10 Things You Have to Do Before You Go Into Labor

According to TheBump.com these are the 10 Things that Dave and I have to do Before I go into Labor, let's take a look and see what they suggest and how we match up:

1 of 10

Take a childbirth class

You can brush up on labor basics in advance, but it’s worth it to practicebreathing and relaxation techniques with someone who knows what they’re talking about. Plus, you probably have some personal questions you’ve been dying to have answered. Sure, humankind existed for hundreds of thousands of years beforeLamaze and Bradley, but pushing out the head (and shoulders!) was probably a whole lot more traumatic back then.

CHECK! We are taking a newborn class this Thursday and a labor and delivery class this Saturday.  I also singed us up for infant CPR and am deciding if i'm going to do breastfeeding or not. 

2 of 10

See a movie

Heck, see as many as you can before this kid makes his appearance. After he’s born, it could be months (or years!) until you see a new release in the theaters.

There's certainly a lot of movies I want to see, and with less and less plans maybe we'll actually go see one, although getting Dave to a theater is a challenge. 

3 of 10

Know the breastfeeding basics

Don’t expect baby to just latch on and start feeding. For both of you, it will be a learning process -- and some new moms have trouble. Head off problems as much as you can by learning the basics before you give birth.

CHECK! I've read most of Baby Wise which has been very informative as well as What To Expect, planning on meeting with a lactation consultant at the hospital after delivery too. 

4 of 10

Pack your hospital bag

Make sure you have all the essentials before you head to the hospital. Check out our packing list and the extras moms couldn’t live without.

NEED TO DO STILL! But I have been shopping, and my good friend Lorin gave me an excellent starter list of all the things she recommends as well as some great blogs to read up on. 

5 of 10

Program important numbers into your phone -- and your partner’s phone

If you’re like us, you don’t have any phone numbers memorized (which is why Google is so wonderful). But now’s the time to program the numbers for your hospital, doctor, parents, best friends and any other important contacts into your phone. And don’t forget your partner’s phone too. Come labor day, he’ll probably be making a lot of calls on your behalf.

I feel like this list was made prior to 2014... who doesn't have all their numbers in their phone?

6 of 10

Freeze some meals, or round up takeout menus

Before your due date, it’s a good idea to stock your fridge -- similar to the way people do before a very big storm (oh, yeah, an eight-pound storm’s a comin’!) -- with delicious, nutritious stuff. Some high-achieving moms-to-be bake and freeze casseroles and lasagnas, so they haveeasy-to-warm meals for those hectic first weeks with baby. But if you’re busy enough already, we think it’s okay to just update your collection of menus from restaurants that deliver.

I'm not sure how to tackle this one, i'm not a leftovers eater, nor do i partake in casseroles.  I'm thinking we stock up on pasta's and easy to make items. Maybe i'll make some yummy sauces and soups. 

7 of 10

Get a crib and wash the sheet

Every baby needs to have a safe place to sleep. And you don’t want to do laundry while you’re recovering from childbirth. So make sure to set up the crib or bassinetcompletely, and wash baby’s crib sheet and put it on, so all you’ve got to do is pop her in.

HALF CHECK! We have the crib but don't have the mattress yet, we have one more shower so i'm holding off on buying stuff till after that.  We do have all our sheets so I can start washing at least. 

8 of 10

Install the car seat

Once you go into labor, both you and your partner will be too nervous to read step-by-step instructions carefully or to think clearly enough to know the car seat is installed correctly. So do it early. (Or ask him to, of course.)

NEED THIS! Waiting on our second shower before we get the car seat, in two weeks we'll have a better idea of what we still need to buy. 

9 of 10

Make a labor playlist

Some moms swear that listening to calming -- or just really great -- music during labor helped them through. It’s certainly worth a shot to assemble a music playlist of some of your favorite songs if you think it could make the whole thing easier. Just remember to pack the portable speakers.

Well we know if i leave this for Dave to take care of I'll end up with all Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre and Tupac.  Even though we aren't big music listeners other than when we are in the car, I'll prob download some new tunes.  But I dont' think this is that important. More so that I have my ipad with me. 

10 of 10

Read a novel

That thing we said about movies? Same goes for a long, detailed novel. Pick up 50 Shades of Grey while you still can.

Do baby books count? BC if so I've read like four. I can't say that this is remotely going to happen, so we'll just take this off the list and call it the 9 things I need to do. :)

All and all i'd say we are in pretty good shape, according to this list at least :) I definitely have my own list of god knows how many things to do before I deliver.  The good news is after catching up with some of my friends and their experiences I feel less pressured and less anxious so I think that's the biggest win.