Take a deep breath and enjoy the ride!

The end of a pregnancy can be bittersweet for some. Many of us really enjoy being pregnant and experience a sense of lose when it is over. But for most the incredible joy of holding your child for the first times erases any sorrow. It is very important to try to be relaxed and rested as much possible at this point. Labor and delivery is a very intense physical experience requiring a ton of energy. The average woman labors between 8 and 12 hours, so that is sort of like running a marathon for that amount of time. That is why you will want to make sure that you are resting whenever you can. Yes I understand that if you have older children, finding time to rest may be difficult but it is possible. Try to not commit to anything new during these final days. If there is a birthday party, call one of the other moms about possibly picking up your child and bringing them to the party. If there are weddings and other big events, simple give a maybe. And if you do decide to go, do not feel obligated to stay past the time that you feel “done”. Other than sticking to school routines, you really shouldn’t be doing too much. Simple relax, maybe a little bit of pampering, and wait for that big moment.
It is very important to not get desperate and try any of the “old wives’ labor inducers”. Many of them can actually be harmful. For example, do not under any circumstances consume caster oil during your pregnancy. The idea is that it makes the muscles you use to poop start to work and thus kicks contractions into gear. However, at this stage of your pregnancy it will make your baby’s muscles begin to work as well causing them to defecate into the amniotic fluid, which might later be aspirated, causing your baby to be born with a severe lung infection. Another common concept is eating spicy foods. In general, this will just give your stomach some issues and may cause very unpleasant diarrhea. Lastly the idea of walking/climbing/running, will simple drain your energy – which you need for labor. Once your contractions have started, walking can help this along, but it is not good way to trigger contractions.

Word of the Week

Meconium – noun – the first fecal excretion of a newborn child, composed chiefly of bile, mucus, and epithelial cells. (www.dictionary.com)

Buying guide

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