At what point do you like to feel like you have "everything ready"?

[DeChRi]

With DD1 I think I had everything bought, washed, folded, organized, rewashed, refolded, reorganized....by 32 weeks. With DD2, I think i had it all done by 36 weeks. This time I am hit with....heck, I can send DH out after baby is born for that, lol. I am trying to shake that and realize that my planning this time is different. Instead of buying everything and stuff, I need to cook/freeze food, organize some areas of the house, etc.

I am 21 weeks and trying to get SOMETHING moving. Just wondering when you like to feel like your ducks are in a row!

[MamaMelis]

I don't worry about much until 36 weeks or so ~ in reality there just isnt that much that I have to do. I always figure that if I have a preterm baby my home birth will be off anyway, and the baby will likely have to spend some time in the hospital, so there would be time to set up the cosleeper or install the carseat or to do whatever we needed at home. Like you, this is my 3rd, so I have most of everything that I need, the baby will be cosleeping for months, and so most of the true "planning" will take place after birth when we find out the gender and make some room shifts in our house. I will wash some onesies and sleepers, hats and socks and whatnot, as well as make sure that I have my newborn diapers ready to go by 37 weeks, I don't like to wash much before then as it gives things too much time to collect dust. I will freeze some things, but my girlfriends and I all provide meals for one another when one of us has a new baby, so I should have dinners coming in for 2 or 3 weeks that will help out.

Now (I'm 21 or 22 weeks) I focus on exercising, eating healthily, doing yoga/meditation, and doing things for me and my other 2 kids that will get harder for a bit once the wee one arrives. We are trying to do more fun things now as they might get put on the back burner for a few weeks when the newbie arrives.

[luckysgirl]

Honestly? Never.

I've learned that - in my life, at least - if everyone is (moderately) happy and not bleeding? Then we're generally okay.

[NSmomtobe]

We didn't feel the least bit ready until 39 weeks. At that point we put the room together and determined that if anything else was needed, we could get it afterwards.

[megan sacha]

ready? Never!

[akat]

I hear ya, I'm on #2, 39 weeks on Wed, just finishing stuff up.

Part of it is I'm busier, I worked til 8 months this time and I have another kid to focus on.

But another part is I remember being kinda bored right after my first was born. Yeah, we'll be tired and busy, but not completely incapacitated. Everything doesn't have to be 100% finished and ready a month before the baby.

But, when I was eager to do stuff early in my pregnancy, I did pull out all the baby stuff from the basement and make sure it was all organized by size, got rid of stuff I didn't love, cleaned some stuff up, and put it back in a way where it would be easy to pull out quickly if necessary. Made sure there was nothing broken or missing, nothing I needed to buy, figured out what size batteries to stock up on.

This was a good way to get my older son excited, too, showing him the baby clothes and stuff.

Then last week I brought it up, washed it for good measure, and put it in the dresser.

[megviolet]

With DD, i think we had everything ready about a month before my due date, maybe 3 weeks before or so.
This time, i'm only 16.5 weeks but i have already bought/acquired everything we need (mostly for thrifty/financial reasons) and i'd like to wait until after DD's birthday (a month before my EDD for this baby) before i bring stuff into the house and have it 'ready'.
I haven't gotten anything ready for homebirth yet, but i'm still really early.

[DeChRi]

Fun to read the replies...thanks!

I find that my "get readies" come in very small spurts. And they are usually centered around my other kids or events. Like putting away XMas boxes and my 10yo say box of infant clothes and says...Let's go through em! Or at store with DD2 and she says...mama, baby needs "insert random item we will never use but i end up getting anyway because it is so sweet that my two yo thought of the baby"...then we come home and need a place to put it so I re-org a shelf.

I have yet to so much as even make a list, but my big tasks will be moving space and items around to make room for baby stuff again. Like most, besides diapers, boobs and our bed, not much the first few weeks.

My biggest concern it that given the insane high needs of my toddler, that anything I dont get done pre-baby, may not get doen until the all are in school.

[etsdtm99]

my goal is about 36-37 weeks for having diapers/clothes washed and a place for baby to sleep. i don't install the carseat until 39-40 weeks or whenever we need it .. this will be my first homebirth so i'm not sure exactly what i'll feel like doing.. last time i was very concerned abotu finishing all the cloth diapers and blankets and wipes i was making, this time, i've got nothing to do but wash/fold clothes and make sure the house is clean and that the crib is set up, right now, DS is still sleeping in it.. i'm kind of enjoying not having anything that i need to work on any time soon..

right before i found out i was pregnant this time, I put away all the baby stuff that was still out from DS (baby clothes, baby toys, the pack n plays etc) so i am in no hurry to get them back out.. i'm kind of glad i put them away before i foudn out i was pregnant cause i would have been tempted to just leave all that stuff out for the next 8 months..

[megviolet]

I do have 1 task that i'm not sure how to tackle... making room for baby clothes and diapers. blankets, etc. Our house is already packed. Not sure how we'll shuffle things.... i'm sure that will be a last minute job, or done after the baby is born!

[Sk8ermaiden]

I think I finally put the crib and shelving unit together and got everything organized at about 40 weeks.

[sanguine_speed]

I'm 27 weeks and I have exactly 5 sleepers and one diaper. Nothing else.

My third my water broke at 33 weeks and even though I didn't go into labor I still didn't get anything ready for when he came a week later. I was supposed to be resting after all.
I did at least have a bouncy chair and some clothes for him though...

This time I'm almost ready to buy diapers and a bassinet of some variety for next to the bed. But clothes? Meh. I better pick up a few more sleepers at the consignment store.

[mamakaikai]

Well if all goes as hoped for, I'd like to have all the home birth stuff ready and organized by week 36. My midwives only do homebirth at 37+ so I want it all ready in time for that. I'll have a hospital bag packed by the third trimester, just in case.

As for baby things...I'd like to get all the diapers and blankets and sleepers bought and washed and ready for use sometime before 34 weeks. I figure If the babe is born any time before 34 weeks, we'll be in the nicu for a while and not needing the stuff at home. So I'd like the stuff for daily use to be ready to use by 34-35 weeks in case babe comes early. (I had preterm labour at 30 weeks with my first, otherwise I wouldn't likely be concerned to have things ready so early)

The babes bedroom...that can wait since we'll co-sleep for at least 1 year. But if I'm feeling nesty, then I can set up the nursery just for kicks and storage, knowing it won't get much use other than for storing clothes.

Also, since we'll be going from 1 to two children, this time around I'd like to have some food stocked in the pantry and freezer meals so we have something to fall back on foodwise. So we're thinking about stocking our food supply over the winter in preparation. I'm 16 weeks now.

[tracymom1]

Originally Posted by luckysgirl

Honestly? Never.

I've learned that - in my life, at least - if everyone is (moderately) happy and not bleeding? Then we're generally okay.

[klocke]

I don't think I ever feel ready ready. I'm super crazy about everything being in its place so I always feel there is one more thing that could use a good organizing or this could be cleaned again and so on. But in reality we have everything we need for the babies to come. I have enough diapers and plan on breastfeeding, what else do you really need?

[cicely_m]

With DD#1 I think I was totally ready by about 36 weeks. Room perfect, everything folded, etc etc.
This time I am 40 weeks, and most of the baby stuff is in big messy piles or baskets in my bedroom. Nothing new has been purchased at all; I know there is stuff we need, but I'll do it on an as-needed basis. Poor little baby number two!!!!

[Gray's Mommy]

I'm 38w 5 d with my 3rd & no where near ready in my mind. I have a huge list of to do's tomorrow w'DH's help. If 90% of the list is completed, then I will be in a better mental state.