Week 32: So much to do!

If you, lovely readers, read my Week 31 post, you already know I experienced an unexpected trip to L&D last week as a result of a nasty stomach issue. My visit (and the time I spent lying in the hospital bed with nothing better to do) got me thinking about the many things I haven’t done yet in order to prepare for Baby P’s arrival. In order to kill the proverbial two birds with one stone, and avoid a “Saved by the Bell” There’s never enough time! moment, I’m using this week’s post as my late pregnancy to-do list (another list—yay!).
1. Develop and write birth plan.
Being an out-patient in the same hospital where I’m going to deliver my babe in approximately seven weeks got me thinking about my upcoming in-patient experience. When our daughter was born, I had my birth plan written and in my doctor’s hand well before we made our drive to the hospital. I was lucky enough to get to stick to almost everything in it—except for the playlist. I hadn’t quite gotten around to making the perfect hospital playlist yet, so my delivery was music-free. Having a birth plan helped me (who can, at times, be a bit of a control freak) feel more in control. It helped me feel like I had a list of things I could check off as I experienced this incredible and life-altering event.
Although my doctor and I talked about a birth plan at my 32 week appointment today, I still intend to write one and will include a few highlights from the last time (use of birthing ball, able to be mobile as long as possible, avoid episiotomy if at all possible, only my husband and medical staff in the room with me). I may also add a couple of new ones, like allowing my husband to be the one to tell me the gender of the baby. (This is the way it happened to work last time—and it made the moment even more memorable!) Having the birth plan convo with doc today made Baby P’s impending birth more real. Real enough to sit down and draft said birth plan.
2. Pack hospital bag.
This is a fabulous and meaty enough topic that it could be its own blog post (maybe next week!), so we’ll just leave it at this: My bag’s not packed. I’m not ready to go.
3. Preregister with the hospital.
This is something I didn’t even realize I needed to do until we took our birthing and parenting classes during my last pregnancy. It made sense, though. It helped to streamline everything on the day we were admitted. So I suppose I should probably sign on up!
4. Prepare guest teacher plans for long-term sub.
This is such a vital aspect of going on maternity leave for a teacher. Not only will I be away from my job for eight weeks, but I will be away from my students! Since Baby P is due at the beginning of April, that means my long-term sub will be taking my little lovelies through the end of the school year. That’s an important and exciting time, and I need to make sure I equip my sub with all of the necessary information to get my students to the place they need to be before I send them off to 3rd grade. After a year together, they truly become “my kids,” and I want to make sure they are in very capable and prepared hands!
5. Buy diapers … and clothes would be good, too.
Before Olivia was born, my husband had a diaper party thrown for him. It was awesome. The guys played yard games and drank beer, and we were able to enter parenthood with a closet full of diapers of all sizes. We didn’t have to buy diapers (except for newborn size— we didn’t anticipate our little peanut to be a peanut for quite so long!) for at least five months. It was glorious. This time? We have one box of diapers we happened to notice on clearance at BabiesRUs in September. And they’re size 1. Time to head to Target … and maybe wash some onesies that are gender neutral.
6. Get breast pump.
I have a prescription from my doc, I just haven’t taken the time to go get my new breast pump. I have a different insurance provider during this pregnancy than my previous pregnancy, so I need to call and figure out the proper protocol. And then I need to celebrate—because with two breast pumps, I won’t have to haul one back and forth to work with me every day for a year. Yippee!
That’s my list for now! Surely, I will think of more things I need to do, but I think this list will keep me busy for a while. What’s on your pre-baby list?