I've been thinking about making some "busy bags" to unveil to DD (2.5 years) when labor begins (you can just google busy bags - there are some mommy blogs with good listings of them and some good pinterest collections of them).
i'd like to get DD a new special toy, but i have NO idea what she'd like... i'm honestly more into toys than she is.
i'm also planning to get a ton of books from the library for her. seriously, like, i will check out as many books as my library card will permit, then i will send DH back to do the same on his card. i've considered also checking out videos, but they can't be renewed online and the check out period is only a week - so i'm worried that we wouldn't get around to returning them in time.
i've also hired an on call babysitter (actually a doula and her 12 year old daughter) to be there for DD during labor. (we don't have family in the area.) doing this took a HUGE load off my back. DD will have a blast playing with the 12 year old. she will love "helping" the midwife, and the babysitters can be there to keep her from "helping" too much. (turn your back on the kid and she will unwrap all the gauze pads and use the umbilical cord clamp on a stuffed animal.) and the babysitter can occupy DD with meals, snacks, play dough, and painting activities.
a magna doodle or some other quiet/contained/non-messy activity may be a good thing to try... this type of toy could also come in handy during your postpartum time when you want him quietly engaged... but this all depends on your kiddo. mine isn't really into coloring, but she loves play dough, painting, and cutting paper with safety scissors. so for her i'm trying to think of crafty things like that that are on the less messy side (and that require less assistance from an adult).
and, as pregnant drummer said, you may labor/birth quietly in the middle of the night, in which case your kiddo could sleep through the whole thing...
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