Are you past your due date and going absolutely crazy waiting for your water to break?

Several moms experience their due dates passing while they are still pregnant and it gets even harder to wait on your baby to make an appearance.

This happened to me with my first pregnancy. I remember watching my due date come and go with no sign of my labor starting. It was really frustrating and I had to find some creative ways to keep myself busy while waiting on my baby to come.

Here are 27 things you can do when your baby is overdue.

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1. Make Your Birth Plan

If you have not already made your birth plan go ahead and start making it now. The last thing you want to do is to go into labor and have none of your wishes written out for your doctor to follow.

A few things to include in your birth play may be:

whether or not you want any medications during labor (such as an epidural)
if you would like to have skin to skin contact right after your baby is born
if you are having a boy whether you want to circumcise him
whether or not you are planning to breastfeed

One great way to make your birth play is by having a pregnancy planner like this one which helps you to plan all of your pregnancy and birth needs in one convenient place.

2. Catch Up On Your Favorite TV Shows

Once your baby is born, watching tv will be a lot harder. So while you’re waiting around for your labor to start, get all caught up on your favorite tv shows or rent that movie you’ve been waiting to come out.

3. Spend Time With Family

When a new baby comes home, things can get pretty hectic. That’s why it’s important to spend all of the time that you can with your family before your baby comes.

And if you have older children be sure to make time for snuggling, playing, and just enjoying each other before you have another baby to take care of.

4. Read A Book

Do you have a great novel you’ve been setting aside to read later? Now’s the time to get all of that out of the way because once your baby comes, staying awake to read a book will be a huge challenge.

So get wrapped up in a story that will do your heart good and help take your mind off of the fact that your baby is running late.

5. Take Naps

There is no such thing as taking too many naps when you’re pregnant because once you have a newborn at home, naps will be a distant memory.

So cuddle up and get as comfortable as you can before you have your baby waking you up for nighttime feedings.

6. Prepare for Baby

Are you bored just sitting around waiting for your baby to make an appearance?

Try organizing baby clothes or building some of the baby items you’ve been putting off. Just keep busy and continue to prepare for your baby’s arrival.

7. Get a Prenatal Massage

Are you feeling a little run down? Pregnancy can sure take a toll on the body.

So check your area for a good prenatal massage therapist and get a relaxing massage. Trust me it may be the last time you get to relax for a while.

8. Have A Date Night

Having a baby can really change your marriage. Sometimes when you have a new baby, your marriage takes a backseat.

So make a date night and take time to enjoy each other before you become parents.

9. Write A Letter to Your Baby

One thing I loved doing when I was pregnant was writing letters to my baby. I would often just write about things we found out like the baby’s gender and the name we chose.

These letters were a whole lot of fun to write and I know that one day when my kids are old enough they will love to have them.

10. Pack Your Hospital Bag

If you have not packed your hospital bag – get it down NOW!

There is no time to waste. You really never know hen you will go into labor.

And on the other hand, if you have already packed your hospital bag, double-check it to make sure that you haven’t forgotten anything.

11. Prepare Freezer Meals

Preparing freezer meals is one great task to keep you busy while you wait for labor to start.

And by making freezer meals, you can ensure that your family will have plenty of healthy meals that are quick to make while you are recovering from childbirth.

12. Install the Car Seat

You know that cute little infant car seat that you bought to bring your little newborn home in. It’s time to get it installed in your car.

You’ll want to get the base for the car seat securely installed into the backseat of your car and make sure that you can properly click the car seat in and out of the base. This will save you a ton of time later.

13. Pick Out A Baby Name

Does your baby have a name yet?

Choosing the perfect name for your baby can be a really hard decision. I always had a name picked out before we knew the sex of our babies.

However, some parents don’t reveal a baby’s name until they are born. So if you haven’t already picked a name yet, hit those baby name books and find the right name for your baby.

14. Wash Your Baby’s Clothes

When you first buy baby clothes you never know who all has touched them before or even what has been around them when they were made and packaged. This is why it’s super important to wash all of your baby’s clothes before they are born.

This helps with preventing allergies and making sure that there are no germs on your baby’s clothes.

15. Buy Nursing Clothing

Are you planning to breastfeed? If so you’ll want to get some nursing clothing.

Having clothing made specifically for breastfeeding really can make a huge difference in how easy it is to get your baby breastfeeding especially in the beginning.

16. Take A Prenatal Class

Is this your first baby? If so taking a prenatal class can help you know more of what to expect before your baby is born. And then you can learn more of what is normal or abnormal for your newborn.

Trust me newborns can do some pretty weird things.

I recommend taking The Online Prenatal Class for Couples. This prenatal class teaches you about pregnancy, labor, and birth.

It’s taught by Hilary who has a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. She has also worked in the pediatric care unit, nursing home, and hospice before making the big shift to labor and delivery in 2001. Hilary has also practiced labor and delivery for over 10 years, so she knows everything that can happen with having babies.

17. Go For A Walk

Many moms who have been overdue before said that walking can help to start your labor.

So if it’s a beautiful day and you feel up to getting out of the house, go for a walk and soak up the fresh air. You never know it may help jumpstart your labor.

18. Stock Up On Diapers

If there was one thing on the planet that I would recommend stocking up on for your baby it would be – diapers.

While you are waiting for your baby to come, make sure that you are stocked up on enough diapers for at least 4 – 6 weeks. Since most moms spend most of their recovery time at home, having enough diapers for your baby will make the first few weeks with a newborn a whole lot easier.

19. Make A Belly Cast

You may not want to remember being pregnant now, but one day you’ll want to look back at how big your belly got with a little baby inside.

This is why making a belly cast has become so popular. Many expecting moms make a belly bast during their last few weeks of pregnancy and hang it up in their baby’s nursery.

20. Set Up A Baby Items Basket

Organization helps take the headache out of parenting – especially when you have a newborn in the house.

So try to set up designated areas with baskets of baby gear in different rooms of your home to make breastfeeding, changing diapers, and caring for your baby easier.

21. Take A Breastfeeding Class

If you have never successfully breastfed a baby before I highly recommend taking a breastfeeding class. With a breastfeeding class, you can learn how to properly latch your baby and can look out for any breastfeeding problems that many new moms face.

I personally love the Milkology Breastfeeding Class that is taught exclusively by Stacey Stewart. She is a Certified Lactation Educator and also a mom of 3. She also has an extensive history of helping moms to learn how to breastfeed their babies from the start.

And by learning the ins an outs of breastfeeding by a certified lactation educator like Stacey, you’ll know that everything you learn there is vital to breastfeeding your baby all from the comfort of your home and at your own pace.

22. Get Intimate

Even when you have a baby on the way you’ll want to take time with your husband.

So get busy! In fact, there have been several moms who have stated that having sex while they were overdue helped them to go into labor.

23. Pack Diaper Bag

Is your baby’s diaper bag packed?

If not go ahead and start packing anything that you think your baby will need. Even though you probably won’t be going on long trips with your newborn, you’ll still be going to your baby’s pediatrician very often for the first few weeks of their life.

24. Clean Out The Refrigerator

Is your refrigerator looking a little cluttered and messy?

If so take some time and get it all cleaned up and stocked with plenty of healthy snacks for you. Breastfeeding moms need plenty of healthy snacks to produce enough breast milk for a newborn baby.

25. Count Your Baby’s Kicks

There is truly nothing like feeling your little baby move around and kick inside your tummy.

So take a break and count your baby’s kicks. Make sure that your baby is active and healthy.

26. Start A Craft

Feeling crafty?

One great way to occupy your time while waiting for labor is by learning a new craft. So try your hand at knitting or crocheting some baby booties for your newborn.

27. Listen to An AudioBook

If you are like me and not great at sitting still and reading a book, you can listen to audiobooks. So sit back and relax or fold some laundry while having your book read to you.

Past Your Due Date? 27 Things to Do When Your Baby is Overdue