10 Things To Do In Your Last Month Of Pregnancy

Hitting that final month in your pregnancy is a milestone. Excitement, nerves, anxiety all kick into high gear with the realization that, after all these months of waiting, your baby will be here pretty darn soon. If the month of your due date has finally arrived, these are a few things to start doing in order to get yourself ready for B-Day... and none of them have anything to do with packing a hospital bag.

1. Practice Your Breathing

Hopefully you’ve been doing this for several weeks already but, if you haven’t, it’s time to get started!

• Concentrate on taking slow, deep breaths. Inhale for four counts; exhale for four counts. Breath in through your nose until you feel your belly rise and back out through your mouth. Channel your inner horse (now that’s a strange phrase) and let your lips flap together. Do me a favour and actually do this, okay? Then it won’t feel so foreign when you’re doing it IRL.

2. Relax Yo’ Face

Training your body to release and relax will benefit you big time when you’ve started the birth process. Why? Because coaxing your body into a state of relaxation is KEY to labour efficiently.

• Several times a day, roll your shoulders back and pull your shoulder blades down and back. Let your arms hang like spaghetti noodles. Shake out your legs. Loosen your jaw and let your mouth gently hang. Visualize your entire face drooping as a result of being soooo relaxed.

3. Don’t Stop Moving

I know that the last month of pregnancy is a doozy. Things are, like, unnaturally heavy which causes a strain on the rest of your body. You feel sore. Your hormones are working overtime as your body prepares for birth which means you’re exhausted, irritable and maybe even nauseous. All that aside, don’t give in to the urge to spend the next 4 weeks (or so) horizontal. This may not be what you want to hear but I’m going to say it anyways: stay on your feet as much as you can! Stay active to keep your body loose (as opposed to tight). It doesn’t have to be intense to be beneficial! Keep moving in whatever way works for you.

• Walks - slow or brisk - are great. If it’s cold outside, go to a mall and do laps.

• If you’re still able to exercise, there’s no reason to stop. Keep goin’, you #fitmom, you! Just remember to be aware of how everything feels. If it hurts, stop immediately. Now is not the time to push it.

• Pick a few gentle yoga poses and do them every night to keep your muscles limber (also another chance to practice breathing).

4. Rest

So I just finished telling you to not stop moving and now I’m telling you to rest? As much as your body needs to keep moving, it also needs physical rest to rejuvenate itself in order to prepare for the marathon of birth.

• During the day (nighttime doesn’t count), follow the 50/50 rule - 50% rest and 50% moving. If that sounds like too much, aim for 60/40.

5. Visit Your Chiropractor

Okay, so a little bias of mine (if you want to call it that) is that I love chiropractors, especially during pregnancy. If you’re only going to see a chiro at one point in your life, as you approach your due date is the time to do it. They can adjust your body so that your pelvis is properly aligned. It’s a very gentle process (please find a chiropractor who is trained in Webster’s Technique). Often our pelvis shifts, or even twists, during pregnancy. Making sure your pelvis is aligned correctly can make for easier passage for your baby when the time comes.

• Time your appointments strategically so that you will be able to get two visits in before your due date (earlier if this is your second baby). Aim to have both appointments completed by 38 weeks or just over. Schedule another one for your 40 week mark and if you haven’t given birth by then (which you probably will not) go to the appointment.

6. Bounce on a Birth Ball

If you can, try to spend around 30 minutes every day on your birth ball. Try a mixture of these exercises:

• Roll your hips in a circular motion (switch directions)

• Gently bounce up and down

• Rocking your pelvis forward and back

7. Wash Your Baseboards

Ok, it’s not so much about making sure your baseboards are clean (although that is an added benefit to this one!). It’s just a really good excuse to spend several hours on your hands and knees which is a great exercise to get your baby in a good position for birth. If positioning is of particular concern for you (maybe you suspect your baby is back-to-back), head over to the Spinning Babies website (www.spinningbabies.com) for detailed, step-by-step instructions on their most efficient strategies to help with fetal positioning.

8. Positive [Birth] Vibes O-N-L-Y

At 36 weeks, I want you to think critically about everything birthy you expose yourself to. Positive birth talk and stories only. Let your mama’s wise words come back to you: “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” If this person you’re talking to doesn’t have anything nice to say about birth or their birth experience, it’s time for them to stop talking. Advocate for yourself and your upcoming experience. Tell them you need to press pause on this conversation but will be happy to come back to it after you’ve had your baby. Or just tell ‘em to zip it. Whichever route you go, I won’t judge.

• Do spend some time watching positive births or reading about positive birth stories. Pump yourself up for what’s about to come. Get excited!

9. Go For a Massage

Visit a registered massage therapist who is trained to work on pregnant women. Massage loosens your muscles, helps you and your body relax and increases blood flow. Plus, it will help mitigate any soreness you’re experiencing. Schedule one massage once a week from at least 37 weeks until you give birth. Keep in mind that registered massage therapists (specifically in the South Delta area) are in high demand. Book your appointments ahead, you can always cancel them if you need to.

10. Forget Your Due Date

The average first time mom gives birth around the 41 week and 2 day mark. The term “due date” is really nothing more than a, half-educated, guess. Knowing when your baby has been gestating for 40 weeks is great. But it does not tell anything about when your baby will arrive. So, for your own sanity, treat your 40 week date as just another day in pregnancy paradise. Don’t count down to it. Help yourself manage your expectations: plan that you will still be pregnant at 40+ weeks.

Here’s a little mental trick: schedule something to look forward to at your 40 (and a half) week mark. Something you can only do sans newborn baby and that’s little more extra than a pedicure. Looking forward to something else beyond baby (not to say that there’s anything that could top the arrival of your new baby!) is a great way to distract yourself. Plus… in my personal experience, every time I did this, I went into labour before I could enjoy it.

There you have it - 10 easy things to do during the last month, or so, of pregnancy to get your body and your mind ready for birth. And if you get to the point where you’re just sick of waiting, I’ve got you. Head over and read my blog post about my Tried, Tested and True Natural Induction Strategies!

Have questions? Just want to learn more? Take my private childbirth education prep sessions. These sessions are in-person (not just watching a pre-recorded segment) and give you opportunity to ask questions or deep dive into topics that interest you. Learn More!

Now get out there and do it, birth boss.

My Best Labor Trick (That You Haven't Heard Of)

My Best Labor Trick

(That You Haven’t Already Heard Of)

There are a lot of tips and tricks out there that claim to help to lessen a woman's discomfort while in the birth process. If we're being honest, most of them are probably placebos (I'm TOTALLY cool with placebos if it helps though!).

Most of the time, implementing comfort tools results in the birther feeling more in control because they are actively "doing something" to provide relief. In my experience, it's a really good way of distracting the birther so they aren't hyper-focused on sensations coming and going - and this is, what I believe, what part of the success of those tricks.

With that being said, I do have one tried, tested and true birthy comfort tool that you probably haven’t heard about and that I absolutely swear by. I acknowledge that there’s a little bit of prep that goes into this but the result is magical and totally worth it. You’re going to need four, pretty common, household items.

Your Supplies

1) Face cloths. Quite a few (at least a dozen). They don’t need to be luxurious quality by any means. I use ones from the dollar store and they’re still holding up well 4 years later. I like to have about 20 on hand to be safe.

2) A crock pot. Pre-2018 and the rise of the Instant Pot and air fryer, the crock pot was everyone’s favourite kitchen gadget. But you’ve probably never used any of those gadgets like this!

3) Lavender essential oil. I know what you’re thinking. You’ve stumbled on this really awesome doula blog (thanks, by the way) that you LOVE because she seems just like you and now here she goes down the essential oil rabbit hole. Just breathe for a moment before you hastily hit the close button. I’ve used this technique myself and, you guys… it really works. So, please join me in welcoming Lavender Essential Oil to our birth teams. Just like you chose the best quality of people for your birth team, chose a good quality essential oil. You deserve the best.

4) Kitchen tongs. Self explanatory.

Execution

When you start the birth process, start boiling some water. Either one large pot or several medium sized pots. Once that water has boiled, transfer it to your crock pot. Fill up the crock pot with regular hot tap water (this will bring the temperature down so it’s not scalding).

Add your face cloths. All of them. Don’t cut corners. There’s no point saving ‘em. Go ahead. Put them all in there.

Add roughly 20 drops of your lavender essential oil (start with less and if you need more, add it).

Put the lid on the crock pot and set to either low or hot depending on whether your crock pot runs warm or not. Check it (or have someone on your birth team) intermittently to ensure it’s hot enough. Add more boiling water or turn up the temperature setting if it isn’t hot enough.

What To Do With It

When your water is hot and the lavender and face cloths infused, remove one face cloth (with tongs to avoid anyone sticking their hand into a crock pot of hot water - this is a great job for your partner!). Wring out excess water from the face cloth and place it where you’re feeling your sensations (whether it’s in the front of your abdomen or in your back or your thighs… wherever! for the duration of the sensation. Remove at the end of the sensation and place face clothback in the crock pot to reheat. Repeat the process however many times necessary, cycling through all of the face cloths so that you’re getting a hot one each time.

When To Use

Don’t use this one right off the start line. It’s one of those things that would fall under the “save the best for last” category. If you’re at the point where you’re questioning your ability to cope, it’s time.

Why It Works

Lavender is known to promote relaxation and pain relief. Relaxation is key (physically and mentally) as it helps a woman settle into birth, allowing sensations to come and go without tensing up - which can hinder progress. The heat from hot water can help your body release endorphins (your natural pain killer, what what).

And there you have it! I’ve been waiting a long time to share this little trick of mine. I hope you find the same relief with it that I - and dozens of my clients - have. Happy birthing, boss!