Checklist – Last Month of Pregnancy

Hi Everyone,

As I am sure you all know, nesting and an uncontrollable need to organise anything and everything kicks in, in the last trimester of pregnancy. You’ll no doubt know and will have done all the usual essentials such as packing your hospital bag and putting together the nursery, but some of these tips are a bit less obvious, yet still very helpful. I still have 7 weeks left till my due date but I thought, whilst it’s fresh in my head, now is a good time to put together a list of things I think will be helpful for me, and for any of you pregnant ladies, to do during the last month or so.

Nap, Sleep, Snooze

An obvious one to start off with but very important! Use these last few weeks to take it super easy even when you feel that the skirting boards need to be cleaned right this minute! I try to do jobs when my energy is in full flow, then give myself an hour or so in the afternoons to chill on the sofa with a book or whatever I’ve taped on TV last night, before inevitably falling asleep for an hour. Don’t feel guilty – enjoy and embrace it whilst you can.

Treat Yourself

You’re growing a baby. You ache. You most likely feel like a beached whale, even if people do keep insisting you’ve got that beautiful pregnancy glow (which you probably have, you just can’t see it for yourself). So use these last few weeks to treat yourself. No doubt you haven’t been able to reach your toenails in weeks so why not have a pedicure (complete with a much needed foot rub) or go to the hairdressers for a cut and blow dry. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune and can make you feel a bit more glamorous than you probably have done in recent weeks. Plus you’re going to have your photo take a lot in the next few weeks, so its nice to feel good and look good.

Ready, Steady, Cook

Particularly useful if you already enjoy cooking, use these last few weeks to make larger portions of meals you usually cook so that you can freeze some. Spaghetti Bolognese, Stews, Curry, anything along these lines can be frozen and will make life easier when you want easy meals in the first few weeks with your newborn. Don’t forget cake – you can freeze cake too you know 😉

Pick a “going home” outfit for the baby

This is a fun one, but also a tricky one. Your baby has probably already been spoilt with lovely clothes from family and friends and narrowing it down to one special outfit to bring your baby home in can be a tough choice. Obviously if you know whether you’re having a boy or a girl, you may already have an idea of an outfit. Chose something special, perhaps from a grandparent or something you and your partner have picked together. Sounds daft but this will be a special outfit to you all with many memories attached to it and no doubt it’ll have Instagram written all over it #goinghomeoutfit

Date Night

Make the most of not needing babysitters just yet and enjoy a date night. It may well be a while until you can go to the cinema or for a nice meal again, just the two of you. Take advantage of this time and enjoy some time together, care free and without worrying what time you have to be home by!

Check your Phone Storage

You are going to be taking a gazillion photos of your little bundle once he or she arrives and the last thing you’ll want is “capacity full” messages cropping up (nothing more annoying). Make sure your phone isn’t clogged up with junk photos wasting space and also check you’ve got it backed up so you don’t have any horrible “losing all your photos” moments.

Do you have an Amazon account?

Amazon is a god send – it stocks everything under the sun, has affordable prices and has the wonder that is Next Day Delivery (it may be worth signing up for Amazon Prime – at £79 a year it will be money well spent and guarantees next day delivery with every single order). At least this way anything you realise you’ve forgotten to buy for baby or decide you want to try (baby slings etc) you can order them quickly. Ordering baby supplies from your phone and receiving them within 24 hours will be a huge convenience! Plus if you sign up for Amazon Prime you can stream and download hundreds of films and TV shows which will be a blessing when you are glued to the sofa nursing.

Invest in some comfy clothes

Kate Middleton left hospital with the remains of a baby bump and so will you! Don’t get down in the dumps about it or obsess over it; it’s normal (Abbey Clancey, hot as she is, is not normal – how the hell she got in a bikini after a mere two months I’ll never know)! So invest in some clothes ready for you to wear after you’ve delivered to keep you going for a few weeks; soft leggings, vests and button down shirts (easy for nursing) and a cosy knit ought to be a good start.

Do some washing

One of the things I’ve loved the most about nesting is washing the babies clothes. The advice given is to wash babies clothes prior to them wearing them, whether they are newly bought or second hand. Buy some non bio washing tablets, I’ve been using Fairy non bio, and enjoy staring at your babies clothes hanging on the drier like a proud mother; they look so tiny and beautiful, and smell of that gorgeous baby scent already.

Organise, organise, organise

Whilst you’re on this nesting mission, make the most of your brain functioning well for a few hours of the day, before baby brain returns, and organise yourself. Get any birthday and Christmas presents bought and wrapped, buy a ton of thank you cards and stamps ready for once the baby arrives, and make sure you calendar is up to date so you don’t forget any important upcoming events, something that will be easily done once baby is here and takes up your time. Also write a list of any important phone numbers that can go on your fridge so you and your other half can easily find a number should you need it in the midst of chaos once baby is here.

White Noise Apps

Download a couple of white noise apps. I’ve had several friends say these really help settle baby at bed time, replicating the noises baby will have heard whilst cosy in the womb. It may not work for you but there are plenty of free apps out there so it’s worth a try.

Sign up for Mum and Baby Classes

Most towns will have mother and baby classes that can host a whole range of things; baby massage, yoga, sensory and so on. If you have a local baby and childrens centre, sign up for these. A lot of these classes are free or have a very minimal charge so it’s well worth signing up, plus it will get you out of the house once baby has arrived and making new friends.

Embrace the Need to Clean

All the advice I’ve been given about when your baby arrives is to not worry about housework then, sleep when baby sleeps. So whilst baby is still safely tucked up inside you, and you have this incessant need to clean, go for it! You don’t have to be doing a million chores a day – spend one day organising cupboards, another cleaning the bathroom and so on. But keep in mind at all times, you’re at the end of your pregnancy and your balance will be all over the place; NO climbing ladders, or trying to get in the loft, don’t clean with anything that has really strong fumes in case it makes you feel sick, and if you get halfway through a chore and decide you can’t be bothered, get the other half on board and ask him to finish it! If he complains, remind him that you’ll be pushing a potentially enormous baby head out of a very small space in a number of weeks; a spot of hoovering is the least he can do!