So you’ve done all the birth prep, birth bag is packed and ready to go, the nursery is organised and the baby clothes are folded waiting for their owner to make an appearance. What on earth do you do now?! Here at 10 ideas to keep you sane during what can be a challenging time for many expectant mums!
How SLOWLY do the last weeks of pregancy go?! Even more so if you go past your due date, and then wait some more - like me to 41+ weeks with my first two. And then the text messages start, reminding you that YEP YOU ARE STILL PREGNANT. “Any signs of the baby?!” They ask.
'Rest assured that when my baby arrives you will get a message, especially if you happen to be my mum/granny/close friend I won’t forget to tell you!!'
For a lot of people this is also a time where new or old anxieties creep up about birth or your baby, and in general feeling a bit wobbly. This is the time that many of my clients get in touch for a chat and some reassurance.
Can we just say that feeling impatient/anxious/frustrated/insert other emotion is TOTALLY normal? This is coming to the end of a long, uncomfortable, sometimes very challenging pregnancy journey and what lays ahead is pretty unknown and uncertain, even if you have done it before.
Until then, what can help to keep sane and positive? Distraction is key! Put something in the diary every day for the 10 days after your due date such as...
Walk/coffee or picnic with a friend
Plan that long awaited-for holiday, summer party or gathering with friends
Creative or building projects that keep you occupied for hours are personal favourites - that IKEA chest of draw, epic puzzle or holiday photo album
Line up a whole day of films/Netflix with favourite snacks and endless teas - the 3 Bridget Jones movies anyone?
Book a relaxing pregnancy massage, reflexology session or beauty treatment (from 12th April) to get the oxytocin flowing. Double win you’ll also be supporting a small business!
Have a long lie-in and your breakfast in bed, with your partner if that is an option - treat yourself to all your favourite things. This is my ultimate treat when I get time to myself!
Have naps every day, listen to your hypnobirthing tracks, a meditation or pregnancy relaxation, with some calming room spray or essential oils diffusing in the background
Do a bit of postpartum planning - download your free 4th trimester checklist or book a Postnatal Prep session with me
Book into a pregnancy yoga class - it’s quite something to experience this female collective of other mums-to-be rooting for you!
Do a day of cooking freezer meals for the early weeks and nutritious snacks for labour/postnatally. I’m getting ready to cook a huge amount of ragu to make a giant lasagne, cottage pie and extra pasta sauce!
I hope these ideas help to keep sane and maybe even to make the most of this time. I won’t be the first or last to say it I know!! but you really won’t get this time back, it will never again be just you and your partner as a couple or you with just your first born. I get that in the pandemic some of us feel like they’ve seen quite a lot of our partners/children… but try to embrace the calm before the beautiful chaos, and get yourself as rested and mentally prepared as possible.
And know that you are DAYS (if not hours!) away from the most precious moment of meeting your little one. And the more relaxed you are, the more oxytocin will be flowing, creating the optimal environment for labour to start.
Check out my website for more information about Hypnobirthing Courses (including post 36 weeks course, it's never too late!) and Postnatal Prep/MOT sessions.