Babymoon at home - how did you prepare?

I am getting very excited at the prospect of my third (and most likely last) babymoon. This time it will be a real one because I will be taking at least a year off work after bub arrives and all going well will have a home birth.

So what did people do/prepare to ensure they actually got a REST after bubs was born? I am planning the obvious, like frozen meals and the like, and I will had a shopping list prepared for mum to buy me my pregnancy contraband food (oysters, brie, blue vein, etc). But what about less obvious stuff?

BUMP

Someone must have some ideas... :)

Well I'm in the same boat as you, expecting #3 the end of July/early August. What I've started to do now is when DD2 has a day sleep, I make DD1 have rest time with me. She doesn't have day sleeps anymore, but I make her lay down and read a book quietly with me and I usually have a snooze. So when #3 comes along, the plan is that I can either have a rest at this time still, or be feeding in peace, or something similar.
I have also started getting DD1 to help me out more with the cleaning and washing. I figure as she's almost 4, it's certainly not too early for her to be helping me. She's just that type of kid that loves helping out, and loves to be organised just like me :)
It may, or may not work, but I'm willing to give it a shot anyway. The less I have to do on my own during the day, the better.
If I think of more, I'll pop back in.

Get the house cleaned (if need by a cleaner and don't hesitate at getting a cleaner for the first month or so), and the washing done and have some little routine like things that can keep everything manageable so you can focus on bubs and not worry about the house. Have some "special toys" for the kids in a tub/bag that they don't get to play with until bubs arrives and it can be for when you're bf'ing. Let people know that you'll be screening ALL calls. If it's urgent to email you and you'll respond accordingly, but if they would like to visit they can leave a message and you'll sms/email/call when a time is most convenient for you. Do not make ANY plans... do not commit to anything. I let everyone know that for the first few months I would always be a "maybe" and if I had a bad night I wouldn't be showing. Try and get some friends to make up some freezable meals and do some yourself. Stack the freezer like you're preparing for fallout LOL! And don't just stock with meals, stock with baked goods for snacks for the kids or for that midnight bf'ing hunger attack (fruit on hand is good for that too!). If there is someone you can book to do a massage, book them in for the second or third week at home. First week tends to be so blissful and all about connecting but baby blues and stress can kick in after so have a "reward" booked in. Have a few sets of sheets ready in sets (do the pillowcase thing) for your room. If you can even look at getting 1 or 2 mattress protectors. Then make the bed up with protector/sheet/protector/sheet/protector/sheet. So that instead of needing to remake the entire bed you can just strip it back, for that boob leak or accidental wee on the bed, or even just so you can strip off sheets to a clean layer! Start taping some of your favourite shows, or get some movies or things you'd love to watch at 3 am ;) The more prepared you are the more you can just "enjoy" those awake times or even feeding times during the day. If you've got a good network, maybe book in some playdates where they come and pick up the kids and drop them back. So that you can have some one on one. Not every day obviously but so that you can get some sleep during the day if you need to. Will try and think of more...

Thanks girls, I like those ideas :) Especially the tip about prepping "snack" food for the kids- I hadn't thought about baking ahead :)

I was in quite a different possie from you, as DH and I had our babymoon with no kids!

But my main wish things were long hot baths, a really great massage (you can get people who come and di it at your house!), DH wanted to play a full 18 holes of golf, we both wanted to read in bed for hours on end, I wanted to do a couple of big jigsaw puzzles, etc.

I also had lots of nesting things I wanted to do (in addition to lots of cooking!) - reorganising the bookshelves, creating a shopping list template in order of how the supermarket aisles are organised, and stuff like that. My "nesting" was mostly organising, rather than cleaning as such ...

Have a great time!

Peanutter your little man is a cutie!

Rouge, I have decided I am going to watch "Mad Men" during my late-night feeding sesssions, so now its just a matter of finding a vid shop that has them for hire :)

I like the idea of a massage - I think I will book a facial too!

I'm hiring a house cleaner, but haven't really thought much more beyond that. Must find some new tv shows to download...
I love the bedsheets idea Rouge!

thanks, rory!

I've started watching "the west wing" during feeds - a friend owns the first 6 seasons, so I figure that'll keep me set for a while :)

and I have a book for the 3am feed (to keep things super quiet) - a really good book, so I don't fall asleep, and to give a little extra motivation to get up, brave the cold and feed my little man.

You probably know this already, but with the massage, make sure that they know you're UTD as some types of massages and oils trigger early contractions, and need to be avoided :)

hope you have a great babymoon !!

We are watching the West Wing ATM - we are up to the first disc of season 3. DH's bro and our SIL own all the discs and call it "Wing Crack" cause it's so addictive LOL! I think I am in love with all the men in that show, for different reasons :blush:

ETA Just realised we were married for 12 years before our first little man arrive too :)

I know!! So addictive ...

I'm going to have to pace myself more, or find another series I can watch next ... I really like Sam, but I see a lot of me in Josh! And I like that Jed seems totally unaware of the personal side of things and other sub plots, but every now and then gives a mini-lecture making it clear that he hasn't missed a thing - he just doesn't feel the need to butt into everything :) it's great!

Re 12 years, I never thought it would be this long before we had kiddies - but one thing after another, it wasn't the right time, and then getting pg took longer than we'd anticipated ... and now here we are!

After having 2 cs and being distraught about everything bring too hard to do I was actually thrilled to be 'capable' after having DS. My baby moon was 9 days and on the 10th day we travelled 500kms to our new home and bub and I sorted out our new digs while DD's and DH went off to school, we also got to have lovely walks in our new town. :D

I think the West Wing is just perfect for a babymoon LOL!

Having just recently been through this I can think of a few suggestions! Like things to get ready to make sure you have a lovely peaceful babymoon.

* Don't forget a nice big stash of comfy maternity pads
* Have a dustbin next to the toilet and a good supply of pads and TP within reach
* organize a Peri-Cleanse bottle to fill with herbal liquid, or warm water and sea salt, for cleansing the peri while toileting.
* the post natal herbal healing bath helps that first tender week be much nicer!
* have some Lactation Cookies in the fridge or freezer, these are great with things like Brewer's Yeast, Flaxseed etc - I have a super-easy, mega-nutritious recipe if anyone wants it, perhaps I should post it
* Breastfeeding herbal tea
* Manuka honey to go on the peri if needed
* cotton swabs for soaking in herbal liquid, and proctosedyl for haemorrhoids for those prone to that. And little ziploc baggies for putting the swabs or muslin squares in the freezer.
* some Peppermint Essential oil - what's this for you may wonder - well, I didn't know either until this birth! Sometimes the bladder/urethra goes on strike if it was compressed during the birth, it must have been in my case, perhaps because my posterior baby was turning anterior?? and I found myself totally unable to PEE afterwards. (TMI alert, girls!) But, if you sprinkle some Peppermint OIl straight into the toilet bowl and then try to pee, amazingly it seems to relax the capilliaries or soemthing, and brings release: you're able to pee. (If this still does not work sufficiently, you might need an in-ou catheter.) So there you go, amazing Peppermint Oil - definitely adding that one to my Doula Bag!
* a list of jobs around the house kind visitors could help with, so they can choose something from the list, if they are genuinely offering help (as they should be, if they are visiting a post natal family!)
* have bendy straws or a sipper bottle handy for breastfeeding sessions, for one-handed hydration
* a lovely thing to do for a friend at her blessingway is organise a meals roster for the first post natal week or fortnight. Funny thing that the more children a woman has, and the more work she has to put into preparing meals for them all, the less likely people seem to rock up with a meal to give her a night off. I noticed first time parents getting spoiled and two new mothers, one having her 7th and the other her 10th, hardly got any help!! But the more mouths that post natal mummy has to feed, the more work it is for her, and the more of a huge help it is to her if you undertake the feeding for a tribe for a day, and call in a friend to do it all again the next day.
* got breast pads?
* got nipple cream?
* I think Lucas paw paw cream and olive oil is the bomb for nappy rash prevention. I made a nice oil for my bub, by filling a jar with dried Confrey leaves and Calendula flowers, then filling it with a blend of olive and apricot kernel oil. Let it sit for 6 weeks, then strained the Comfrey and Calendula out of the oil. The resulting oil smells amazing! I've been using it on my hands as well, which are very dry. And bub's skin is great. And he smells so good when we use that oil.