Last Minute Things to Do
Once you hit the last month of pregnancy you should have almost all of the supplies and furniture you need for your baby. If you are having a nursery, you probably have it already decorated and set up. But don’t forget the other things you’ll need for going and coming home from the hospital!
Hospital Bag for You
By the time you hit 37 weeks you should make sure that you have your hospital bag packed and ready to go. You may even want to have it in the trunk of your car. Every labor is different and since you do not know if you will go into labor at home, in the middle of the night, or while you are out of the house, you want to be prepared ahead of time. You won’t want to go into labor and not have time to pack a bag or take anything with you to the hospital. Things you might want to include in your bag are:
- Pajamas/lounging outfit for after the baby is born, if you don’t want to be stuck in the hospital gown
- Music for during and after labor
- Camera/video camera to record the birth and get your first pictures of baby
- Snacks for during labor for you and your labor partner
- Maxi-pads to go home in (the hospital will supply what you need while there)
- Clothes to go home in
- Any medicine you are on, including your prenatal vitamins
- Birth Plan
- Phone cards to call family and friends long distance if cell phones are not allowed in your room
- List of numbers of who to call after the baby comes
Hospital Bag for Your Baby
You also want to make sure that you have a bag packed for your baby, or that you pack some stuff for your baby in your hospital bag. Some things you may want to include are:
- Going home outfit
- Gowns for baby while in hospital
- Special baby blanket
- Cloth diapers if you choose
- Diapers/Wipes (hospital will supply some but it is always good to have extras!)
- Diaper rash cream
- Scratch mitts for babies hands
Other Last Minute Things to Do
If it is possible, get as much sleep as you can in the last weeks before your baby arrives. Chances are you won’t get much sleep after your baby is in your arms. Make your lists of who to call and when to call them. Double check your birth plan and go over it with your doctor or midwife.
Some women are concerned about how they will look “down there” while giving birth. If you choose, go in for a bikini wax and trim a couple of weeks before your due date. Shaving at this point in pregnancy is probably not possible, so have a professional help you.
Try to get away for a quiet weekend just you and your partner before the baby comes. This last chance for quiet time and bonding will be appreciated in the months after your baby arrives and you find that you have very little time alone, or with each other. If you have other kids, arrange with a family member or friend to keep them for a night or a weekend.
Get a facial, get your nails done, or other things that help you relax and are just for you. Once your baby arrives it will be difficult to find time to pamper yourself, so be sure to pamper yourself while you still can.
These last weeks of pregnancy will be tiring as well as joyful. It is important that you try to relax and enjoy the last minutes of your pregnancy and your baby’s movements before you enter a whole new phase of your life.
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