tips for final weeks/overdue

So, with lots of ladies waiting for stubborn babies to appear, and with me being in the final week (and sooo wishing for signs of labour - bet I'm not the only one!), I'm starting a thread of people's tips for how to cope during the home stretch.

Tell friends and family that you'll let them know when baby is born.  OK, it hasn't stopped all the texts and questions asking, but I think it's slowed them down!!

I would say - thank God for every minute of extra sleep you get, but it's so friggin hard just to get a regular night's sleep at this point!!!  Gotta love the irony of that (not). 

Rest and rest and rest to prep for labour - OK, easier said than done when the nesting urge has bumped from 'constant' to 'compulsive'!  Today's plan to make me rest up good includes videos.  That said, I'm sitting here planning my trip to Farmers, the Post Shop, and a fabulous new cake recipe to try.  Oh dear.  Bad Andie.

Read that baby book - you know, the chapter on sleeping or feeding, or whatever it is you'll want to learn about.  Spot the first-time mum here! 

Use the emotional roller-coaster of the final weeks to say what you want to to those annoying strangers sharing their opinions on your pregnancy.  I wish I had yesterday - I spent forever choosing 2 more maternity bras, the good ones were on the very bottom rack so I had to crouch waaay down to rifle through looking for my size (of which there are very few so the choice is pretty crap already), and some lady stands over me, looks down (I mistakenly think she's the THIRD person to ask me to move so they can get through that tiny little section, instead of walking around the teency-weency shelf themselves- t**sers!), and laughs with that kind of laugh that sniggers, then says "all a bit small for you are they, love?" and has another snigger.  I said "excuse me?" She sniggers again (a real mean-sounding laugh... grrrr) and said "uh, trouble finding the right size?  All a bit small are they?  Oh they'll settle down" as she stars at my boobs!!!  For crying out loud, I ONLY HAVE B-CUPS!!  I should have told her where to go, but just said it all with a glare instead.  Oops - sorry for the rant

...now that I've got that off my little B-cup chest... who has ideas for the rest of us??

Cocopops.... I've given up on my sensible 'grown-up' breakfast cereal of weetbix, allbran and fruit and am having cocopops every day of the due week and overdue time. I also try and have some other kind of out of the ordinary 'treat' thing so that I can look forward to it. I'm about a day away from my second pedicure of the fortnight (I figure I want my feet to look pretty when I get to see them again), have had coffee at a cafe with my hubby after my doctor's appt, rented a DVD I wanted to watch, got my fringe trimmed, bought a nice moisturiser etc.
Oh - that and just embracing all of the irrational, hormonally fuelled snappiness of the time as a given and been a bit more selfish over the past week. There'll be plenty of time for me to be nice and pleasant again after the baby is born.

lol Liz that's a good one. Can't share tips - have already been covered and both my girls came at least 2 weeks early.. but Andie, how RUDE was that chick? oh my god.

LOL Janine...gloating about not being overdue won't get you ANY extra irrational over-pregnant fans.
Liz - I think I'll go with the 'what baby? this is glandular response' next time someone dares to ask.

I was 5 days late and had a message on my phone saying "NO, I have not had the baby yet- I will tell you when I have. If you leave a message, I won't be listening to it and I won't answer it". It was hilarious a few weeks after when I listened to it- what a grump! I just got so sick of people ringing to ask if I had had it yet.

I was a classic nester and cleaned like an insane person which was great because it meant when we came home the house was spotless and it gave me something to do.

If you really feel like being in the kitchen, I'd advise cooking some meals for your freezer AND did you know you can cook and ice banana cake and it freezes and thaws beautifully!

Andie I think that woman was really rude, you're not big at all!!

My first baby was born 27 December so I spent the last month making and eating smoothies Mmmmmmmmm

I have a couple of banana cakes in there already, but I've never frozen anything iced - always thought the icing would get a bit poxy in the freezer.  Might try it now.  I shifted all our frozen meals into another freezer as the one we use normally has a modified (excessively heavy) lid that I'm struggling to open, and I'm not entirely convinced that the other one is cold enough... oh-oh...   I might introduce myself to your Mum, Emma!!  He he.  What a nice mum, eh. 

andie you would prob be better off freezing them without icing them.

that would be a crack up.

Ah ha ha haaaa.... that's CLASSIC!!!   I love it.