101 Things to Do When You're Overdue (Or Close)

I'm sitting here nine days overdue with a baby, not my first. I tend to go over due. However, I've learned that it's much easier to be nine plus months pregnant than it is to have a new baby. I'll have a new baby eventually, for now, I'll wile away the days waiting and dreaming about the new baby. Here is my list of 101 things to do while waiting...

1. Read another pregnancy book.
2. Take a bubble bath.
3. Get a manicure or pedicure.
4. Eat something spicy.
5. Talk to an old friend.
6. Learn to time contractions.
7. Pick out a baby book.
8. Go over your list of baby names one more time.
9. Write a birth plan.
10. Change the message on your answering machine to inform callers you're still around.
11. Get your hair done.
12. Get a pregnancy massage.
13. Go for a bumpy ride.
14. Recalculate your due date.
15. Hang out with us on the pregnancy forums.
16. Watch reruns on television.
17. Wash all of your baby clothes.
18. Check out a matinee movie, alone or with a friend.
19. Make a rice sock for labor.
20. Try a new recipe for dinner.
21. Pack your birth bag for the hospital or birth center.
22. Look through your pregnancy journal or pregnancy blog and relive some of the better moments.
23. Buy a new nightgown.
24. Go dancing!
25. Look at some birth announcements.
26. Put the baby's car seat in the car.
27. Go window shopping.
28. Daydream about the baby.
29. Eat something else spicy. Might I recommend Samosas?
30. Buy a nursing bra.
31. If you have older kids, read to them.
32. Shave your legs.
33. Visit someone else with a new baby and practice holding them.
34. Think of goofy answers to the questions about whether or not you're still pregnant.
35. Try a new nail color. Change it again.
36. Call your mom.
37. Sit in your baby's room for a while.
38. Buy a cute baby toy.
39. Get lots of fiber.
40. Put together any unmade furniture.
41. Buy stamps for birth announcements.
42. Work out - go to yoga, aerobics, whatever you like to do.
43. Practice a new position for labor.
44. Walk around the mall.
45. Check to be sure your insurance information is packed in your birth bag.
46. Do you have batteries for your camera?
47. Listen to a favorite CD and consider making a play list for your birth.
48. Buy a pack of diapers.
49. Buy a new toothbrush for the birth.
50. Make a birthday cake.
51. Call your best friend.
52. Play with your pets.
53. Do nothing for a change.
54. Give your husband a back massage. Show him how you like to have your back rubbed.
55. Buy any birthday cards or presents you'll need for the first 6 weeks after your baby is born.
56. Have a smoothie.
57. Recheck your birth bag for the hospital or birth center.
58. Go to a La Leche League meeting or breastfeeding class.
59. Take your husband dancing.
60. Pack some snacks for the hospital or birth center.
61. Make a belly cast of your belly.
62. Buy some sexy underwear, or at least not granny panties, for after the birth ( a couple of weeks).
63. If you have older kids, make I'm a big sister/brother t-shirts for them.
64. Bake a batch of cookies for the doctors and nurses at the hospital or birth center.
65. Go to your last prenatal appointments.
66. Order your favorite pizza for dinner.
67. Have sex! *wink*wink*nudge*nudge*
68. Think about anything but the new baby or labor.
69. Tell your husband how much you love and appreciate him.
70. Make sure you have a long distance phone card for the birth if your cell phone doesn't have long distance.
71. Have someone inspect your car seat for safety. Try AAA or local car dealer.
72. Get a new scented lotion for labor.
73. Pack a diaper bag.
74. Page your honey to make sure he's paying attention.
75. Bake a casserole to eat after your baby is born.
76. Put your birth bag in the car.
77. Make sure you have some postpartum help lined up.
78. Start a scrapbook for your baby if you haven't already.
79. Call your pediatrician to see if they have a recommended list of first aid items.
80. Look through your old baby books and pictures.
81. Have a lunch date with a friend.
82. Read positive birth stories.
83. Chat with your doula about any last minute worries.
84. Feel your baby's movements. Remember how you waited to feel the first fetal movements?
85. Make a romantic dinner for your honey.
86. Make a list of everything you will miss about being pregnant.
87. Learn to knit baby booties.
88. Ask your mom about your birth.
89. Clean out the refrigerator.
90. Rent a movie.
91. Take a practice drive to the hospital.
92. Listen to a book on tape.
93. Read a novel you've been dying to read.
94. Go to work - why not?
95. Think about your postpartum birth control choices.
96. Read a new breastfeeding book.
97. Practice a new relaxation technique.
98. Refold all the baby clothes.
99. Write a letter to your baby telling him or her how much you can't wait to meet them!
100. Make a list of everything you won't miss about being pregnant.
101. Give birth!