This is definitely more work orientated than home life, however I have now managed to spend the last three days handing over my workload to my colleagues ( 1 handover per day), which now leaves me with the free time for the rest of the week and all of next week clearing my desk and ensuring that I have the time to remember those little things that I have inevitably forgotten!

After speaking to the midwife on Thursday I need to ring the doctors to arrange an appointment to transfer my records from one hospital to the next. I also need to make a further midwife’s appointment but with the midwife in the new area – but need to speak to the doctor first before I know where to ring. Therefore the task for the day is to make this appointment with the doctors.. this is proving more difficult than I expected though, because I have already rung 3 times and not been able to get through yet….

After making my lists of what I needed for my hospital bags, I went out today and bought everything that I need for the first few days.

I have packed the baby’s bag and left it by the front door – this is complete, it has everything that I need.

My DS packed his bag and this is also by the front door. This has everything that he needs, whatever the situation; it has a change of clothes, some comics and some pencils and paper to keep him occupied whether he has to come with us to the hospital or whether he needs to spend some time at his grandparents.

My bag however is not so complete; I bought some disposable pants and then when packing them realised that they are sized – I bought size 18-20, I am a size 8! They will not fit under any circumstances so I need to take them back and exchange them. I also need a nightdress, for the actual giving birth bit. I have some pj’s for afterwards, but nothing for the during bit. Also, I need to pack my dressing gown, but can’t do this until the last minute because I obviously use it every day… Therefore I need to make a list of things that I need to pack last minute… along with the book that I’m currently reading and make-up, etc.

Learning Point: I feel so much happy in the knowledge that I have most things prepared, or can do a final sweep of the house for those last minute things before I go to the hospital. Worst case, I’ll have to wear an old t-shirt instead of a nightdress during the birth and I’ll have to wear pants 10 sizes too big, but otherwise I’m pretty much prepared.

I have recently started to get Braxton Hicks contractions; the baby isn’t due for another 3 weeks or so but I haven’t even got a cot sorted out yet… Well I kind of have, it’s just lodging at my sisters house at the moment since she was the last one to have a baby and she has the “family” cot.

I have been meaning to ring my sister anyway but now with these false contractions starting it has spurred me on to contact her to arrange getting the cot so I can set it up. Now I know that she will be busy at work so for the moment I have just emailed her, and promised to ring her later – but it’s a start – plus I also mentioned the cot so I’m halfway there to getting this bit sorted out.

When I’m at home tonight, I plan to make a list of items that I need for my three separate bags: my hospital bag, the baby’s hospital bag and my DS’s bag so that if he needs to be dropped off at my mum’s or has to come with us to hospital we have everything ready from a spare change of clothes and things to keep him from getting bored.

Once I’ve made the list I can work on getting everything together – or going into town tomorrow and buying it so that the bags are packed and can be left by the door ready for a quick getaway if necessary.

Learning Point: More a case of I will appreciate having done this when the time comes as it will save on stress later

Now that I have moved house I need to arrange a new doctors in my new town. This is even more pressing for me since I’m due to give birth in just under for weeks and also need to arrange from my records to be transferred from my old local hospital to my new local hospital.

I have an appointment with the midwife this afternoon and was going to inform her about changing areas/locations but in speaking to a colleague at work, she suggested that I register at a new surgery first so the midwife knows where to send my records to.

Therefore my second positive focus is to register with a new doctor for my myself and my DS (OH is already registered in the town) and change my maternity care over to the local area. I have already rung the local surgery and all I need to do, is to pop into the clinic and complete some forms, so I will do this this afternoon on my way home from work.

Learning Point: Following moving house I feel like I have lots to do with informing everyone about the house move and change of address and even new bank details, however I now feel that limiting myself to just completing one task a day has helped reduce the pressure I am giving myself to get everything done immediately. At the end of the day at least I will be able to cross one more thing off my to do list which is better than moaning about having lots to do and not actually doing any of it