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Ha I was just coming on here to write a post similar to this! I just ran into a friend of mine and she looked at me and goes "You won't make it to your due date". I was like "OH gosh, don't even say that. I have so much to do!"

I'm just trying to keep on getting things ready as best I can and hopefully as much of it will be done as possible before LOs arrival, whether she comes sooner or later. If the walls are naked in the nursery, that's not necessarily a huge deal. I'm trying to prioritize and make sure the most vital things are taken care of and hoping for the best.

@Meggo5: Smart! That's what I did. I made a big list, and then assigned myself 1 or 2 tasks for each day.

@Meggo5: I'm due 11/23. I just ordered the items I need for my hospital bag that I didn't have yet (nursing bras, makeup remover wipes) so I'm really excited that they are on the way now.

Our nursery isn't finished yet either, but it is SO close. And I know DH can go in there and bang some nails into the wall and hang stuff up...and then it will be completely finished so we are really close there but if she has to come home to a nursery with naked walls, it isn't the end of the world.

My MIL is ordering our stroller/carseat this week, so that is finally able to checked off the list and is something we definitely need ASAP.

I had a feeling my LO would be early and during 37/38 weeks was a couple of cm dilated and almost 100% effaced. My OB ordered extra ultrasounds so I ended up seeing her 2x a week for the last few weeks and each visit she would say she did not expect to see me again….then I’d be there for the next appointment! LO was both 2 days late; who knows how long she would have stayed put if I didn’t have a scheduled c-section! So; try not to stress too much because you never know

That said, what about getting the most essential items done quickly – like the car seat because you can’t leave the hospital until you get that done. Can you order nursing bras and items online, so that you don’t have to make an extra trip to the mall?
If you are feeling the urge to pack your bag; can you do that tonight (except for your makeup and daily items)? If you live near the hospital, it isn’t totally necessary to have a bag packed in advance, though its always helpful.

I totally thought she'd come early and had my to-do list done by like, 37 weeks...but I kept adding things to it in a nesting panic, and she ended up coming on her original due date anyway. No worries! Put your list in order of what you NEED done versus what would be NICE - such as, install carseat and don't stress about bleaching the freezer (in my case. lol.)

and actually - we didn't install the carseat until we were leaving the hospital. we had the security guard do it because he was certified!

I'm feeling a little anxious and overwhelmed too. I'm a little behind you guys, but I was told baby may make an early appearance.
The biggest issue for me is that I'm not even sure what NEEDS to be done. Installing the carseat is the obvious one, and packing my bag - but what else?

Don't stress too much! My DS surprised us at 36 weeks and we were not ready! I was making a list of last minute things to pick up at Target that day when my water broke! I threw whatever I could think of in a bag for me, grabbed some basics to throw in a diaper bag and my DH put the car seat in the trunk of our car. Our nursery wasn't finished yet and I hadn't gotten things that I had wanted for me in the hospital (comfy pants, nursing tanks, etc) Looking back it was all okay. My mom was awesome and picked up what I thought I needed and we made it work otherwise.

Good luck and enjoy these last few weeks!

Our baby totally arrived before we had a chance to do a lot of things on our list (like pack the hospital bag, install the carseat, buy cloth diapers, and fulfill our baby registry among other things). She was born at 37 weeks.

My water broke at 12:30 a.m. but I wasn't having contractions and we had to go in within 2 hours because even though I had my group B test done earlier that week the results weren't back. So we slept for one and a half hours, then quickly packed a bag (going home outfit for me and baby, nursing bra, toothbrush, hairbursh, two pillows, gatorade, birthing ball, iPad (for watching movies if labor was long), iPhones and chargers, and the boppy) and went to the hospital. Baby was born three and a half hours after we showed up at the hospital. We thought it would take longer since she was our first, but she came quick! The ONLY things we used during labor was the extra pillows we brought and the gatorade right after I delivered.

The thing is, for labor, you don't really need anything. I even forgot my id and my insurance card and the hospital didn't care. After labor you can send your husband home to get whatever you think you need. Really, less is more in this situation.

About 24 hours after I gave birth, my husband went home to shower, sleep for two hours, install the carseat, and grab my deodorant, shampoo, and flat iron. He was only gone for about four hours and me and baby slept almost the whole time he was gone.

The registry fulfillment and buying cloth diapers didn't happen until baby was a month old (she's 7 weeks now), but it really wasn't a big deal.

Also, being a bit effaced doesn't necessarily mean anything. I was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced at 32 weeks with baby very low and made it to 37 weeks (long story as to why I was checked, but I chose not to be checked again for the rest of my pregnancy). My ob said that SO many women walk around 1 to 3 cm dilated and 50% effaced for weeks and weeks before giving birth. She said she has had women like that who ended up having to be induced and women who are not dilated at all and 0 % effaced give birth the next day!

Basically babies come when they are ready. But it's nice if you're totally ready when they decide to come

FWIW I didn't pack a hospital bag until the night I was in labor...about an hour before we left for the hospital. I did, however, have a list of every item I wanted to put in there, so all we had to do was run down the list and throw it in. The only thing I really had ready ahead of time (for the bag) was the folder with my insurance card (in case I needed it), birth plan, and call-list.

Really, the rest is just details...except the car seat, that's important...but if need be can be done at the hospital...some of them even have techs there that will check it for you (ours did).