Now that I’m in my 30th week of pregnancy, I sat down and created a weekly checklist of things I want to accomplish. Partly to simply pass the time in these final looooong weeks, but also so I feel a little more organized with the last preparations.

My babies have all come “early”, so I’m not going to plan anything tiring or difficult in the last two weeks, just fun stuff!

In addition to the weekly to-dos, there’s the daily stuff related to pregnancy I’m already doing, such as: taking at least one daily walk, doing a stretching workout (I do this one designed by Katy Bowman and it feels so good!), and I’m adding a few light weight training moves. The April issue of Fit Pregnancy magazine had a good workout, not too strenuous.

I also need to start drinking Red Raspberry Leaf tea – a quart a day. Yuck! I hate RRL tea and really have to force it down. I know how important it is, and believe drinking lots of it helped me have easy labors with at least a couple of my babies. Any tips for making it taste less horrible though? Or should I just go easy on myself and do capsules or tincture?

About a week ago, everything seemed to change for me. I started having strong Braxton Hicks contractions when I walk, along with a “pulling”, crampy feeling in my low back. Basically, it feels like early labor. Even when I lie down to have a nap, I have one BH after another. It really wears me out. I’m not sure if it’s because the baby dropped down a little (also peeing more frequently, so probably) or what, but it’s wearing on me a little. I’m trying to pace myself and stay as active as I can.

Countdown to Baby: A Weekly To-Do List

Week 30:

•  Make appointment @ Dentist for a cleaning
• Continue daily walking – but increase to 2 walks a day (this will be a real challenge, since at this point I have lots of cramping and low back “pulling” when I walk)
• Read A Weed Is a Flower : The Life of George Washington Carver to Sadie
• Friday: Drop Ruby off at Grandma’s, take older kids on a field trip to the George Washington Carver exhibit at the Jimmy Carter Museum.

Week 31:

• Schedule a blog post to publish postpartum
• Friday: Drop girls off at Grandma’s, field trip with boys to the National Museum of Commercial Aviation

Week 32:

• Start looking on Craigslist for a nice dresser for baby’s clothing. Buy a changing table pad to go on top.

Week 33:

• Prenatal appointment
• Do 15 minutes of decluttering every day
• Schedule a blog post to publish postpartum
• Consider joining a pregnant nudist colony, since clothing is so uncomfortable at this point. Reconsider after noting someone may post pictures to Google.

Week 34:

• Order birth kit (it needs to be here before Week 37, midwife’s home visit)
• Schedule a blog post to publish postpartum

Week 35:

• Sell changing table on Craigslist. I never liked it, it just takes up space.
• Grocery shop for disposable paper items (green gods, don’t punish me!) and extra food to cook and freeze for postpartum use.
• Cook and freeze at least 2 meals.
• Schedule a blog post to publish postpartum

Week 36:

• Buy a few girl newborn clothing items. I already have some boy stuff my mom gave me. (I can always give away the items I won’t need later.)
• Start reading the instructor texts for our 2012/2013 school year. (I started this already and am almost done. So excited about beginning!)
• Get a homeschool routine down on paper.
• Start potty training Ruby. If this isn’t quick and easy, wait until after baby arrives.
• Cook and freeze at least 2 meals.
• Schedule a blog post to publish postpartum
• Order a new bathtub filter (no chlorinated tap water on my baby, thankyouverymuch)

Week 37:

• Wash and sterilize linens, towels, newborn’s first outfit and cloth diapers for birth kit (per midwife’s instructions) in preparation for home visit.
• Home visit with the midwife and her apprentices. (After this I’m all clear to have this baby at home!)
• Start thinking about a labor soundtrack. Patsy Cline did the trick really well for baby #4, a short and easy delivery Since I have nicknamed this little one “The Boxer”, then maybe Morrissey? Or Simon & Garfunkel? (Nah. S & G always makes me cry.)
• Cook and freeze at least 2 meals.
• Schedule a blog post to publish postpartum
• Make a very large supply of homemade laundry detergent and cloth diaper detergent for all the extra postpartum and baby laundry. Remember to wear a mask over my nose this time. Last time I inhaled some Borax dust. Coughcough.

Any Day Now…..

My brains are all in my pelvis at this point, so nothing mentally taxing or physically draining. Just fun stuff!

Week 38:

• Go shopping with hubby (and no kids!) for a pretty outfit to wear postpartum. Maybe a couple of those nursing dresses from Target? Also, pick up some supportive and stretchy undies for those first couple of months, and splurge on a pretty nursing bra. Go out to a nice lunch or dinner, something spicy like Indian. Or maybe Scalini’s, their Eggplant Parmesan has a reputation among local moms for triggering labor. (Who cares if it works, the food there is amazing.)
• Get a pedicure. Must have pretty toes for birth!
• Prenatal appointment
• Wash newborn clothes and diapers. Fold everything, get it neatly arranged in dresser. Get all nesty.
• Put my immediate postpartum clothing in my dresser. (Frequently make mental note: I will someday fit into my skinny clothes!)
• At this point I’m usually experiencing hot and heavy pre-labor “warmup” pains that deprive me of sleep. Take lots of hot baths with lavender, maybe 1/4 glass of red wine occasionally.

Week 39:

• Go see a good movie. In the theater. (Like What To Expect When You’re Expecting?)
• Rent a funny DVD to watch at home to keep my mind off my misery and how ready I am to have.this.baby.already!
• Put my postpartum mama cloth pads in a convenient spot in the bathroom
• Prenatal appointment
• Brainstorm ways to creatively preempt the “yes I’m still pregnant you clueless idiot, and NO it’s not twins” conversations.

Week 40:

• Hmm. I’ve never made it this far into a pregnancy. Spend an entire day at the pool (it put me into labor 16 days early with #1)? Power walks around the neighborhood, complete with curious stares from the neighbors? Gaze longingly at newborn clothes? Spend “quality time” alone with hubs? What puts you into labor?