I’m a person who likes to make checklists . . . I don’t always do the things on my checklists, but I am constantly making them. I make a checklist when I pack, when I go shopping, when I am running errands. I keep checklists for work activities, and calls I need to make and appointments I need to schedule. I keep checklists of gifts I want to buy for people, and cake ideas I have. I make checklists for working through problems, or dealing with our contractor, and pretty much for anything that I can track or analyze with a list.
So . . . ever since our ultrasound appointment last week, I’ve been making lists of all the things we need to do before this baby comes, such as:
- Buy a glider
- Finish registering (and pick a bedding set!)
- Arrange for a pediatrician
- Meet with the OB to discuss birth options in case a midwife delivery is not an option
- Schedule day care tour
- Get contractor to finish renovations
- Finish packing and prepare to move
- Pack bag for hospital
- Get information for pain management doctors, just in case
- Buy a “coming home” outfit for the baby
- Get car seats and get them installed
- Pick up bassinet (or pack ‘n play) to have something for the baby to sleep in
- Buy gift for my niece Stephanie’s bat mitzvah
As you can imagine, many of these items have sublists . . . I have started a list of items I need to pack in the hospital bag, and a list of things that still need to be done on our home renovations, and a list for packing to move, etc.
Well, I am happy to report that today I accomplished several things on my lists! We called and arranged for a pediatrician for the baby (we selected Bethesda Pediatrics). We are planning to call and schedule a tour of the office, but we did speak to Dr. Korengold on the phone, and at a minimum, we are all set there. We have an appointment scheduled this week to meet with the OB (and I hope that is the only time I have to see the OB!). We are going to go over the “what if” scenarios . . . what if I have to have a c-section, how can we deal with my needle phobia and anesthesia? What if I start contracting at 36 weeks, but do not progress into labor – what are my options there if the midwives won’t induce that early? (Can you tell I have a list of questions for the OB, too?)
On Friday, we did finish registering (main registry is at Great Beginnings, but we also opened smaller registries at Buy Buy Baby and Babies R Us) and we ordered the glider for the baby’s bedroom. We have to arrange a time to pick up the bassinet and the car seats from Stephanie & Greg, but hopefully as of this weekend, we will have a house to put the things in! Now – if only we could actually agree on a bedding set . . . . but I digress.
I just really hope that whenever this baby comes, I can have a vaginal birth. I know lots of people think c-sections are no big deal, and if I have to do that, I will. I’m just so awful with needles that I’m fairly certain they will have to completely knock me out if I have a c-section, and I’ll completely miss his birth, and I just don’t want that. . . . it isn’t on my list.