4 Ways to Prepare For Birth

If you have to work whilst being heavily pregnant, it can be a complete nightmare.

Many women will start their maternity leave a few weeks before bub is set to arrive so that they can have some time to put their feet up, prepare the nursery and spend some time alone before the baby arrives. While some new mums-to-be relish in this time, others find themselves constantly checking work emails, pacing the house and feeling anxious and at a complete loss.

If you have been in the working force for several years, then going from full time work to full time nothingness can leave you feeling empty and confused. Here’s some suggestions for nesting and preparing for birth.

1. Prepare the Nursery and Organise the House

The time before baby comes is typically referred to as ‘nesting’ as you are preparing the nest for the new arrival. Nesting activities usually include preparing the nursery as well as cleaning and organising the house. You may do a full top to bottom clean and spend your days scrubbing the bathroom, cleaning the oven and moving the furniture around to provide more space for your newly acquired items. Or, you may have trouble finding the energy to get off the couch and wash the dishes after lunch.

You may also spend a lot of time in the baby’s nursery, washing the clothes, preparing the linen, folding the items, packing and repacking the baby bag and getting the bassinet sheets ready. Again, this is completely natural, even if you feel a little insane doing it.

2. Prepare Some Home-Cooked Meals

Another common nesting instinct is to prepare some home-cooked meals to freeze for the first few weeks before baby comes. Things like lasagne, Shepherd’s Pie, crumbed steak, rissoles, chicken casseroles can be made and frozen to be reheated when you need a quick meal (Try our book, Once a Month Cooking!). Many babies tend to demand the most attention right around dinner preparation time and thus having the option to pull out a pre-made dinner and pop it in the oven means you can focus on feeding, rocking and soothing the baby.

3. Visit Friends

Getting out of the house is important during these final stages. Pacing the house and cleaning can make anyone go a little crazy and can make the wait for baby’s arrival even longer and harder. So try to make plans to visit friends during the day. If most of your friends work full time, offer to meet them for a quick lunch on their break. Even if you only have a quick half hour coffee with them, you are breaking up the day.

4. Treat Yourself to a Nice Manicure or Pedicure

Another fun activity is to indulge in a manicure or pedicure. You probably can’t reach your feet anymore to do this yourself so why not treat yourself to a day out with a nice manicure and pedicure? If the budget is tight, ask your partner to do the job for you. Also, if you are up for it, you may want to book in for one last wax down under before bub comes. This is another task you probably will have difficulty doing yourself at this late stage in pregnancy.

There are plenty of other great ways to pass the time take walks, organise your photo albums, catch up on a television series that you’ve always wanted to see. Try not to focus solely on the upcoming labour, delivery and arrival of your little one, which can be difficult. It is important to step away from the household and spend some time doing ‘me’ activities before it all becomes about ‘us.’

How do you prepare for birth?