End of pregnancy rituals
End of pregnancy is NO JOKE. You’re caught somewhere between feeling excited to meet your baby, anxious about how to get the baby out and eager to no longer be pregnant. Then pepper in the body aches, million bathroom breaks, unsolicited comments from strangers (which could be well-intentioned, most definitely will cause you to spiral at some point) and countless other ailments that you’re told are just a part of being pregnant. LOL - this is not meant to be a rant about end of pregnancy (another time maybe) - INSTEAD here are a few things that helped me get through the end zone.
Red raspberry leaf tea: they say it helps prepare the cervix for birth. If it’s just a placebo effect, that’s totally fine with me!
Walking: another one that I loved because it made me feel like I was doing something to prepare my body for birth. Think about it - it’s not easy for your legs and core to walk around carrying all that extra weight! My belly would feel noticeably lower after some walks and if you’re looking to up the ante - walk with one foot on a curb (make sure to switch sides at some point) and/or get your heart rate going even more with some steps. My GOAL was 20-30 minutes 1-2x/day (but of course there were days where I didn’t make it off the couch).
Stretching: I did a series of active and passive hip and torso stretches/movements. They were super relaxing, helped with range of motion and it felt great to do them at the end of the day. Check out the HB virtual library for a quick prenatal routine with my favourite moves.
Pelvic floor release: I would think about releasing, and actively try to release, my pelvic floor during stretches and before bed.
Mantras/meditations: Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it! I listened to pregnancy, birth and relaxation mantras/meditations before bed. These would either make me feel way more confident about delivery or put me right to sleep. Win-win!
NAPS: wasn’t always an option, but ohhhhhh so nice when they would happen.
