Checklist of Things to be Prepared and Taken During Child Delivery

Your life is sure to undergo a major change after your child delivery. You couldn't have much time for yourself as you did before. Also, the newborn has to be welcomed to the world with utmost warmth and care. You will not find time for preparation of anything when you have got your labour pain and after the birth of the child. So, it is wise to make preparations in advance, may be a week or two before the expected date of birth. Here is a checklist of things you should prepare for your delivery (this is based on the Indian method):

•  Take some old cotton dhothies or if you don't have one, get some good plain cotton or linen material. Wash it well in a mild detergent. Cut it into square pieces of 40 cm x 40 cm. Hem the borders. If you are giving it to the tailor for hemming, then it is good practice to get the cloth pieces washed again. Store these in small baskets or bags. This is to be used as a nappy for the just-born baby.
• An old night dress to be worn during your delivery time. Most of the hospitals and nursing homes give a nightie during delivery these days. But it is always better to have one handy.
• A kiosk or a flask cleaned with hot salt water.
• Any pills that you take regularly, pain killer balms.
• If you reside in a cold town or city, it is better get a pair of woolen clothes for the baby.
• In our custom, the new-born baby should not wear a new dress until the 10th day or Punyavachanam (naming ceremony of the baby). So, we usually get some old dress from another baby of the household, or your friends' baby. Keep that ready too.
• Your cosmetic kit, with minimum cosmetics in it (soap, your daily cream, comb, hair oil, bindhis).
• A pack or two of sanitary napkins of the brand that you usually use. You may even need more than it is mentioned here, as you will bleed heavily after child birth. Do not worry. It is quite common.
• Baby wet-wipes. This comes in handy to clean the baby after a nappy time or when the baby has puked.
• Things that your caregiver may need.
• Keep some change handy to tip the nurse staff at the nursing home.
• If you have any specific religious sentiments, do not forget to take the picture of your favourite God or other holy things.

"Birthing is the most profound initiation to spirituality a woman can have."
---Robin Lim

What You Can Do to Keep Yourself Occupied During the Final Days of Pregnancy

During the final trimester, most of your thoughts will revolve around your baby, and you will actually be anticipating your child birth. Personally, I had taken leave during the final days of my pregnancy as I couldn't travel to my office at that time. Also, I was at my mother's place after Seemantham. So I had quite some time to while away. But I couldn't sit in front of the computer for long hours, nor could I do any other physical work. But I made it a point to sweep the floor clean during my final days of pregnancy, and yes, I did! It really help me to relax my pelvic muscles and make it more flexible. (I should've done it on a regular basis, but at least I did it at the end, LOL!).
We would have seen in olden day movies and photos, pictures of expecting mothers sitting with a ball of wool and knitting a sweater and a pair of socks for the to-be-born baby. However, I don't know to knit and I neither had the patience to learn it. So, to keep myself occupied, I started doing "reverse glass painting" of the portraits of Ganesha and Vithobha Krishna. I did it meticulously to make sure that I completed it before my delivery. I started count down for my delivery and was counting the number of days and scheduled my painting accordingly. It was a wonderful experience for me, as the finishing of the painting (and then framing of the portrait) and the date of my delivery coincided!!!
If you are working till the date of your delivery, well and good. But for those who had taken off from work or those who are house wives, my advice would be to keep yourself occupied, so that unwanted thoughts don't roam your minds, which could cause depression.

The Third Trimester

So, you have come to the last few months of your pregnancy. Your foetus can now be called a baby. Your baby bump grows at a quicker pace compared to the first two trimesters. You might start feeling heavier than before. Your near and dear can actually see the baby movement as your tummy shakes and bounces (slowly), which is a really exciting time for all your close ones. As the date for the baby delivery nears, your tummy tapers down, giving a sensation of pulling downwards. Do not panic. This is absolutely normal, and signals only the nearing of your delivery date. It does not mean that you have got your labour pain. Real labour pain lasts for around 20 minutes, and then disappears, and then again shows intermittently. Any other brief episode of abdomen pain may be false pain.
Some women can experience leaking of "colostrum", the pro-milk, from their breasts. Your baby bump grows rapidly and can push up against the bottom of the ribs, which can actually cause breathlessness, heaviness and also can cause sleep disturbances. By the end of the third trimester, your weight could have increased by 9 to 12 kg. By the 9th month, you can start anticipating the arrival of your little one!