prep time?!?!?!

[Aliy]

okay so here's the deal i'm nearly 34 + 4 by ultrasound and 36 weeks by LMP. I have some of my stuff for my birth kits... really all i think i'm missing in linens, which i have lots of but i want to get some dark sheets for my bed and a few dark towels....( i think is dark or white better???)

and get the pool but it should be here next week

when would you make your bed to prepare for birth?

[Marissamom]

I plan on making the bed a few days before 38 weeks (because DD came a couple days before 39 weeks, and I only know my LMP within a week, I think this guy might show at 38 weeks). we're already using our mattress protector, but at that point I'll do the mattress protector sandwiched between other sheets (black ones on the bottom, and the ones that are already stained and I'm planning on retiring a couple of months after on top). if you have longer labors, you can also make the bed up during early labor. 

[Aliy]

i have been leaning to a 38 week baby..... and i'm planning on a water birth but i figure i should have the bed ready incase we can't fill the pool quick enough...

[MnMtm]

I wouldn't bother getting those things ready until you are actually in labor already. Most first time moms are in labor for a long, long time. Even short labors still give you a few to several hours to get those things ready. I mean, I would have the stuff all together somewhere, ready to be pulled out, but I wouldn't bother with actually getting it set up until early labor.

[MegBoz]

I have to have all my 'stuff' ready & gathered at my 36W home visit, which I guess is common.

I believe my MW recommends making up the bed with the mattress protection & spare sheets, at 38W. I don't know if I'm going to do that though... I'll be 40W on 3/12, and the weather can get warm here by then. I've heard all kinds of mattress protection can be hot, so I really don't want to be sleeping on whatever protection I chose for 3-4 weeks! (DS didn't arrive until 41W4D, so while I realize I could give birth at 37W, I think it's equally likely I'm going to be waiting beyond 40W.)

So I'm leaning towards not making up the bed until I start to have some ctrx. After all, it doesn't that that long to make a bed.

Oh wait! Then there is the possibility of water breaking while I'm laying in bed. Hm... 

[Marissamom]

Originally Posted by MnMtm 

I wouldn't bother getting those things ready until you are actually in labor already. Most first time moms are in labor for a long, long time. Even short labors still give you a few to several hours to get those things ready. I mean, I would have the stuff all together somewhere, ready to be pulled out, but I wouldn't bother with actually getting it set up until early labor.

I don't think anyone on this thread seems to be a first-time mom. just first time with a homebirth. and I know that even with my first birth there wasn't a time when I would have wanted to make a bed, labor was only 7.5 hours, and intense. even my early labor all I could do was labor. 

[Aliy]

yea no this is just my first homebirth, my thrird baby. My main worry is water breaking while in bed. but i suppose as werid as it sounds i woke up and knew my water was going to break and got to the bathroom just in time with my second. ( had AROM with my first) so honetly who knows if my water will break before or after  labour starts this time.....

[MnMtm]

I guess I was ssuming in my post that most everyone on here has a spouse, a partner, or labor support person of some sort that could help with the setting up of evrything once labor starts. Speaking from my own experience, when I went into labor with my son, we immediately starting getting everything ready, including the pool, and even then, a lot of it could/ should have waited until I was further along in labor. I know that there are those women who have 2 hour labors, but they do seem to be the exception rather than the rule. Personally, I don't want to have everything set-up for weeks before I actually start labor. It seems like then you are just waiting for labor to start, and during those last few weeks, the waiting can be extremely difficult already. But, this is just my suggestion. Of course there will be others who will want to do things differently, and that's fine.

[Banana731]

I think that I just put a puddle pad under the sheets on my side last time until pretty close to my due date, if not until the start of labor. Plastic on a mattress makes you sweat (and I am not a big night sweater to begin with). To be fair I lived on a tropical island and it was October. It's obviously a lot colder now. But it's something to consider if you, or dh, or anyone else in your bed does get sweaty at night.

[IdentityCrisisMama]

I've never even considered making the bed before labor.  I have gotten nearly all my supplies already though and I'm only 30 weeks.  I guess I'm an early gatherer and a late prep-er.  

[spatulagirl]

All of my labour supplies are in a box in the bathroom including a not for DH about what he has to do. Two labours we had plenty of time to get stuff ready and one time we did not. I was in no condition to help him so a simple checklist was appreciated by him so he wasn't bothering me with questions.

We prepare everything in early labour.

[crunchymama214]

I'm with Melissa. We just had everything together in a box and didn't pull anything out until I was in labor....which lasted less than 2 hrs!!! In a case of short labor, we just pulled out the chux pads and put them under me when I was leaning over the birth ball (while hubby was filling up the birth pool). But, besides maybe putting one of those waterproof pads under your side of the bed, I wouldn't really do much else to prepare for the birth until the time actually comes when you're in labor. And yes, I would also assume that you would have someone there with you to help with those kinds of things, like your husband, a family member or a doula. 

[camprunner]

I'm pretty sure we had the bed prepared ahead of time. You never know what will happen when labor hits. My husband lost his mind and wasn't a whole lot of help!  I went into labor at 2am and baby was born at 10:11am. When I woke him up, he told me to let him know when the baby came. When he finally woke up around 6:00 am, he got distracted but some other "crisis" and trying to get our daughter out the door.  I had the pool blown up before labor started and all he had to do was fill it.  That was done at the very last minute; I MADE him do it around 9:30 am or so. There was no way he could have done both and even though babe was born in water, I still got out of the water wet and not cleaned up to lie on the bed for while, stitching took place there, etc.  So, I think it was necessary to have both and was glad we prepped the bed ahead of time. Also, where midwives usually travel as a team, things didn't go as planned exactly and midwife showed up at the last minute (but she did show!) and did not have the assistant with her that she'd planned.  When she got there she had things she needed to do like set up her equipment.  Planning ahead was the one thing that went right!

[Jen286]

Two hour labors are definitely the exception, not the rule, but you never know for certain if that will be you or not until you're there. I think 38 weeks would be a good time to get set up, especially if you're short on help. I don't like to leave sheets on without changing them for too long, but my plan is to change over to an alternate set on around 40 weeks if I'm still pregnant. I probably won't set up the pool in advance, but I might if I had space and/or didn't have a backup plan for warm water relaxation (an oversized shower).

[CookAMH]

Since we're using our downstairs guest room and I'm a planner, I intend on having the bed ready at 37 weeks. One, because before that I can't even homebirth, and two, I went into labor at 38w3d with DS and want to be ready. Also, my midwife encourages resting during early labor so it is not my intention to be getting the bed ready. DH will work on the pool and other things and I'm sure I can think of things to do if I really need to occupy myself.  I'm 34w now so I'll order the birth kit in a week or two.

[camprunner]

We did wait until the birth to put on the actual top layer birth sheets but previuosly we put on the sheets we wanted after the birth and over that the plastic sheet.  We had nice sheets on until I went into labor and then put on the birth sheets. If I remember right hte plastic sheet was a pain and took some time and effort from both of us but the sheet was changed in the time it took me to pee one time (I didn't help with that, don't remember if the midwife was there by that time or not)

Originally Posted by Jen286 

Two hour labors are definitely the exception, not the rule, but you never know for certain if that will be you or not until you're there. I think 38 weeks would be a good time to get set up, especially if you're short on help. I don't like to leave sheets on without changing them for too long, but my plan is to change over to an alternate set on around 40 weeks if I'm still pregnant. I probably won't set up the pool in advance, but I might if I had space and/or didn't have a backup plan for warm water relaxation (an oversized shower).

[mdnaturalmama]

It's been great reading this! I like hearing how different mamas prepare and what you all did. I'm thinking a list for DH is an excellent idea. I'll def be doing that as I know while in labor I'll be a bear and won't want to answer questions. I've been wondering one thing tho....I plan on a water birth and our pool will be set up downstairs, while the bedroom is upstairs. I  plan on having the bed ready, but honestly I haven't been sleeping there for months(b/c it SUCKS), I've been sleeping on the couch on my office-which is also upstairs. So I'm wondering how important is it that I have the bed ready?? I'll have to use something on my couch for in case my water breaks, but once I'm downstairs in the pool I don't forsee climbing back up the stairs at all. Esp if something like what I've heard some mamas on here say about laboring in the tub but getting out at the last minute to push b/c they felt they needed to. If that happens in my case we will be in our family room with no bed. Just a couch....so should I put sheets, etc on that couch??

[emmaegbert]

I had a labor under 3 hours with DD and we got bed made just fine. Actually b/c she was born so quick I didn't even make it on the bed and all the blood etc was caught on the chux the midwives were flinging under me as baby was coming out. I had all the supplies in boxes in the bedroom, labeled clearly on the outside of the boxes.

[Italiamom]

Originally Posted by spatulagirl 

All of my labour supplies are in a box in the bathroom including a note for DH about what he has to do. Two labours we had plenty of time to get stuff ready and one time we did not. I was in no condition to help him so a simple checklist was appreciated by him so he wasn't bothering me with questions.

A checklist for the birth partner would be a great idea!

[kawa kamuri]

I believe in having all supplies easily available and a partner who knows where they are and what they're for, an already prepared bed - waterproof mattress pad, set of sheets, waterproof mattress pad, bottom sheet - and a pool that is already blown up, aired out and had a test run.