One way I am preparing for this month is to write my blog posts for the month before my baby is born. On the day you are reading this, I am due to have a baby. On the day I am writing this post, this is what I look like:
39 weeks 1 day
Will Michael be “on the outside” or will I be impatiently waiting for him to make his arrival? You’ll have to stay tuned to my Instagram account to find out.
I have been fortunate during this pregnancy to enjoy good health (although this heartburn at the end is a struggle) and there hasn’t been a single family catastrophe with far-reaching effects for the past 40 weeks. Compared to my pregnancy with Ada, the latter is a HUGE change. I am also fortunate to be able to take a week off work before my due date. I have never been so lucky, and I know thousands of American women will never be this lucky. This week has been critically important in helping me to prepare for Michael’s arrival. As you know, I’ve done a lot of writing and I’ve also been able to do a fair amount to get my home ready – the laundry is in a good place, our bathrooms are clean, and there is food in the freezer for breakfasts.
That being said, there are other things that are important to keep in mind when preparing for the arrival of a new family member. In addition to the practical (and my goodness, there is so much practical) there are emotional and financial components to consider as well. Within our family we have:
- Talked with our children about having a new baby. Elizabeth has been particularly interested in hearing her own birth story. We’ve talked to them about what to expect when it’s time for Michael to be born, although it’s been a challenge to help them understand that we can’t know exactly when he will arrive.
- Tried to get our finances in order. Daycare for Ada and Michael isn’t going to be chump change and the configuration of our home means that we will be looking at moving in the next year.
- Finally, we’ve made a more concerted effort to engage in self-care. That has meant incorporating exercise into our daily routines (that’s really been Nathan – my pregnant body not like exercise at all), trying to keep our home relatively clean to reduce mental stress, and honoring what it looks like to spend time together as a couple.
Photo by Jed Villejo on Unsplash
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://rachelahanson.blog/2018/09/05/new-family-member/
keep it up and Take care of your self,
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Thank you 😁
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