pregnancy Archives - CURLY AND CANDID

During the last few months of your pregnancy, you’re going to be experiencing the most rapid and drastic changes to your body. Fun times. I remember it well. The baby is going to be developing at a very fast pace and he or she will begin to gain a lot of weight. This will put strain on your body and require you to intake more calories as the weeks progress. Inevitably, this means you’re going to be gaining weight and this will only add to the levels of discomfort you might feel.

Things Get a Little Harder in The Last Few Months of Pregnancy

Doing normal everyday chores around the house during the last few months of pregnancy is going to be challenging and even the small things like going to the toilet won’t be without event on occasion. Don’t allow late-stage pregnancy to catch you off guard with its numerous trials. Here are some ways you can prepare yourself for what lies ahead.

Start Moving!

Once upon a time, when a woman was pregnant she was told to get as much bed rest as she could. However, times have changed and now the advice is the opposite. As you grow larger and larger, the extra weight is going to be a strain on your skeleton and muscles. So getting as much exercise as you can, is going to make your joints and soft tissue stronger and able to bear the weight. On top of this, your movements won’t be so constricted in the last few months of your pregnancy thanks to the continual exercise you’ve been getting. More fresh blood will flow around your body and repair damaged tissue quicker.

The Last Few Months of Pregnancy: The Extra Help

From what I can remember from the few months of pregnancy housework was hard! A housekeeper would be a great extra hand around the house, to help you wash clothes, cook meals and generally keep the house clean. Here are some tips on how to find a housekeeper and what kind of process you should employ. Interviewing the housekeeper face to face is paramount because when you’re 7 to 9 months pregnant, you want to be able to trust him or her.

Equally as important as your care, if you already have small children the housekeeper will be the primary babysitter that you can rely upon. A trial period is recommended whereby you set the housekeeper some practical tasks and see how they get on.

Some Creature Comforts

During the last few weeks, you may begin to feel some harsh chemical reactions in your body. Keep your heartburn medicine nearby at all times. A pregnancy pillow should be taken everywhere with you as the baby’s weight is going to be trying to your pelvis. Sitting on the pillow is simple but effective relief. I called mine Artificial Roy as I would drape myself over it to get comfy in bed for naps when Roy wasn’t there.

A final couple of months are going to be a bit challenging. But with these helpful suggestions in mind, you will be well-prepared for them. My hard and fast rule for this period is to do whatever you need to do. This is coming from the woman who for one of her pregnancies ended up in A&E with a thrombosed “pile”. There’s a blog post about that experience somewhere. Remember, you are growing a life in there so even if you feel slow, sore and a bit rough don’t be sad. You are doing a brilliant job!

Managing late pregnancy might be easier for some and harder for others. Most people have their eye on the prize that is maternity leave – a time to relax and get ready when there’s no baby yet. We picture ourselves relaxing and enjoying the last few weeks on our own. You might think that you’d like to use this time to do some last-minute shopping or finish the babies room. Or, you might just want to take some time for yourself, to read books, have naps and get your hair done.

After those first few weeks of morning sickness and worry, you might long for the end of your pregnancy, when you don’t have to worry about getting up and going to work, and the excitement of having your baby is mounting. This was my plan for managing late pregnancy. The reality was somewhat different.

Some people start to struggle toward the end of their pregnancy. They are tired all of the time, but they can’t sleep because of aches, pains and frequent trips to the toilet. Their hips, back and breasts hurt all of the time, and their ankles are swollen to the point that shoes no longer fit and walking is uncomfortable. Even if you have had a relatively straightforward pregnancy, you could find those last few weeks difficult. It’s different for everyone, of course.

Waiting is never fun. While the rest of your pregnancy might have passed in a bit of a blur, the last week or so can seem to last forever. You might spend your days wondering if every ache is the start of labour. You are continually looking for signs that something is about to happen. This can lead to feelings of disappointment and frustration. This all starts to get worse if you go past your due date, and it’s perfectly normal to find yourself having to work harder at managing late pregnancy.

Know What to Watch Out for

In the last few weeks of pregnancy, there are a few things that you should be watching out for. Knowing about them can help to ease your worries and concerns.

Firstly, there are the early signs of labour. From 37 weeks, your baby is full-term and could come at any time. Unless there has been a problem during your pregnancy, a baby born at 37 weeks should be perfectly healthy, and won’t need any special treatment, so make sure you are ready from then. Early signs of labour can include aches and pains, period type cramps, a show, your waters breaking and sharp pains. Speak to your midwife about what you should do when signs of labour present themselves.

As your midwife will no doubt have mentioned there are things to look out for when managing late pregnancy, namely pre-eclampsia. Once a serious and life-threatening condition, pre-eclampsia is now very manageable, but only if you get help as soon as possible. Signs include extreme swelling and headaches. If you feel unwell, see your midwife or other appropriate care-giver.

Make Some Plans

In the last few weeks, movement can be difficult. But, sitting at home on your own might not feel like resting, it might feel more like stressful waiting. So, make some plans, but make sure they are easy to cancel or rearrange if you need to. Book a haircut or pregnancy massage. Plan a day shopping and a visit to the library. But, don’t plan too much for the same day, and schedule rest days when you need them. This is advice I wished I’d been given before my eldest was born!

Invite Friends Round

There might be times where you are too tired and achy to do much at all. But, sitting on your own waiting can be tedious, tiring and stressful. So, invite people round. Have dinner or just a drink. Even if they just sit next to you watching TV, the company can be comforting, relaxing and fun.

Be Prepared

Pack your hospital bag, plan childcare for any other children while you are in labour, or find someone to look after pets. Think about your birth plan and research pain relief in labour. Plan your route to the hospital and even make a practice journey. Being prepared will give you something to do, and it will make your life easier when the time comes. Managing late pregnancy was easier for me with my two once I knew that everything was organised.

Find Ways to Manage Your Aches

For most people, the worst part of late pregnancy is the strain that carrying a full-term baby puts on your body. Your hips, legs, lower back and groin might ache all of the time. You might find it hard to sleep, and if the baby is engaged, walking might become difficult. I struggled a lot with this.

There’s no quick fix or magic solution to managing your aches, but you should try things until you find what works. A warm bath, pain killers, a hot water bottle and massage are all popular options. You might find that trying to do a little pregnancy yoga, using a pregnancy pillow might help too. I had a maternity pillow we called Artificial Roy that I could drape myself on.

Managing Late Pregnancy

I think the most important point here is that everyone is different and that no two pregnancies are the same. Be proactive in your planning so that however your late pregnancy develops you at least have the practical stuff sorted so that you can focus on you and your baby.

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