1. Reframe the
idea of a “due date.” Your due date marks 40 weeks from your estimated last period; it doesn’t necessarily mark
the end of pregnancy.
Key
Points to Remember:
· Normal gestation ranges from 37-42 weeks (and in some
cases longer).
· Average gestation for first-time mothers is 40 weeks +
5 days.
· Babies are not considered post-term (overdue) until
after 42 weeks, not at 40 weeks.
· Due dates can be off by several weeks, even with early
ultrasound estimates.
· Women are mammals, not machines or textbooks.
Variation is natural and
normal, and there is no magic timer to
indicate when your bun is done cooking!
Strategies
to Help You Deal:
· Rather than a due date, think of it is your “due month.”
Let people know you’re due “towards the end of April” rather than April 17.
· Expect
to be pregnant until at least 41 weeks. That way if baby comes earlier, it will
be a pleasant surprise, and you won’t be phased if your due date comes and goes
and you’re still pregnant.
· Read/listen to daily affirmations that recognize your
baby’s and your body’s wisdom, knowing that baby will come when the time is right.
· Read positive birth stories of other women who had
longer gestations.
· Come up with a list of projects to do to distract
yourself during those last weeks.
· Give yourself permission to turn off your phone and
ignore emails and Facebook if you start getting the “You’re still pregnant????”
messages. Or refer friends and family to www.haveyouhadthatbabyyet.com.
· Schedule a date with your partner or a pampering day
of massage for yourself near or even after your due date. (Babies love to
interrupt that kind of thing!)
2. Do what you can to stay comfortable. Trouble sleeping? Check. Waddling? Check. Braxton-Hicks
contractions? Check. Welcome to the end of pregnancy!
Strategies
to Help You Deal:
· Fatigue:
o
If night waking is
bothering you, try alternate nostril
breathing, meditating, or listening to relaxing music to help you go back
to sleep. Take naps in the day if possible.
o
Try not to stress
about whether or not you’ll have energy for the big day. Know that your body
will provide all the hormones needed to get you through it!
o
Think of this as
excellent preparation for caring for a newborn. Your little one will likely
wake every 2-3 hours to eat during the first weeks (or longer). You will be
ready!
· Aches and Pains:
o
Keep your body
moving! This will not only help ease the discomforts of pregnancy, but will
also help prepare your body for birth. Choose a couple of the following easy activities
to do every day:
§ Walking. Even 15 minutes a day, twice a day, makes a
difference!
§ Do hip circles
while you brush your teeth. Bend your knees slightly, and place your feet
hip-width apart. Move your hips around in a circle or figure 8 as slowly or
quickly as you like, being mindful to go both directions.
§ Trade in your chair for a birth ball. Use it while watching TV, at the dinner table, even at
your desk. You can bounce on it and do hip circles if you like, but even just
sitting on it gently exercises your core muscles and promotes good posture,
which helps your baby position herself for birth.
§ Spend time on your hands and knees every day. Practice
the cat-cow yoga movement before bed
(more throughout the day if you like!), scrub the floors, crawl after a
toddler, etc.
§ Do a few squats each time you shower, and get in the
habit of squatting throughout your day instead of bending over when you pick
things up*.
§ If you are motivated and able, activities like
prenatal yoga, swimming, and bellydance are also excellent ways to help prepare
you physically for birth.
o Consider visiting a chiropractor if you have any of the following:
§ Persistent back, leg, or pelvic pain. (Note: Lower
backache is very common, and often alleviated by cat-cow).
§ You feel that when you walk, one leg moves much
differently than the other (such as a limp or another awkward movement).
§ You have had a prior Cesarean due to baby’s position
(breech, posterior, asynclitic) or failure to progress.
§ You have previously injured your pelvis.
· Frequent Braxton-Hicks
contractions:
o
Be sure to stay
hydrated. Drinking water and lying on your left side will sometimes slow or
halt these contractions.
o
Take a warm bath.
This can also slow things down. If it’s the real thing, labor might speed up!
o
Use Braxton-Hicks
as a way to practice your coping techniques, such as deep breathing, position
changes, visualizations, etc. One simple practice is to relax your jaw by
making the “haaaa” sound (like a deep sigh), visualize your cervix opening, and
repeat a mantra in your mind like “open” or “welcome baby” or “relax” each time
you have a contraction.
o
Erase the words
“false labor” from your vocabulary—there’s nothing false about it! Know that
these practice contractions are getting work done, whether by strengthening
your uterus, changing the position or consistency of your cervix, or bringing
baby into a better position. The more work your body can get done before labor,
the better!
o
If contractions
are not letting up and lasting over several days but not leading to dilation
(prodromal labor), consider that baby’s position or cervical scarring might be an issue (see below).
3. Address any
emotional or physical barriers to birth. While there are many natural “induction” methods, these often do not
lead to labor unless baby is ready to be born. But occasionally, a baby that is
ready to be born might be held up by emotional or physical barriers that you
can address.
Strategies
to Help You Deal:
· Scan your emotional/psychological state. Do you have
any nagging fears or concerns? These may not even be directly related to the
birth, but might be about your financial situation or worries about motherhood,
for instance. Stress hormones hinder the process of labor, as your primal brain
needs to feel safe and secure to do its job. To address this:
o
Do a fear release exercise, alone or with
your partner.
o
Air out any
submerged relationship issues with your partner that are sources of insecurity
or doubt.
o
If there are
issues with other family members (such your sister feeling uncomfortable with
your birth choices, for example), you will have to decide whether or not it
will be productive and healing to talk with them, or if it will cause you more
stress and be unlikely to change anything anyway. In that instance, writing a
letter can be cathartic (whether or not you send it). Doulas are also great
listeners – talk to us!
o
Crying and
laughter are both great emotional and cleansing releases – give yourself the
chance to do both.
o
Surround yourself
with women who support and share your desires for your birth (whether
physically, virtually, or through the pages of a book).
o
Do whatever works
for you to keep you feeling calm and confident, whether listening to
affirmations, meditating, practicing yoga, praying, or talking to a trusted
friend.
o
Talk to your baby
daily out loud or in your mind, letting her know that she is loved, welcome,
and that you are ready for her. If this feels awkward at first, it will likely
become easier with practice.
· Address any position-related issues that might prevent
labor from starting on its own. Sometimes even a subtle misalignment prevents
baby’s head from putting adequate pressure on the cervix to get labor going. Medical
inductions that begin with a misaligned baby many times end in Cesarean. To
promote proper positioning:
o
Choose sitting
and resting positions that bring your belly forward – sleeping on your side
(preferably left) while tilting your belly slightly down towards the mattress (with
lots of pillows for support); sitting on a birth ball; avoiding slouching or
leaning back (in the car, couch, armchair, etc).
o
Get on your hands
and knees as often as you feel comfortable (adding cat-cow if you like),
especially when you feel baby active.
o
Walk up and down
stairs (two at a time if it feels good and you can do it safely). Alternatively,
walk down the street with one foot on the curb, and one on the street (be sure
to go both ways!). Creating asymmetry in the pelvis makes more space for baby
to negotiate and find the best position.
o
Do hip circles.
o
Go swimming,
using belly-down strokes (breaststroke, freestyle, side-stroke).
o
Consider visiting
a chiropractor trained in the Webster
technique.
o
Ask your doula to
do some rebozo sifting or the side-lying release.**
· Consider whether cervical scarring might be an issue.
If you’ve ever had a LEEP, D&C, or other cervical procedure, scar tissue can
sometimes form and prevent dilation. (Signs would be prodromal labor with little
to no dilation despite significant cervical thinning/effacement). The good news is that your provider may be able to "rub out" the scar tissue in early labor.
· Encourage the production of oxytocin (the love hormone, and the one responsible for starting contractions) through any of the following: cuddling (with your partner, children, even a pet!), hugging, holding hands, laughing, massage, sex, orgasm (with or without sex), watching a funny or emotionally compelling movie, spending time with friends and family, and singing, dancing, or exercising with others.
4. And most of all…. be patient! Easier said than done, no doubt about it. But truly,
baby will be in your arms before you know it. And patience is something that
all parents need in astronomical quantities—might as well get a head start on
practicing it now!
Good luck. =)
*Note: Only practice deep squats after 36 weeks if you
are sure that your baby is properly positioned – head down, facing your back
(anterior). Avoid squats if baby is suspected to be posterior, if you’ve had a
prior Cesarean related to baby’s position or failure to progress, or if you
have unusual pains in your pelvis, back, or legs that might indicate a pelvic
misalignment.
**See spinningbabies.com for more information about
these techniques.
