The Countdown begins…
S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
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« Jul | ||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
31 weeks and the days are just flying by! I panicked last week when I realized I had roughly 2 months left to get things in order. The nesting has begun and I’m on a race against time to clean, organize, rearrange and purchase last minute items. I’m trying to pace myself, but I don’t want anything to wait until the last minute. I know it’s a bit unrealistic, especially with working and trying to take care of my 23-month-old at the same time, so let the fun begin!
Here’s what you need to do. Create a list of the things you want to get done, a list of nesting household things to be done, and then a miscellaneous list. Break them down into doable daily/weekly tasks, and try to spread them out to avoid overwhelming yourself. Lists help tremendously, and focusing solely on writing everything down can really help. I purchased my bras, tanks, girdle, newborn diapers, curtains, organic mattresses and sheets, as well as set up appointments for an organic pedicure and manicure and all natural highlights for my hair. Having a list really helped me focus on a few items at a time. Here are some additional items that you’ll want to schedule in advance:
Car Seat Installation
You’ll want to get this done at least 4 weeks before your due date. You can either do it yourself or go to your local fire department and they will install it for free. Bottom line, you’ll want to make sure it is done (properly) well before the baby arrives.
4D Image
Don’t forget to schedule your 4D image! This runs around $200 depending on the package you choose. I suggest getting it done between 26-35 weeks so that you can get an accurate photo. I have mine scheduled for 32 weeks; last time I waited until my 35th week and it was really hard to see my son’s face as he was so close to being in position. The whole process lasts about 30 minutes. Typically, they give you photos and a disc of the images. Some places will give you a dvd with video of the 4D imaging.
Pre-baby and Newborn Photo Shoot
Not everyone does this but I love having pre-baby photos! These are actually pictures
of my husband and myself with our first son about 1 month before he was born. We took our camera and placed it on a tripod, then we’d run and take our pictures with the timer. It seemed to work out just fine for us and we loved the images we were able to capture. For this pregnancy, we are opting for our photographer, Jessi Lemay, to come and shoot. While she’s at our home we’re going to schedule an appointment about 1 week after the baby is born to take those photos as well.
Birth Plan
Make sure you take the time to get your birth plan ready. It doesn’t take long and you’ll want to have it done at least a month in advance so that you can share it with your doctor or midwife. You can get a great template at http://www.birthplan.com/. Just set up a free account and this site will walk you through a ton of questions that will help you determine what you want in your birth plan. Make it your own and take several copies to the hospital (it’s good to have copies on hand for new nurses as the shifts change).
Choose a Doula
Choosing a doula is a very personal choice. You may have to interview several doulas until you find someone who makes you comfortable. The energy and connection have to be there; this person will be in the delivery room with you and will be communicating your wants and needs to the nursing staff. They will be taking care of you and making sure you’re in comfortable positions, being massaged, drinking enough water, peeing, etc. Take your time and find the right doula.
Interview Pediatricians
A lot of people forget to do this!!! Please don’t. Find a pediatrician early so you’re not scrambling for interviews and appointments once the baby’s born. After your baby’s birth, the hospital will ask you who your pediatrician is so that they can see the baby before leaving the hospital. If you don’t have one, the hospital will send their resident pediatrician to see the baby. You then should have your pediatrician see the baby for a check-up within days of leaving the hospital.
How do you find a good pediatrician? Determine what kind of pediatrician you are looking for and make a list of the qualities you expect to find. Ask your friends and family who they used. Call several prospective pediatricians and ask them for an interview. This is very common and they expect it from parents. Should you run into someone who doesn’t give interviews, it’s a good sign they might not be the best fit…just keep looking!
For me, I wanted someone who wouldn’t frown upon alternative medicine and who would work with our acupuncturist and chiropractor. I wanted a doctor that would look to natural remedies before prescribing drugs, someone who would work with me on my vaccines and go by my schedule and not the standard schedule. This narrowed the field quickly down to only a handful of choices here in Reno. I then interviewed those couple of doctors and found one I really liked and connected with, Dr. Shaji Mathew. He is a wonderful pediatrician and one that I would highly recommend to those in the Reno area.
Hypno-Birthing
I took a hypno-birthing class for my first son and now I’m going to my Life Coach, who does pain management hypnosis, for a refresher course and for a new way of applying my mind to my labor. I believe in hypno-birthing and would recommend using it to help manage the surges in labor. As I already completed the 5-6 week course the first time around, I wanted to go over my affirmations, get more indepth with the anesthetic glove technique, and really focus on managing my surges through breathing. You can either take a hypno-birthing class or see a hypnotherapist. Again, if you are going to see a hypnotherapist make sure you interview a few of them and then choose one you feel comfortable with, preferably at least 2 months prior to your due date.
Take the Hospital Classes
Every hospital offers classes on nursing and caring for the baby, along with a handful of others. These classes are designed to help prepare you, so don’t pass them up. I know of people who didn’t take one class nor read a single book and were clueless after the baby was born. That has to be the worst feeling. Please take my advice and pay the small fee to attend these classes. Some women think that everything will just come naturally to them once the baby is born but that’s not always the case. Prepare yourself and you will succeed where others stumble. The greatest gift for your baby is making sure you’re prepared.
Register at the Hospital
If you are going to deliver at the hospital make sure you preregister. This will save you loads of time and headaches trying to register in labor, and it’ll help confirm any insurance issues prior to actually giving birth. If you are planning on having a home birth you don’t have to worry about this, but make sure you have worked out your payment plan with your midwife (note: in some states your insurance will cover the midwife).
Those are some items on my list. Good luck!
Medical Disclaimer: Certain sections of this Blog deal with health and medical related issues. Always seek the advice of a trained health professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition and before seeking any treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking medical treatment due to information obtained on mytoxinfreebaby.com. Any information received from this blog is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure. This site is for information purposes only. The information on this blog is not intended to replace proper medical care.
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