Do you have a deadline?

[kathywiehl]

Does anyone else have a deadline in mind for having birth supplies and baby things ready to go? I plan on having all of my birth supplies ready and packed into a big rubbermaid tote no later than 36 weeks. I'll also make sure I have a 2 week supply of baby clothes, blankets, diapers, nursing supplies, etc already in our bedroom (probably on the changing table or my dresser) so that I dont' have to think about going upstairs to the kids rooms for awhile.

I feel like 36 weeks is a good time to have it all ready, just in case. Just curious about what you all are doing?

[shanniesue2]

I want to have birth supplies ready by 36 weeks... but since we're on a budget, I'm waiting till after my baby shower to go out and buy baby stuff. I know this may sound greedy, but I want to see what other people will buy for us before I go out and spend too much money. We also have a list of our priority baby needs (i.e. cloth diapers, breast pump, car seat, and co-sleeper are WAY more important than... say... bath toys). That way, if we have to make a choice about what to buy after the baby shower, we have a well-defined idea of what we need vs. what we want.

[smokeylo]

I have my birth supplies all here, baby clothes, diapers, etc. My deadline for having everything organized/washed/ready (that includes birth pool practice run!) is Valentine's Day, right at 38 weeks.

[the elyse]

yep! feb 1st is 36 weeks for me, and i want to rest completely from that point on. i'm going to have all my washing/folding organizing of baby stuff done, the house in good shape, and all my supplies neatly stashed and ready to go.

[PlayaMama]

since work takes so much time, this break is essentially my deadline.

i've got tons of clothes, research on vaccines is going great, i'm lining up help for my dh after i go back to work...

i DON'T have breast pump, or bottles, or newborn cloth diapers... i'm thinking i'll just order off the internet once it gets a little closer.

what i really need to do is sit down and make a list of all the cool stuff i have versus all the things i think i need. maybe, tonight.

[StrawberryFields]

I am supposed to have all my supplies gathered by my 36 week home visit which is this upcoming Wednesday. I think I have everything except a small bottle of unopened oil. Now that getting all of that is out of the way, I am going to take this weekend to pack my emergency hospital bag and ds' diaper bag, and stock the freezer with more ready to cook meals. Then all I have left to do is keep up on the laundry and the housework and keep the house fully stocked with food so that whenever I do go into labor, everything is in place.

[Kitten]

I have to get a faucet adapter and RV hose by the 11th. I need to order plain white t-shirts from Dharma on Monday (don't want anything to clash with my pretty longies and soakers, LOL) and some more acid dye for my wool and silk projects. I have 16 snap-out size M soakers to sew yet, and 8 more size M diapers. Which technically, I guess I won't need for a while yet but it is going to be hard to find time to sew with a NB and a 3 yr old. I have a silk sling and a stretchy denim sling to sew yet. If I have time I might sew more NB diapers. I have 24 but I'll have to do a load of diapers, mama cloth, and family cloth every day anyway. I have to retrieve the NB soakers and longies I loaned out to a friend. And fairly soon, since I think this baby will be earlier rather than later. Also, I have to call the fire dept to schedule a time to have my car seat installations checked. And of course, I ALWAYS have knitting projects going on.

Hmmm, it sounds like a lot left to do. But not really. Yay!

[LoveChild421]

I have to have all of our birth supplies organized and the house clean by our 36 week home visit with our midwife. Since I'm not going on maternity leave until 38 weeks, I plan on getting all of the clothes and blankets and newborn stuff organized by 39 weeks...but if he decides to come early my mom can help me do all that after he comes...its going to be all I can do to keep working full-time, chasing Grey when I get home, and get the house clean.

[mama_nym]

My goal is to have everything by my home visit as well....I should be scheduling that when I go to my next appointment on Thursday (I'll be 35 weeks) ...so that will only give me a week to get my house clean and finish gathering my supplies. Luckily I only have a few homebirth supplies left on my list - it's more baby stuff that we need, but we have enough to get by for a few weeks after birth if necessary (we'll just have to wash diapers often! ).

I keep forgetting about carseats, though! I need to get my boys new carseats so we can fit us all in our minivan (5 kids, 2 adults!), so I need to make my way to Target to see what will work and see if I can borrow an infant seat from a friend for the first month or two. The midwives won't be happy if I forget the baby's carseat! :

[Gracecody]

Originally Posted by StrawberryFields

I am supposed to have all my supplies gathered by my 36 week home visit which is this upcoming Wednesday. I think I have everything except a small bottle of unopened oil. Now that getting all of that is out of the way, I am going to take this weekend to pack my emergency hospital bag and ds' diaper bag, and stock the freezer with more ready to cook meals. Then all I have left to do is keep up on the laundry and the housework and keep the house fully stocked with food so that whenever I do go into labor, everything is in place.

This sounds a lot like my own plan, although I'm 1-2 weeks behind as I'm just heading into week 35 and my home visit isn't until mid-January, at 37 weeks. I did freak out a little a few days ago though when I started having a lot of cramping and realized I had NO supplies gathered and NO food frozen, although I do have all of baby's clothes, blankets, diapers, grear, etc ready to go. So anyway, I wanted to mention that the hospital emergency bag is a great idea and that's something I'm doing tonight. I hope that if I have it all ready to go, I won't need it!!

[StrawberryFields]

Originally Posted by Gracecody

So anyway, I wanted to mention that the hospital emergency bag is a great idea and that's something I'm doing tonight. I hope that if I have it all ready to go, I won't need it!!

Some people don't want to pack an emergency hospital bag because of the negative vibes and that is totally cool, but we had one packed last time too and did end up transferring. I am SO thankful it was all ready to go. I was barely able to put pants and a coat on let alone pack up a bag, and I was so happy to be able to put on my own PJs and brush my hair and get cleaned up after ds was finally born and everything had settled down.

[dianna11]

I would like to have it all ready for 35 weeks, mainly because time will get away on me, but also, the day I was supposed to pick up my home birth supplies and start my maternity leave, I went into labour! It was my first baby, and had no idea that I would go at 38 weeks!

So yeah, if everything is done by 35 weeks, I will have time to sit on my butt and eat ice cream

[ksera05]

I'm having a hospital birth, but my deadline is 36 weeks to have his clothes washed, a bag packed, and the cloth diapers all washed.

[Emmom]

Oh man, good thing for me you started this thread!

I'm 35 weeks today, and not even close to ready, although I have some things from ds still, and various bags of hand-me-downs in different places around my apartment. But I think my home visit is this Wednesday! And the only thing I've gotten from the list of birth supplies is the custom birth kit. I sort of thought I'd get everything ready when I stop working, but 38 weeks is cutting it too close now that I think of it.

What are you guys packing in the emergency hospital bag? I hadn't planned on one, but it sounds like it might be a good idea. Especially in the Murphy's Law sense, like Gracecody said.

[Dea]

my scary deadline is 37 weeks, which will be 4 weeks on monday....

[trizzle]

aw heck I am just hoping I get it all done, but I am WAAAAAAAY behind due to work. Things should slow down now and allow me to do some preparing, but I am trying to keep myself from stress/panic by the reminder that if there is me, DH, and baby, we'll figure out the rest. Of course I want it all ready and beautiful and organized, but I can't think in terms of deadlines. No more stress and self-imposed pressure than is already waking me up in the middle of the night. I am 32 weeks, so here's hoping there is still ample time for me to pull it all together....

[SamuraiMom]

A dead line? Whats that? Now that you mention it, I should set myself a dead line. My Home visit is Sunday Feb 3, so that should be it. Actually, someone mentioned baby clothes, now I want to go shopping. O.K., it's set, Feb 3 is my projected date of readiness, thanks for bringing it up!

[bloominmamas]

I want to have all the birth supplies here by my homevisit with the midwife which is 1 week from this coming friday, the rest I want done by 37 weeks. I feel like if I get too much too soon I'll jinx myself/the baby into birth too early. Silly I know but there you go.

[StrawberryFields]

Originally Posted by Emmom

What are you guys packing in the emergency hospital bag? I hadn't planned on one, but it sounds like it might be a good idea. Especially in the Murphy's Law sense, like Gracecody said.

I pack light so my emergency bag is just a few changes of clothes (PJs, a shirt/pants outfit and a velour jogging suit), socks/underwear/bra, some light makeup, a hairbrush, some magazines, toothbrush/toothpaste, and the "phone list" of who to call. That's all I really used right away when I transferred with ds and if I run into something else I need I could always send dh home for it, since he'd be going home eventually to change, eat and shower anyway.

The hospital provided 99% of the toiletries that I needed like lotion, soap, shampoo, lansinoh, etc. The only thing that I am adding this time that I didn't last time is a little bit of food--maybe some granola bars, or mixed nuts, or beef jerky. Last time I gave birth at 2 AM, was half starved, the cafeteria was closed and all the surrounding restaurants were closed too (Thanksgiving Day). Dh and I tried to split a half frozen Lean Cuisine from the vending machine but ended up tossing it out and going to bed hungry.

[True Blue]

Well my shower is the 18th, so my deadline will have to be after that LOL. But seriously sometime before I'm 36 weeks, hopefully. DH will be travellig a lot though and officially home til I'm just over 38 weeks!!! So let's hope baby waits that long (and he/she should given my past births). I started cooking today, bought a BIG pot so I could make 2 pot roasts at once, and I plan making some huge batches of veggie soups starting tomorrow. Oh and maybe more chili, yum!