In the final countdown to welcome our son into this world, I found myself folding laundry until 9:30 pm one night and a wave of panic rushed over me realizing how busy I had been all day. Just as my preferred bedtime was nearing, I hadn’t once caught up with my husband and WE DON’T EVEN HAVE A BABY YET.
Cue the tears, the frustration, the panic that “our time” was quickly ending. WE HAVE FOUR WEEKS LEFT & YET I FEEL LIKE TIME IS UP. I didn’t want to waste this time stressing about work and folding my 100th (editor’s note incredibly adorable) pair of zip-up newborn pajamas.
So like every stressed-out mom-to-be I took to my online community and asked them what they wish they had done more of/ prioritized with their spouse before the baby came. While my excitement to meet our little guy has absolutely no bounds (we both cannot wait to hold those little hands and kiss those little cheeks), I recognize how different our lives are going to be and still want to soak up these last few days of “just us”.
Which according to my therapist, this panic is incredibly normal and fully warranted. Phew. Thank God for her $200 sessions to reassure me I’m not being insane- it’s just the hormones!
I’m not worried about our lives ending and definitely won’t be changing my entire lifestyle to accommodate the baby. We will not be having any child Kings ruling our house (like from Bringing up Bebe– the only childcare book I read) but do realize how we’ll have to adapt in these first few months while we’re getting our little guy acclimated to our schedule. I fully plan on making our baby a part of our lives and living essentially the same as before.
So new moms, panic if you want, but also make a plan to leisurely do things, enjoy uninterrupted everything, and relish in just getting up and going to do things sans diaper bag and pump schedule.
The list below is in order of what was mentioned the most versus least. Plus I peppered in a few things at the bottom that are personally on my mind.
Things You Should Enjoy in Your Last Trimester Before Baby Arrives
- Take a long, uninterrupted shower
- Enjoy the peace & quiet
- Go on a long, leisurely dinner. Bonus points if it starts past 7pm
- Enjoy uninterrupted meals
- Enjoy the uninterrupted sleep
- Go to the movies
- Take as many mini trips as your body allows
- Stock up with Costco sized supplies like it’s a nuclear winter (this one made me LOL)
- Go to bed at the same time as your husband as much as you can
- Go to antique stores (I’m assuming because of stroller size and reaching hands, this one gets complex for us antique lovers)
- Enjoy doing absolutely nothing at home
- Have a day not talking about work or the baby
- Do anything outside of the house after dark
- Try new restaurants
- Enjoy a leisurely morning
We aren’t evening people so the whole “go to dinner late and stay out late” thing isn’t for us. Our preferred bedtime is 10pm. So if you like to wake up early and hang out with your dog, here are my last few things to add.
- Enjoy a slow breakfast at your favorite place
- Take your dog out for long walks
- Enjoy a patio dinner at a dog-friendly restaurant and bring the pup
- Wake up early and enjoy the silence
- Enjoy going to the bathroom without an extra pair of eyes on you
If you’ve gotten this far I think we can all agree that when you plan to become a parent you’re filled with so much hope and anticipation to meet your new family member, that sometimes the “new family” milestone excitement can cast a shadow on enjoying your current family now. I know for me, ever since the baby shower it’s been weekend after weekend of baby prep and baby planning, it’s been hard to sit down and enjoy the season we’re currently in. Hence, the panic.
But now, I’m going to spend the next 4 weeks leisurely making my way through this list. We definitely won’t do all of this, but I’m going to make myself cognizant of what I’m doing and how present I am doing it. This is my last few weeks to do it all with free hands and without being covered in spit-up afterall- ha!
