5.   Mommy items:  I went through my nursing gowns, hospital needs, nursing bras, and basic mommy needs. I made a list of things to replenish and bought the necessities: nursing pads, lotion for nursing soreness, slippers, and a few decorating magazines to read. I even made a pretty fabric bag to hold all of those necessary toiletry items I would need after the baby, and hung it in the bathroom. You could easily put these things in a pretty hat box or a basket with a lid. At least it makes it look nice and not so cluttered.

6.   Baby-sitter: We scheduled several people to be available to watch the children while we delivered, so the responsibility wasn’t just on one person, and it didn’t tire them out. After my previous baby, the day after I came home from the hospital, a friend took my middle children for an overnight stay at her house. She left the newborn and the oldest child with me. That gave the younger children time to see the new baby, then some excitement of spending the night out. It also gave me time with the new one to set a schedule and rest, while still having someone who could bring me tea and meals. It was almost like a baby honeymoon!

7.   Nursing fillers: After several days of nursing and adoring the baby, I am ready for something else to do while sitting and nursing. So I planned a quilting project I could hand-stitch, and bought several books on my list of must-reads, to entice myself to take the time to rest and sit for a while.

8.   Sibling Time: I had the oldest two children each plan something to teach and work on with the younger children for after baby came. One chose to teach insects, the other planned weather. I bought them some books on their topic that included many hands-on activities. They prepared games, pre-made masks for the little ones to copy, and gathered all the supplies necessary for the activities. This was one of my best ideas. Everyone enjoyed it, and it kept them busy, while not fighting and bickering, for several hours each day. I also planned some activities for the older children with many hands-on projects, that required minimum last-minute preparation on my part, so they would have some fun activities to accomplish while I was busy with the baby.

Some ideas for keeping the older children busy are sewing kits, stamping supplies, origami paper and books – whatever their interests might be. Just be sure to gather everything they’ll need for the activity: paper, glue, needle and thread, scissors, or anything else.

9.   Drinks: Doctors always tell us that with nursing, the fluid consumption must increase. So, this was another area I could prepare for. Since I drink iced herb tea with no sugar, I couldn’t just buy it pre-bottled, and when I ran out of tea, it was such a hassle to make more, then let it cool enough to drink.