Erev Pesach due date-advice appreciated

My baby is due couple of days before Pesach. First two were 8 and 10 days post due date, so I am hoping this one will follow the trend. However, since you just never know I would appreciate any tips on how to get ready for Yom Tov from any of you who have been there and survived. Smile

We don't eat out of the house on Pesach and our families are not frum, plus they're 4+ hour drive away. So, I can get help with cleaning, watching kids, etc. but cooking wise I am pretty much on my own.
Thanks Smile

Can you arrange to have sedarim with friends? If you are in the hospital during the sedarim, your children will need a place anyway. Offer to make the seder plate, some kugels, buy the wine/matzo.

Firstly, SIMPLIFY.

Make Pesach itself as easy as possible. You'll either be post due or post=partum. Plan to use as much disposable as possible.

Hire cleaning help to do your bedrooms, and the rest of your house. Restrict movement around the house with food. Maybe buy only Pesachdike snacks for the kids from Purim and on. Even stuff that we may not eat ON Pesach, is not Chometz if a mess is made around the house.
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Mom to 7+3+8, [33 to 21], two SILs and one DIL & 3 cute gd's and 5 handsome gs's. And a greatl DH. BARUCH HASHEM

Please say Tehillim for Leah bas Sara Malka; Rikva bas Shaina Sara; Shulamis Chava bas Bluma,

My DS was born the week of pesach...and I had 2 other little ones at home. My advice would be to kasher the kircehn ahead of time (like in Feb) for 3 days, cook and freeze everything, and then turn everything back over (except your freezer. Then most of your food, except the fresh stuff is done (this is what many caterers do).

Definetly get cleaning help, and start everything early!

you can do this!

Diamond Member Joined: Dec 04 2006 Posts: 2694

I have absolutely NO advice for you. Just daven really, really hard that you should have an easy time.

I had my third child three weeks before pesach and even though I went away for yom tov, I nearly went over the edge, seriously! It was a nes that it didn't actually happen. My baby was also colic...

Now, when I get pregnant one of the things I really daven for (actually cry, remembering what it was like) is that the child should be easy to care for.

I don't mean to scare you. Of course every sitch is different. But get as much help as you can. Don't be "karg" (stingy) about it! It's for your health and the health of your family!!!!

B'shaah tovah!! Lots of brocha and mazel tov!!!!!!!!

My ds was born few weeks before pesach. I cleaned very early and dh had to do a lot extra that year in the kitchen. We also cooked very simple. It was really a very nice chag that year.

been there and survived to tell the tale. I had the added fun of 2 huge sedarim to cook for and orginise (we are shluchim in a small community, and if we wouldn't have guests they literally would not have a seder to go to) My 2 brothers came to help out for the sedarim, and the baby was born a few hours after Pesach.

If you are not having guests (good chance you may spend seder night in the hospital!) than don't worry. Get the kitchen ready a week or so before so you can cook and freeze. (this will be easier if you have a room or area that can be turned into a chometz "kitchen")

You could clean the rest of you house now, so you don't have that last minute 2 weeks before pesach panic.

I was due on bedikas chomets and the other ones where all early or on time and that one was...late (last day pesach)
I was quiet nervous but had evrything ready a few days early and we managed...

Silver Member Joined: Dec 01 2006 Posts: 688

Executive Member Joined: Dec 07 2005 Posts: 281

I had my first one 2 days before pessach. when I was in labor I was cleaning the kitchen and doing the silver foil stuff. It was hard but I was happy I did because we ended up back at home and if I hadnt done it we wouldve been stuck! The rest of the house was done before and we were careful about not eating all over the place.
This time I'm due 2 days before my sons birthday so its gonna be tough especially that now I do have another kid. This is my plan: clean all closets and drawers now. no need to wait ........how often do u eat in your closet anyway Wink

do a quick floor cleaning in all the rooms and make sure your kids dont walk outta the kitchen with food. get the kosher l'pessach cookies for your kids so that if they do happen to get out its not a problem. then right before pessach get a cleaning lady to come for a few hours wash the floors again and help you with the kitchen. you can even sit in the kitchen with the cleaning lady and tell her do this do that. its managable. I've done pessach 2 times in difficult situations (second one I was very sick) and a'h this year will be the 3rd crazy one. Don't overdo anything......its not necissary.

good luck

Diamond Member Joined: Jan 19 2005 Posts: 2560

I should get a badge "I had a baby 3 weeks before pashach" ooh what a mess they made . with the vahcnack all in my house. chamatez was everywhere. I was going crazy. but the next day I had my cleaning help and she cleaning everything up really quick. and I cleaned with 5 little kids. and a newborn on top of it. and I cooked and baked like we would go on a hunger strike if I didnt do all the baking.

I dont think I really recovered yet from it all.

the only real solution is organization. down to the last meal.

Thanks for advice everyone...I will let you know what happens after Yom Tov.

Silver Member Joined: Jan 10 2005 Posts: 842

Cook and freeze a lot of chometz meals now in order to reheat and eat in disposable after your kitchen is kashered. Try to kasher as early as you can--perhaps a week before . Get a cleaning lady to clean all your chickens for Pesach in the week before.(you can be her mashgicha if you want which is what I did when I was on bed rest a month before pesach..just sit and watch her.)Try to get the cleaning done as soon as possible. I did all the bedrooms before purim and closed all doors on Purim, so no chametz would go in.(had to police a bit, yes). Buy a cheap toaster oven/thermos in case you have to be in the hospital on pesach and would want hot food.

Just an update:
I turned over my kitchen Rosh Chodesh Nissan...we just ate a lot of KLP food, and whatever chametz we wanted we had in the garage/went out. Cooked for two weeks and stocked my freezer. It was a very relaxing Yom Tov, since everything was ready way in advance and I had enough food to not have to cook at all except for fresh salads. The problem is...not only I did all my preparation for Yom Tov, and got through Yom Tov, but I even managaed to clean up and put away all the Pesachdig stuff. The baby is not here yet!!! I am almost at 42 weeks now, they will probably try pushing induction on me tomorrow. Unless the baby, seeing there is nothing else to do will actually show up. Wink

oh my goodness, you are still around.... and here I am scrolling down to bottom of your thread hoping to hear the good news!
Feel good and try to get some rest.... you're basically there!!!!!!
bsha'a tova umutzlachas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: Thu, Apr 12 2007, 9:10 pm Post subject:

b'sha-ah tova!
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Moderator Joined: Feb 28 2006 Posts: 4103

Wow!
Good for you on all your hard work! I hope you got to relax and rest over Pesach!

Good Luck! and may you have a Quick and very Easy delivery!!!!
Please let us know what happens!
We'll be thinking of you!!! Wink

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Boy (15), Boy (13), Girl (12), Boy (10), Girl (8), Boy (5), Girl (3), Girl (10 m) B"H!!!

I just saw this.. helanie I had the added fun of making a bris on erev pesach!!!! don't ask how we did that!!!!

and the funwill be even greater with his bar mitzva shabbos hagadol but we have tine for that!!! his shalam zachor was also shsbbos hagadol. but bh my sil's did everythingwhen I was in hospital and I cleanedlike crazy before then that's what put me in labour!!!