I’ve got such a lot I’ve got to get done over the next few weeks!

In less than two weeks time I’ve got my workshop: Before which I have to have devised a class plan and discussed it with my tutor (Ok, I’ve done the class plan, but I need to go over it and practice etc. and am awaiting my tutor’s comments, but I only managed that by putting the girls in front of the tv for a bit! Something I always said I’d never do!); and I have to have prepared a presentation to be assessed on at the workshop (for which I can find no guidelines about length or subject or what!). Oh yes, and I’ve got to send a form to my tutor for her to fill in about how ready I am for the workshop and then fill it in myself when I get it back before I go!

On the Saturday of the workshop, the antenatal teacher teaches the first of two full-day sessions on the antenatal course that I am to provide the bf session for. I had hoped to attend the first session so that the parents could meet me and so that I could ask them to write down on some postcards anything they particularly wanted to gain from the bf session. Being as I will be in London on that day, I’m going to have to compromise and meet only the mums at the ‘baby morning’ that the teacher is holding three days after my workshop. I’ll get the teacher to hand out the postcards to the parents at the first session so that the dads get them too, and ask her to get the mums to bring the postcards to the baby morning for me to collect. So that’s something else I’ve got to arrange before I go away.

Then, ten days after my workshop, I’ll be doing the bf session itself - aaarrrggghhh!!! So as soon as I get back from the workshop, I’ll have to start preparing all my materials and practicing with them so I feel confident using them and don’t look like a wally on the night! I need some fresh oranges; some straws; some kitchen towel; some paper plates; a knitted breast (don’t ask!); some dolls (we share those with the antenatal teacher though, so I’ll have to arrange how I’m going to get them from her - maybe I can pick them up at the baby morning!); loads and loads of cards with carefully prepared questions on them to guide a discussion; my tutor’s box of goodies (little props to demonstrate things to parents if they ask about them e.g. syringe; breast-pads; feeding cups; nipple shields and so on); some pieces of A3 paper with an agenda written on it; some packs made up for the parents with various info sheets in them; some feedback forms for the parents to fill in (as I understand it, a lot of bfcs don’t do feedback forms as it annoys the parents and is rarely accurate, but I have to do them for my assessment!).

After the session, I’ll have to do a write up of it asap so that I have got something concrete written down for me to base my essay on when I come to do that - which I’ll also have to get done asap.

I’m also hoping to get back my draft of the last essay I wrote so that I can finish that off this week and have it off my plate before the workshop, but I don’t know if that will happen - my tutor’s rushed off her feet too and even if she manages to get it back to me in good time, I’ll still have to find a spare day off of DH’s (ha ha!) to work on it, along with all the other stuff I’ve got to work on.

Then I’ve got one more essay to write and hand in. Once they’re all marked and assessed, I have to get them prepared to send, with *all* the assignments I’ve written, plus evidence of a few other things, off to Head Office to be checked and re-assessed so that I can be approved to register as a BFC, oh yes and a copy of everything I send to Head Office needs to be sent to Luton University so it can be ratified before my Diploma can be awarded. It takes about 6 weeks for an essay to be assessed and second assessed, so I’ll have to have my final essays handed in by the end of October at the latest if I’m to have any chance of preparing my portfolio for submission by the time the baby arrives. I don’t want to have to worry about doing it with a newborn baby as the deadline for submission is Jan 8th!!!

Oh yes, and along with all that I have to prepare for Christmas *and* the arrival of baby number 3. Still, although this may have been a very boring post for anyone reading, I have to say that writing it all down has been quite helpful to me! At least I have a sort of ‘timetable’ now for my BFC work - I guess I’ll work flat out for the next six weeks getting all my assignments done and handed in. Then I’ll have six weeks to spend getting ready for Christmas (can do the shopping online - or will it be too late by then? Beginning of November should be ok, shouldn’t it…?) and the baby (At least that will just mean spending a couple of hours going through Flopsy and Mopsy’s old clothes and buying a few new babygros, vests & nappies! Oh yes, and bottles, formula, a new cot, electric swing, dummies…only joking!) and then a week or so (maybe!) to rest before the baby comes! But I’ll probably be spending that week preparing my portfolio for submission. Thank goodness I’m starting yoga and will be able to go once a week from now on or I’d get no time to myself whatsoever! Note to self: Don’t forget to spend time with Flopsy and Mopsy (oh yes! And DH!) as well!

Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Update:  I’ve just found out I don’t have to have a presentation prepared before the workshop - it’s something we work on during the workshop.  So that means I should be able to get that essay handed in before I go away - hurrah!