The Big Day—Secrets Every Expectant Mom Should Know (NAPSA)—The last few weeks of pregnancy can be a whirlwind of activity. Things like visiting the doctor, pre-washing the baby clothes and putting finishing touches on the nursery can seem to consume all of your time and energy. Filled with anticipation (and discomfort), you may feel overwhelmed and unprepared to welcome the new member to the family. Relax. By focusing on a few basic essentials, you'll ease your mind and help to ensure a comfortable andfulfilling delivery. Must-Haves For Your Hospital Stay—Don’t wait until the last minute to prepare for your hospital stay (in case baby decides to arrive a bit early). In addition to your camera or video camera, be sure to include: A cozy pair of socks orslippers (hospital roomscan bechilly). Anursing bra and nightgown that opens in the front so you can breastfeed. A comfortable and roomy going-homeoutfit for yourself and a special take-home outfit for baby. Favorite energizing snacks for you and your partner. If you have room, stash extra goodies such as CDsto help create a relaxing environment that’s more like home (and a CD player if the hospital doesn’t have one). Install The Infant Car Seat —The hospital won’t let you drive away without one. Make sure you and your partner have familiarized yourselves with it. Manyfire departmentsoffer free assistance to makesureit is installed properly. Plan Your Safe Getaway— Keep the gas tank full and map out a backup route in case of unantici- patedtraffic or construction. If you go into labor while home alone, you'll want to have the phone numbers of nearby friends and a taxi Many hospitals offer moms a choice of free diaper bags at checkout. cab company handy. Write Down YourBirth Plan And Bring it With You—Prior to your visit, you'll want to discuss birthing options with your doctor and partner. Come prepared to share your personal preferences including: Do you want pain-relief medication or do you prefer a natural childbirth? Are there specific people you do and don’t want with you during labor and delivery? Would you like your hus- band, partner, a family memberor a friend to cut the umbilical cord? Do you plan on breastfeeding? Having this attached to your chart will help avoid confusion if the labor nurse is not available duringbirth. Prepare to Share The News— Create a simple “phonetree,” a list of family and friends who can help relay news including when baby arrived, name, sex, weight and length. Remember that most hospitals don’t allow cell phones, so bring a calling card along. Friends and family who live locally might want to visit you in the hospital, so you'll need to decide if you'd like guests to stop by. Ask For Your Hospital Diaper Bag—Many hospitals offer momsa choice of free diaper bags at checkout. You can request the one preferred by experienced moms(very best baby™ Consumer Panel), Nestl’s sleek very best baby Backpack™. Designed by moms,it features: Comfortable straps to keep your armsfree for yourlittle one. A removable changing pad and zippered pockets. Insulated interior bottle holders to keep breastmilk chilled. Nestl Good Start Supreme DHA & ARA with Comfort Pro- teins infant formula. A Munchkin Tri-Flow bottle. A fun Mommy and Mesingalong music CD. Information on breastfeeding and babycare. Visit verybestbaby.com and enter your ZIP code to find out if your hospital offers Nestl’s sleek very best baby Backpack”. Arrange For Your Homecoming—Help ease the transition by anticipating personal needs: Stock up on nursing pads, sanitary napkins andbottles. * Cook and freeze meals (store in single family servings). Fill the pantry with a variety of energy-boosting snacks that you can eat with one hand (mostlikely the other one will be holding baby). Prearrange for some extra help with meals from family and friends before the baby arrives— they'll enjoy helping! You can visit verybestbaby.com before and after delivery for more great tips and helpful information about breastfeeding, baby care and infant nutrition. Moms can depend on thesite for information that can help make their pregnancy and transition to motherhood a smootherone. Editors Note: The Nestl very best baby Backpack is available only at hospitals in the following cities: ARKANSAS: Bentonville, Johnson, Siloam Springs; ARIZONA:Glendale, Scottsdale; CALIFORNIA:Antioch, Bakersfield, Camp Pendleton, Castro Valley, Chino, Downey, Escondido, Folsom, Fountain Valley, Fremont, Fullerton, Glendale, Glendora, Irvine, La Jolla, La Mesa, Laguna Beach, Lancaster, Los Angeles, Los Gatos, Mission Viejo, Modesto, Monterey Park, Mountain View, Newport Beach, Northridge, Orange, Palm Springs, Pasadena, Placentia, Poway, Redlands, Redwood City, Riverside, Roseville, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Dimas, San Jose, San Pedro, San Ramon, Santa Ana, Santa Monica, Tarzana, Torrance, Travis Air Force Base, Whittier, Wildomar; COLORADO:Aurora, Englewood; CONNECTICUT: Bridgeport, New Haven; DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA:Washington; FLORIDA: Arcardia, Bartow, Belle Glade, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Bradenton, Brandon, Cape Coral, Clermont, Coral Springs, Crestview, Crystal River, Dade City, Davenport, Dunedin, Fernandina Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Fort Pierce, Fort Walton, Gainsville, Hialeah, Hollywood, Homestead, Inverness, Jacksonville, Jax Beach, Key West, Kissimmee, Lake City, Lakeland, Longwood, Loxahatchee, Marianna, Melbourne, Miami, Milton, Miramar, Naples, New Port Richey, North Miami Beach, Ocala, Ocoee, Orange Park, Orlando, Ormond Beach, Palatka, Palm Beach Gardens, Panama City, Pembroke Pines, Pensacola, Perry, Plant City, Plantation, Port Charlotte, Port St. Lucie, Rockledge, Saint Augustine, Sarasota, Sebring, Spring Hill, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee, Tampa, Tarpon Springs, Titusville, Wellington, West Palm Beach, Winter Haven, Zephyrhills; GEORGIA: Decatur, Stockbridge; ILLINOIS: Chicago, Elgin, Elk Grove Village, Evergreen Park, Harvey, Hinsdale, Joliet, Libertyville, Maywood, Palos Heights, Rockford, Skokie, Waukegan; INDIANA:Dyer, Indianapolis, Munster, South Bend, Terre Haute; KANSAS: Olathe; KENTUCKY: Ashland, Barbourville, Bardstown, Bowling Green, Campbellsville, Cynthiana, Danville, Elizabethtown, Frankfort, Ft. Knox, Ft. Campbell, Fulton, Glasgow, Greenville, Harlan, Hazard, Hopkinsville, LaGrange, Lebanon, Leitchfield, Lexington, London, Louisa, Louisville, Madisonville, Marion, Mayfield, Maysville, Middlesboro, Morehead, Owensboro, Paducah, Pineville, Somerset, South Williamson, Whitesburg, Winchester; MASSACHUSETTS:Boston, Plymouth; MARYLAND:Bethesda, Silver Springs, Takoma Park, Towson; MICHIGAN: Clinton Twp, Deerborn, Lapeer, Mount Clemens, Rochester Hills, Trenton, Troy, Wayne; MINNESOTA:Breckenridge, Coon Rapids, Duluth, Robbinsdale; MISSOURI: Blue Springs, North KC, Osage Beach, St. Louis, Washington; NEW JERSEY: Brick, Camden, Denville, Englewood, Freehold, Hackensack, Jersey City, Manahawkin, Neptune, New Brunswick, Newark, Newton, Perth Amboy, Pomona, Red Bank, Ridgewood, Somerville, Teaneck, Westwood, Woodbury; NEW YORK: Bethpage, Bronxville, Buffalo, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady; NORTH CAROLINA: Gastonia, Raleigh; NORTH DAKOTA: Bismarck, Devils Lake, Dickinson, Fargo, Harvey, Jamestown, Minot, Oakes, Rugby Valley City, Williston; OHIO: Cleveland, Garfield Heights, Youngstown; OKLAHOMA: Edmond, Ft. Sill, Lawton, Midwest City, Norman, Oklahoma City, Stillwater, Tulsa, Yukon; PENNSYLVANIA:Bethlehem, Camp Hill, Coatesville, Pittsburgh; SOUTH DAKOTA:Aberdeen; TENNESSEE: Chattanooga, Cookeville, Germantown, Knoxville, Memphis, Murfreesboro, Nashville; TEXAS: Arlington, Carrollton, College Station, Dallas, Denton, Grapevine, Houston, Irving, Katy, McKinney, Plano, Richardson, Round Rock, Rowlett, Sugarland, The Woodlands, Tomball; UTAH: Payson, Salt Lake City, West Jordan; VIRGINIA: Abingdon, Alexandria, Big Stone Gap, Blacksburg, Chesapeake, Emporia, Fairfax, Falls Church, Farmville, Fishersville, Fort Belvoir, Franklin, Front Royal, Galax, Grundy, Hopewell, Langley AFB, Leesburg, Lexington, Low Moor, Manassas, Marion, Martinsville, Mechanicsville, Norfolk, Norton, Portsmouth, Pulaski, Reston, Richlands, Richmond, South Boston, South Hill, Virginia Beach, Warrenton, Winchester, Woodbridge, Woodstock, Wytheville; WISCONSIN: Burlington, Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Fond Du Lac, Kenosha, Mequon, Oconomowoc, St. Croix Falls.