Surviving the Last Weeks of Pregnancy

You are excited and nervous. You have been waiting 8 months, and you’re almost there. In about 4 weeks you’ll be meeting your child for the first time. Hopefully you’ve already completed all the preparations, but there are always a few last things to do. You’ve got your bag ready to go just in case the baby comes a bit earlier. It’s almost time...if only the time would move faster because you’re completely miserable.

Full caveat - I have never been pregnant before. That’s a shocker, I know, but my body simply won’t allow it. My wife on the other hand has been through two pregnancies. I’m by no means an expert on this subject, but I do feel like being completely open and honest with how my wife has felt and other women have felt those last weeks of pregnancy is important. If we’re going to talk about the good parts of having a baby, we have to talk about the bad parts as well.

The last 6 weeks or so of pregnancy are generally the worst. While you’re not likely nauseous any longer, your tummy is now quite a bit larger, you’re carrying a lot of extra weight, and your body is likely acting weird (can’t sleep and not sure what it wants to eat). It’s simply no longer fun to be pregnant, and the baby inside of you will be as active as ever, so you’ll get plenty of kicks in uncomfortable places.

By the time your due date arrives, you’ll be ready to have that baby. Be prepared to be pregnant beyond your due date - many babies are born up to two weeks after their due date. If you’re thinking that you’ll just have the doctor induce you on your due date, you’ll want to make sure you discuss that with them - most doctor’s will not induce a first time mother for at least a week after their due date (ours required a full 10 days). Discuss with your doctor as your due date approaches what options you’ll have if interested in inducement.

In terms of sleeping, you’re going to want to do everything you can to get as much sleep as possible at night. Once the baby arrives, there’s no turning the sound off. Of course, as soon as you lay down to sleep it will seem like the baby inside of you will get very active. Practice laying in different positions - you may find one that the baby feels comfortable with and you can survive in. A body pillow is a great investment as well if you don’t have one as you’ll be on your side a lot.

Eating is another area that is crazy at the end of the pregnancy. You’re going to find yourself hungry and often craving weird foods (these two things will both start earlier than the last month of pregnancy, but will continue through to the end). You’ll want to have as many of those odd foods on hand, but be ready to send someone to get you some. While we don’t generally recommend eating midnight snacks, when you’re pregnant that is totally acceptable if your body needs it - it’s feeding two people.

It’s also important to not freak out about your weight while pregnant, and especially at the end. You’ve got a second person inside of you, and your body simply won’t be reacting the same way that it does without being pregnant. Focus more on trying to eat as healthy as you can. You’ll have cravings for certain foods, and that’s fine to indulge, but don’t simply go all out on cake and candy every single day. Eating healthy will help you to fill the need to feed two people while also helping you after your pregnancy with your weight goals - you don’t have to undo a bunch of unhealthy eating habits on top of letting your body heal.

Make sure that you have everything as ready as you can at home for when the baby arrives. Don’t try to paint a room in the last month of pregnancy - your partner or someone else can, but you shouldn’t. Try to take it as easy as possible. You’re going to find that you get tired much more easily when doing things. That’s normal and you should take breaks as needed. Don’t push yourself too hard as your body is already under an enormous amount of stress.

Always discuss your questions or concerns with your doctor. You’ll be seeing them every single week until the baby is born at this point, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to ask questions. If you’re ever unsure if something is normal or not, then definitely ask. Your doctor has been through this many times whereas this is your first - that’s what they’re there for. 

Having a new baby is an exciting experience, but it can also feel miserable on the body as you come to the end. Do everything you can to support your body and baby while keeping yourself sane. The day will soon be here that you have a newborn in your arms.