to nurse all the time but falling asleep after a not enough suckling, weight's dropping) then you'll need to see a specialist about TT.
4 out of 7 had it. it was a fucking nightmare but the youngest 3 had TT separation early on (by 3 w old) and that improved things.
my DD also had a highly arched palate which improved with cranial osteopathy.

Find out where your local BF support services are in advance just in case.

Follow some useful people on social media! Here's my list of who I'm following at the moment, you'll probably find more just by clicking around and seeing who follows who:

Lucy Ruddle
LMJ Feeding Support
The Eco Midwife
Lyndsay Hookway / Feed Sleep Bond
Birthability
Baby Sleep Info Source (BaSIS)
Professor Amy Brown
Milli Hill

I love this thread. Thank you everyone so far.

We have hospital bag packed (we packed together, so hopefully he will remember where things are) already, but as we drove somewhere earlier it suddenly dawned on me that maybe we should have the packed bag in the car now everywhere we go? What week did you start going everywhere with yours?
We have created a list of visitors too, this is a really good tip @33goingon64. Especially love not announcing the birth - may even wait until the day after so we can just stay in our bubble and not be pestered with texts and calls etc.

I must admit, I feel like I’ve kind of been wishing the last few weeks of my pregnancy away, but you’re all making me realise that’s the last thing I should be doing. Going to try and start enjoying the peace and slower pace of life when I finish work. Plenty of rest ready for the big day!!

@NoHeavenNoMore I think it’s so common at that stage to start wishing away the last few weeks! I know I was just so impatient wanting to meet my baby and make sure everything was “perfect” that I didn’t take any time to relax! I went into labour already exhausted and haven’t slept longer than 2-3 hours in a row since - and that was 8.5months ago 🙈🤣 definitely relax as much as you can just now!

No I didn't keep the bag in the car. Do put the car seat base in if you have one. First labours normally take ages so you'll have time to get home from the supermarket or whatever to pick up the bag easily.

Good luck! Definitely try and enjoy the 'calm before the storm', I'm a few weeks postpartum now and it's so full on.
Love the suggestion of sorting life admin! There's some things I have been desperately meaning to get round to since the birth and it's just not happening. Do not underestimate the lack of time and headspace once baby is here. You're lucky if you can get moving by 2-3pm in the afternoon. So try get on top of life admin, DIY, major mess or clutter etc.

Try not to leave things in boxes or ready to be 'set up later', try have everything literally ready. We did the whole nursery out, knowing baby would be in our room, but for some reasons didn't actually have stuff like nappies etc literally laid out in our room waiting, but this would have been so helpful. The minute you get home from the hospital you are exhausted and have your hands full and just need the room ready and waiting for you. Set your bedroom up as if baby is literally here now and coming upstairs for a nappy change in 2 mins. Million muslin cloths and nappies next to the bed etc. A few changing mats dotted around the house. You will never get up and go to the designated changing station the way you think you will. Also get a million packs of water wipes (water and cotton wool will get old very fast!)

Read and research things that you will want to understand later but won't have time to research. You might not even know what those things are yet but maybe hover on forums and see what common questions people have are, such as about supply and when milk comes in and what to do if you have an engorged breast in first few days etc. I found I desperately needed to understand certain elements of breastfeeding and needed to gain advice postpartum so was asking all the different midwives popping into the room but they all gave different advice which was immensely stressful. So reading up on things as much as possible before and deciding which school of advice you want to follow etc.
Hope that makes sense and helps
I could go on and on! 

@BertieBotts

No I didn't keep the bag in the car. Do put the car seat base in if you have one. First labours normally take ages so you'll have time to get home from the supermarket or whatever to pick up the bag easily.

@NoHeavenNoMore This was my thinking too. I did carry my notes everywhere though just incase. I was induced so didn’t have any issues but my friend started having very minor cramps (having never had a single twinge the rest of her pregnancy) and had her baby within 3 hours 🙈 and we live a 55 minute drive from the hospital! So if you’re going any great distance from home or your hospital then I’d make sure you have your bags 😊

Following !

when you go into labour call the hospital first but don't request for epidural over the phone.
they just can't do it🤣

also take some spray air freshener with you. we learnt this the hard way...🙈