Before Baby's Arrival Checklist - Page 2 « Back to Group Discussions

[NewMumJoy]

*bump*

.... How are we all doing with our to-do lists?  2 more months!!!

Here's what's on my plate (which I feel is quite manageable at this point):

Take Prenatal Class
Connect with Local LLL Chapter
Finish Reading Birth/Baby Books
Get Hospital Bag & Snacks Ready
Sort out Hospital Payments w/Insurance Co.
Logistics for Parents' Visits
Wash Baby Clothes, Diapers, Blankets
Thorough House Cleaning
Stock up Pantry
Prep Freezer Meals
Nursing Bras & Tops
Keep Stretching/Yoga/Exercising!
Eat Well!!
* Meet Local Area Moms!
* Write to Baby's Email Journal

Pick up remaining Baby Items:
- Ergo Carrier

- Bouncy Chair (find used)
- Rocker/Glider (find used)
- Complete Cloth Diaper/Cover Stash
- Stock Disposables & Wipes
- Diaper Pail & Wet Bag
- More Onsies, Sleepsacs, Socks

[ithappened]

Right now:

• finish up my projects at the studio (this is a good few weeks of work)
• line up PP help in some form or another
• get freezer back from FIL storage or buy a new one
• exercise daily
• eat well
• find a double stroller/carrier/sling option
• get back pump from friend
• try not to panic :)

I figure as for supplies, we live in such a small space I will buy as needed rather then before hand, most things we can order from Amazon Germany and have them within 2-3 days...

[LilyTiger]

MY LIST SO FAR

Clean and declutter house (ONGOING)

Move linen closet out of nursery and upstairs (DONE)

Install shelves in upstairs closet to accommodate linens (DONE)

Paint nursery and living room (painter friend of ours is doing this) (DONE)

Install hardwood floors in downstairs (DH) (DONE... almost... will be done this week)

Install cubby system in front hall and tile mud room area (DH) (THIS MONTH)

Install brick driveway (DH) (DONE)

Finish registry (ALMOST DONE.... just a few more quick things to add after a shopping excursion with SIL and MIL this weekend)

Find stroller and car seat (DONE)

Wash baby clothes when they arrive (They haven't arrived yet, so NOT YET)

Organize baby clothes by size (NOPE)

Buy nursery furniture, etc. (NOPE)

Go to Bradley classes (HALFWAY THROUGH)

Get tour of hospital (NOPE)

Finish last chapter of book (NOPE... AHHHHHH!!!!)

Finish copyediting chapters (NOPE)

Fix citations throughout (ugh) (NOPE)

Work out legal stuff - will, health proxy forms, care of child in case of emergency, etc. (NOPE)

Well, I guess we're sort of doing ok.  I'm really behind on work stuff, mostly because teaching and writing are mutually incompatible.  I hope to really buckle down in June and get the book completed.  I also just got two more projects thrown my way for the fall, so I'm hoping I can get a good start on those before baby arrives.  There's still a lot of crazy stuff like invite lists for showers, finalizing the registry, etc., that would only take a few minutes but that I don't have the mental energy to handle right now.  :(

[dovemama]

I want to paint the one room the kiddos will share.
Declutter our 800 sq ft home.
Get a 2nd car seat.
Figure out logistics for Dh 's leave.
Pick up some nursing clothes and bras.
Make some mama cloth for postpartum.
Figure out what we need for our first homebirth.
Save for a new wrap. I want a pretty woven one so bad!
Get an assortment of diapers for a new baby.

I would say name the baby, but since we don't know the sex, it probably won't happen until baby is born.

What do you have going on?
 

Oh my goodness, I haven't done any of this yet!!! I did pick up some diapers, so I guess I am semi-done with that. 

This pregnancy has been such a combination of hard/but fun that I have been totally exhausted. 

Great idea Lilytiger about organizing baby clothes by size. That is really smart. I never did that, instead threw them all in a giant container, and dig thru whenever I need a size up ! (Not efficient)

[dovemama]

NewmumJoy: Great idea about connecting with your local LLL. I go to mine often (and although I have a toddler) there is always expectant mamas there. 

[DesertSunsets]

Originally Posted by DesertSunsets 

I feel like we should be more prepared since we had foster kids, but we want a fresh start with the nursery, and our car seats went with our last foster kiddos. This list scares me since I feel like we should have already accomplished a lot of it.

-Finish cleaning out closet of nursery, paint and set up new furniture

-Finish cleaning and re-arranging our room

-Clean out our office and make it a guest room as well

-Steam clean carpets

-Freezer food

-Write birth plan

-Set up a registry and figure out when the shower is going to happen

-Nursing bras, slings, and wraps

-Breast pump

-New car seats

-Baby crafts (blanket, hats, embroidered onsies, baby book etc)

-Set up powers of attorney and parenting agreement since our state doesn't recognize our marriage

I'm really annoyed with the last one and have been putting it off, the plan was to do it before I got pregnant.  I don't want to have to go to a lawyer to have a baby!

NewMumJoy- I blame you for upping my stress level   .

I have finished, well, nothing, but started a few things.  We have an almost complete registry and a date for the shower, we are meeting our friend who is throwing it tonight for dinner and planning. I've started researching our legal stuff. The crafting started over a year ago, but I still don't have any completed projects.  That's about it. Luckily I'm due at the end of the month, not beginning, so I have 3 months left!  My work schedule just got to the much calmer point of the year, so hopefully I'll have more energy and fewer 16 hour days so I can get busy. 

[folkgirl]

Mine is something like

--get new carseats and make sure they fit (so I can do three across in my sedan)

--go through boy clothes my friends gave me and figure out what I need

--find my newborn diapers, which are...somewhere

I just can't bring myself to make it more complicated than that.

[youngspiritmom]

I have my list written down in my notebook downstairs, but here's what comes to the top of my head:

Wash and sort baby clothes, wipe out plastic drawers and put all of them inside

Decide on a carrier a buy it at consignment shop (Ergo or Beco)

Get some cloth diaper stuff

Get some disposable diapers for 1st month

Freeze some meals

Get carseat in car

Save $1000

Get one more nursing bra

Get nursing breast pads

Declutter basement storage

Organize all photos and make a scrapbook and photobook of DS's babyhood - now (REALLY put this one off)

Things Ive done:

Scored on a breastpump

Got enough clothes

Set up nursing chair/corner in our room

Got bouncy seat, bottles, pacifiers

Got a few other things on my list

[1stTimeMama4-4-10]

Ongoing

• Clean out garage
• Paint and put together loft bed, and set up
• Strip, stain, paint, put back together, and set up dining room furniture
• Get moses basket bedding
• Buy second highchair
• Make pillows x4
• Upholster chair in nursery
• Get second carseat base
• Get rid of all unwanted stuff through craigslist, ebay, tag sale, or goodwill
• Meet with HR to finish preparing for maternity leave
• Get garden planted
• Arrange and have a blessingway
• Get a will drafted
• Get a double stroller
• Baby names
• Paint touchups throughout house
• Sort and file all paperwork in basement
• Pick out, print, frame, and hang photos for dining room
• Pick out and print photos for office
• Woodpile
• Caulk bathroom
• Fix bedroom door
• Clean out DH’s closet
• Window film for living room and playroom
• Window guards x4
• TVs and furniture attached to wall

Shortly before birth

• Put baby clothes in room
• Get disposable diapers
• Put co-sleeper together in our bedroom
• Arrange childcare for DD for birth
• Pack bag
• Food prepared for immediately after birth
• Breast pumps ready to go with bags and bottles
• Set up all baby gear
• Install both bases in both cars
• Get housekeeper prior to birth for a deep cleaning
• Get carpets steam cleaned
• Defer loans

Done

• Make playroom
• Get rid of office furniture
• Make guestroom in basement
• Buy new furniture for girls’ room
• Make office upstairs
• Clean and organize basement
• Declutter house – all drawers and cabinets
• Buy new patio furniture
• Get rid of old patio furniture
• Sell dining set
• Buy new dining set
• Bulk pickup
• Go through my closet and organize
• Organize all baby clothes and gear
• Make window seat
• Get video monitor
• Get rock and play
• Get moses basket
• Clean out linen closet

Formatting is going wacky.  Our list is insanely long, but we have done SO much so far, it's really really good to see how far we've come.  No wonder I'm tired, we haven't really taken a break since December.

[LilyTiger]

Here's an update on my list so far:

Clean and declutter house (will do once DH finishes his projects and gets his tools out of the house)

Move linen closet out of nursery and upstairs

Install shelves in upstairs closet to accommodate linens

Paint nursery and living room (painter friend of ours is doing this)

Install hardwood floors in downstairs (DH)

Install cubby system in front hall and tile mud room area (DH)

Install brick driveway (DH)

Finish registry (I'm still finding cloth diapers and stuff to add on, but the registry is essentially finished)

Find stroller and car seat (We don't have them yet, but we have them picked out and we'll be getting the infant carseat from my SIL)

Wash baby clothes when they arrive

Organize baby clothes by size

Buy nursery furniture, etc.

Go to Bradley classes (Almost done!)

Get tour of hospital (I may not do this, since I already spent a fair amount of time there...)

Finish last chapter of book (AHHH!!!  FINISH THIS SOON)

Finish copyediting chapters

Fix citations throughout (ugh)

Work out legal stuff - will, health proxy forms, care of child in case of emergency, etc.

There's a ton of stuff like organizing books, getting rid of stuff upstairs (which doesn't really need to be done now because no one is up there), and all the last minute work stuff that I didn't have on here, so I guess it looks like we're doing ok, but not great.  We still haven't had either of our showers, so I'm in a holding pattern until July 7 when we get everything from the showers. 

[ithappened]

I've managed to borrow/finish:

2 car seat(s) borrowed

a double stroller borrowed

newborn clothes to 4mo borrowed

unused breast pads (which I needed forever after DS1)

nursing pillow gifted/borroed

hospital tour

new doc transfer

pay off DH stupid loans

Not sure what else I need to do--

I'd like to do the following:

- freezer meals cook

- clean car

- finish updating projects/studio website

- get more massages before birth :)

- declutter apartment one final time

- relax and enjoy the last few weeks I have of freedom/down time/sleep etc

[LilyTiger]

Quick update now that we're getting down to 1 month plus away:

Clean and declutter house (will do once DH finishes his projects and gets his tools out of the house) (Almost there... this should be done this week)

Move linen closet out of nursery and upstairs

Install shelves in upstairs closet to accommodate linens

Paint nursery and living room (painter friend of ours is doing this)

Install hardwood floors in downstairs (DH)

Install cubby system in front hall and tile mud room area (DH)

Install brick driveway (DH)

Finish registry (I'm still finding cloth diapers and stuff to add on, but the registry is essentially finished)

Find stroller and car seat (We don't have them yet, but we have them picked out and we'll be getting the infant carseat from my SIL)

Wash baby clothes when they arrive (ongoing process.... we still have one shower to go)

Organize baby clothes by size

Buy nursery furniture, etc.

Go to Bradley classes (Almost done!)

Get tour of hospital (I may not do this, since I already spent a fair amount of time there...)

Finish last chapter of book (AHHH!!!  FINISH THIS SOON)

Finish copyediting chapters

Fix citations throughout (ugh)

Work out legal stuff - will, health proxy forms, care of child in case of emergency, etc.

Go over birth class materials and make cheat sheet for DH

Call insurance to find out what we'll likely owe at the birth and about breast pump coverage

The specific list for this week:

Give away clutter stuff to Goodwill (Thursday after my trunk gets fixed)

Finish last chapter of book

Clean and declutter and get DH to get his tools in order

Overall, I'm feeling better about things.  My insane nesting mania has somewhat subsided, so I'm now in a sort of zen phase where if I have to stick the baby in a laundry basket for a couple days, I'm fine with that.  One thing I added was making a cheat sheet for DH (and me) at the hospital including birthing positions, the stages of labor and what to expect, and stuff like counter pressure at various stages that DH might find useful. 

[ithappened]

Right now:

• finish up my projects at the studio (a week of work, if I can get motivated )
• line up PP help in some form or another
• get freezer back from FIL storage or buy a new one
• exercise daily
• eat well
• find a double stroller/carrier/sling option
• get back pump from friend (will wait until I need it)
• make freezer meals (half done! just waiting for this heat wave to pass to make the final round which should take me 2-3 days)
• try not to panic :)

[LilyTiger]

Quick update now that we're getting down to 1 month plus away:  (I added a few things to try to organize my thoughts over here)

Clean and declutter house (will do once DH finishes his projects and gets his tools out of the house) (Almost there... this should be done this week)

Move linen closet out of nursery and upstairs

Install shelves in upstairs closet to accommodate linens

Paint nursery and living room (painter friend of ours is doing this)

Install hardwood floors in downstairs (DH)

Install cubby system in front hall and tile mud room area (DH)

Install brick driveway (DH)

Finish registry (I'm still finding cloth diapers and stuff to add on, but the registry is essentially finished)

Find stroller and car seat (We don't have them yet, but we have them picked out and we'll be getting the infant carseat from my SIL)

Wash baby clothes when they arrive (ongoing process.... we still have one shower to go)

Organize baby clothes by size

Buy nursery furniture, etc.

Go to Bradley classes (Almost done!)

Get tour of hospital (I may not do this, since I already spent a fair amount of time there...)

Finish last chapter of book (AHHH!!!  FINISH THIS SOON)

Finish copyediting chapters

Fix citations throughout (ugh)

Work out legal stuff - will, health proxy forms, care of child in case of emergency, etc.

Go over birth class materials and make cheat sheet for DH

Call insurance to find out what we'll likely owe at the birth and about breast pump coverage

Get car fixed

Give away clutter stuff to Goodwill (Thursday after my trunk gets fixed)

Finish last chapter of book

Clean and declutter and get DH to get his tools in order

Make cloth diaper detergent and wash and prep new cloth diapers

Make cloth wipe spray

Wash sheets and organize stuff from showers on 7th and 14th and stuff DH is bringing from SIL (on the 10th)

[Mama Chickadee]

Lilytiger - I'm curious to hear what your insurance says about covering breast pumps , as this article seems to say that the new healthcare legislation requires insurance to pay for it


"Newly-covered services will include contraception, breastfeeding supports (including rental of breast pumps), annual well-woman exams, and screening for gestational diabetes, domestic violence, and sexual transmitted diseases."

http://m.prnewswire.com/news-releases/womens-health-advocates-applaud-supreme-court-ruling-upholding-the-affordable-care-act-160699875.html

I'm hoping my insurance might cover rental, too considering my pump crapped out on storage for no apparent reason between babies!

[eleuthia]

Mama Chickadee, one big factor that people need to consider when it comes to those great new healthcare provisions is that they won't apply to grandfathered plans, and that will be many of the large group plans. Unless your plan has major changes (reductions in what they cover or large increases in cost-sharing or your share of the premium, for example), it will remain the same and won't be required to cover those new things (like breast pumps). Your plan is required to disclose whether or not they are grandfathered. 

Here is more info: http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2010/06/keeping-the-health-plan-you-have-grandfathered.html

I need to find out if my flex spending will apply for my breast pump rental. Per IRS rules, it is allowed as of 2011, but my plan brochure specifically list breast pumps as ineligible, and I'm not sure if that was an oversight or if they are choosing to exclude an IRS-allowed expense (which would honestly make me SO ANGRY that it would be hard for me to not raise a stink about it. I could buy a $1k pair of designer prescription sunglasses to use up my flex money but not a *breast pump*?!?) 

[LilyTiger]

I'll definitely let you all know what I discover.  I'm going to call tomorrow.  Looking over my benefits, there are conflicting bits of evidence.  Medical supplies are covered in full, but durable medical equipment is only covered 20%.  And I have full prenatal and maternity coverage, but I think that only applies to hospital appointments and such.  This kind of confusion is why I get super frustrated with the health care system.  I called my benefits person at work too, an she said, "We don't have that information here".  Which is doubly frustrating, because what is a benefits person for if they can't help you navigate the benefits system?  At any rate, /end rant.  :)

[andaluza]

I was really hoping my insurance would cover a pump or rental, but the person I spoke with a few months ago told me no. I still think I am going to call back and try again, though. Lily, where did you find the detailed information about your benefits? I got a book when I started my job in 2007, but it seems like the most updated information is only available if I call and then how do I know the person I am talking to knows what they are talking about? Half of the time they seem less informed than I am about what I am asking. 

[ithappened]

I gave up on my freezer meals, I ended up making 4 lasganas, some meat sauce for noodles and probably 2 meals worth of veggie burgers.. it came down to me cooking or finishing up my studio work- so I went with the studio stuff- I figure my parents will be here for a while and will need things to do so my mom can cook a bunch of things to freeze for us and my dad can head to the grocery store.. which is their routine at home anyway..

[Ninetales]

I don't think I'll be doing too many freezer meals either.  I forgot we unplugged our chest freezer because we never used it and it was taking up space and using too much electricity.  I don't want to find space for it just for that short postpartum period.  I'm going to try to make some room in my regular one and call it good.