I am just a few weeks away from having our 12th baby.  This will be our 3rd home-birth and it is right about this time that I start “nesting” and getting everything ready for the baby to come.

My preparations for the babies I had in the hospital were much different than my preparations for the home- births.  With the hospital births I only needed to prepare for bringing a new baby to our house, with home-birth, I have to prepare for a new baby to be born in our house.

Not only do I want a clean and organized home to deliver my baby in, but my midwife and her assistant will be coming in our home.  Plus, my other children will be hanging out in the “waiting room” (normally referred to as the living room) and it helps everything to go smoother if the house is organized and clean.

So, I’ve put together my to-do list of things to get done before the baby comes:

1. Deep Clean My Bedroom – (aka the Delivery Room)

I already got a head start on this project, but I need to do a little fine tuning, like washing the baseboards.  Plus, a lot of the organizing I already did has been undone by some of my “helpers”.

2.  Bake Cookies

I have never been good about baking and cooking ahead of time so that we have things in the freezer ready to pull out after the baby comes, but that’s my goal for this pregnancy.  I’d say since I’m on baby #12, it’s about time.  So, on my to-do list is baking several batches of cookies to have on hand in the freezer.

3.  Make Meals

Along those same lines, I am also planning on having some meals prepared ahead in the freezer.  Again, something I’ve never done in the past.  We’ve always been so blessed to have church family bring us meals after we have had a baby.  With one of our babies we had meals brought for 2 weeks!  But, I thought it would be helpful to have some ready in the freezer.

4.  Deep Clean Kitchen

The job I am dreading the most.  All the drawers and cabinets really need a good cleaning as well as the oven (but thankfully I can just push a button for that job).  It always makes me feel good to have a clean kitchen when the baby comes.  Plus, my midwife bathes the baby in the kitchen sink, so I better have it scrubbed well.

5.  Gather Supplies

My birth kit came in the mail the other day, which has most of the supplies for the delivery.  However, there are a few other things needed for the birth, most of which we have on hand, such as:  ibuprofen, cookie sheet, extension cord, laundry baskets, bath towels to name a few.

The things I need to purchase are:  washcloths, shower curtain liner, paper towels, box of Kleenex, boyish receiving blankets, boyish baby socks, newborn diapers.

I never thought about all the things the hospital provided until we did our first home-birth.  Now, we are the “hospital” and have to make sure we have everything on hand.

6.  Get Activities Together for the Kids

I try to have something to occupy the kids while I’m having the baby.  Usually they watch movies.  Normally I get  some new ones for them at the library.  I was planning on getting a few activity books and maybe a new game too, but my sweet mother-in-law provided all that in a Valentine’s Day package she sent!

 

7.  Snacks for Midwives

I’ve learned to get these pretty close to the due date , in the past I have bought snacks ahead only to have them eaten up before the baby came.

8.  Overall House Cleaning

In the last couple of weeks before the baby is born, the kids and I clean the house good and then I try to make sure everyone keeps up with their area so that when I go into labor there is not a mad rush to clean the house.  With our first home-birth, we had a little bit of time to pick up and prepare, but with the second one, she came too fast so there was no time to prepare.

I will keep you posted on how the list is coming.

Do you have certain things you like to get done before a new baby arrives?  I’d love to hear in the comments section.

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