Channeling that energy
During this mysterious time of pregnancy, women have been known to scrub imaginary germs off tiles with a toothbrush, reorganize the foods in their cupboards alphabetically, repaint and wallpaper the new nursery, only to mysteriously end up repainting and wallpapering out into the rest of the house.
Here are a few good ideas for channeling that nesting energy so that
when the baby does come and you need to rest, you will be able to pat
yourself on the back and reach for a ready made meal.
Pack that bag
First of all, get your bag ready for the hospital now. Who cares if it's a
month early? That is one less thing you need to worry about and there is a
sense of security in knowing all you have to do is to GET to the hospital.
For an even better precautionary step, put the bag next to the front door.
When you start feeling out of sorts and as if you aren't getting anything
done, you can see that you at least have the hospital packing finished.
Trust me, it is soothing.
Be sure to pack a little goodie bag for yourself in there. You will really appreciate having a soap that doesn't audibly suck the moisture out of your skin, like the hospital stuff does and I have never met anyone yet who WANTS to smell like a medical institution. A five star organizational tip is to get the travel sized stuff from the store. You can fit it all in a ziplock and if you forget something or it disappears at the hospital, it won't be such a hardship.
Don't listen to anyone who tells you
that you won't need things to pamper yourself with at the hospital. You will
appreciate being able to run a (real) comb through your hair and put on a
little lipstick -- if not for any other reason than to remind yourself that
giving birth is not a medical procedure and you are not sick.
Pamper yourself
Now, after you are ready to go, think about taking steps to make the house
ready to come home to. You are not going to want to go shopping for a couple
of weeks. Make sure you are 1 can, bottle, and jar ahead on all your
cleaning stuff. There is nothing more frustrating than having someone say,
"sure, I will do your dishes." Then finding that you are out of dish soap!
Next, buy yourself some fancy, exotic bath toiletries. When you do get a
chance to finally shower, you want to make it seem as luxurious as possible.
Be warned, however, that you may not actually be able to USE the new
toiletries for a while so make sure they are pretty to look at as well.
Make meals ahead
For meals, I can't recommend cooking ahead highly enough. First of all, get
yourself a couple of packs of the foil pans from the supermarket. Then, a
month before you are due starts making simple meals to put in the freezer.
Everytime you make dinner, make extra and put it in the foil pan. Cover the
pan tightly with foil. Take a piece of masking tape and write what the
contents are and cooking instructions in case you get lucky and someone
offers to heat it for you.
Some of you may think you can just order out for
every meal. Well, you can but it's mighty expensive and you want your
partner home with you and the baby, not out fetching the chicken wings.
Consider throwaways
Don't forget the paper and plastic. Now is not the time to consider becoming
an environmentally conscious home. Get yourself some paper plates and cups.
You are not going to have the time or energy to wash dishes or fill the
dishwasher. Unless you are especially blessed, your husband will probably
help clean the kitchen for you but it is just as draining to have him ask
you questions from the kitchen every step of the way. We all know that it is
just easier to get it yourself than to try to explain it to him. Not to
downplay how hard they will want to try and help, think of getting the paper
and plastic to help HIM to help you!
A diaper service? Plan ahead.
Check on getting a diaper service. Unless you are using disposables, a
diaper service is quick, easy and really inexpensive. If you call and set up
the service before the baby, all you will have to do is have someone call
them when you go into the hospital and they will start sending the diapers.
Even if you only use the service for a month or so, it will be one less
thing you have to worry about and it feels like a little spoiling for mom as
well (Hey, we take what we can get!)
A nest for you
The extra burst of energy that we all feel right before our babies are born
is our body's way of preparing for the new arrival, it is kind of like
Mother Nature's way of saying "Hey, you better get ready, 'cause things as you
know it are about to change!"
With a little planning, you will save yourself
from having to deal with the little inconveniences that arise while learning
to function with a brand new baby. If you are going to nest (and you are!)
why not make the nest as comfy for yourself as you have made it for the
baby?
