I’ve hit the third trimester craziness.
This includes:
thoroughly stuffed to starving
vibrantly happy to woefully sad
bursts of energy to falling asleep on the couch
periods of insane productivity to absolute laziness
in minutes.
But never mind all that, there’s still plenty to do to prepare for Baby! And there are lots of ways to get ready. So here’s my non-comprehensive, first-time-mom list:
- Prenatal yoga. It’s as easy as borrowing a yoga mat (or using a towel), and a quick search on YouTube. It’s one of the things that helps me relax and works out all those tired muscles!
- Drink a bottle of water. Because if you’re like me, you’re not drinking enough. Put in a little Simply Lemonade or Limeade to give it some flavor.
- Manage your registry. I had a lovely baby shower last week and received so many sweet presents. These covered many of the things I needed, and then I’ve also since then realized other things we will need. So adjustments had to be made…plus it’s fun.
- Start washing linens for Baby. Clothes, sheets, support pillow covers, blankets. I plan on using Baby Ecos Laundry Detergent, because again, we’re trying to go natural in our products, and I’d like something safe for Baby that won’t cause an allergic reaction to his sensitive skin.
- Go get a mani/pedi. Or give yourself one (although it’s like doing yoga trying to get to your toes right now). 10 out of 10 women say it brings relief to swollen feet to at least have pretty toes (jk).
- Pack your bags! I found tons of great blog references for what real mommas say to bring. Here’s a few: Charming in Charlotte, The Wise Baby, The Wise Baby Round 2, My Sweetnest
- Aaaand a great excuse to go shopping is when you don’t have all the things you need for the hospital bag…just don’t wear yourself out!
- Take that birthing class you’ve been meaning to get around to. (If you’re like me.)
- Take a nap! It’s okay! Start stocking up for when you can’t get sleep.
- Plan it out. I don’t have a birth plan – I honestly believe that no matter what I plan, it will not happen that way. But I had a friend tell me that she mapped it out, and it did happen the way she wanted! I think there’s a lot to be said for positive thinking. So envision it going the way you want, especially when you start to feel stressed.
- Stock up. Pick up all the things you’ll need and may run out of when Baby makes his/her debut. Because the last thing I’m going to want to do is run to the store for toilet paper in those first couple of weeks. Or send my hubby to pick up the right one 🙂
- Start on thank-you cards for the gifts you’ve already received. I keep thinking I’ll have time to do it after the birth – but I’m also thinking I won’t want to do that at all then.
- Read to Baby. He/she can hear you, and is getting used to your voice!
- Clean. If you haven’t started the nesting phase yet, now’s the time to go full-force.
- Go on spontaneous dates with your hubby.
- Take a walk. Spend a little time, just you and Baby.
- Make a simple, yummy, moderately healthy treat to enjoy
- Decorate the nursery. Ours is still a work in progress.
- Read a non-pregnancy book. Something just to enjoy.
- Install the carseat.
- Talk with your hubby about any unmade decisions or plans, so you can be on the same page. Like will he take time off work? Will one of your moms come to help?
- Knock out some of those unrelated, but necessary to-do list items you have on hold. (Like my hubby’s birthday present – done!)
- Call friends you don’t typically see. I have a couple new mommy friends I need to check in with, and steal advice from 🙂
- Go on a tour of your hospital’s maternity ward. The Stir has some good questions to ask on the tour as well.
- Take maternity pictures! That’s a fun one.
- Organize the nursery just how you’d like it. No guarantees it’ll stay that way, but it’ll be nice to have things within reaching distance when you need them!
- Get Dad to pack his bag too!
- Make yourself some postpartum padsicles (DIY from tall mom tiny baby).
- Set up a photographer to come take pictures in the hospital. Research some pictures you’d like taken. I love this one, these ones, and this one, for example.
- Make something from you, for Baby. A friend got me a Build-A-Bear Workshop gift card so we could make something special just for our little guy. I love that idea!
What other things can you think of? What was helpful for you?