The Final Few Weeks: Prenatal Preparations

Image by telmah.hamlet

This post is first in the series, The Final Few Weeks. Don’t miss the next posts, Nutritional Needs and Preparations at Home.

Earlier, I had been trying to do monthly pregnancy updates (which is still less than the weekly updates I did with my third pregnancy).  I think the last update I actually did was around 28 weeks.  I am now 37 weeks…so it’s been awhile. 🙂

This will very likely be the last update that you hear unless you follow me on Facebook (then you might hear a tidbit or two on my mood or current preparations) until you see my baby’s birth story!  Although I wouldn’t mind going late, my first three were born between 10 days early and their due date, so it is probably unlikely that I will go late.  We will see, though!

How I’m Preparing

I’m doing several things now to prepare my body and mind for birth.  I’ve also made a few very interesting observations that I wanted to share with you.

The Pink Kit

I started the Pink Kit a bit late.  They recommend starting between 24 and 28 weeks; I didn’t start until 32.  I have done it off and on, reading through some sections here and there and watching the videos.  I will say this: it reaffirmed what I already knew and what I was already doing.  It explained, through diagrams and scientific terms and by encouraging me to “know my body,” exactly why my babies were born so quickly and easily.

That was the most valuable bit of knowledge for me — learning my shape and understanding why my births happen as they do.  It took the mystery out of it and gave me the confidence to know that it wasn’t an accident or luck of positioning; it was how my body was made and the position choices I made instinctively in labor that made it happen.

As I’ve given birth three times and fully know how to do it, I feel I can trust those instincts.

Since learning all that I have sort of lost interest in continuing with it, although I have looked through most sections out of curiosity.  This lack of interest is only because it taught me that as a fourth-time mama, what I’m doing is really working for me.  I found so many valuable bits of information on positions, breathing, knowing your body, and more that I would definitely recommend this to any mama who is having her first baby or who has struggled with birth previously.

I have thought many times about writing my own childbirth ed. course and teaching it (after my natural births) because I really didn’t feel like any course out there really “got it right” or had enough information to be truly valuable.  I always want to do things myself when I feel that way.

But honestly?  I don’t have to now.  I feel like this is a really unique course and it teaches women in a very practical way how to work with their bodies (their specific bodies, not just generic information like I have seen elsewhere) to help birth their babies in the best and safest way possible.

I would just point any woman who is feeling uncertain about this “mystery of birth” to go through the Pink Kit.  It may be of limited value for experienced moms with easy births, like me, but the vast majority of women could benefit greatly from it.  It can also be a nice “bonding” time for husbands and wives, as he learns how his wife’s body works and how he can best help her.

Prenatal Care

My home visit is on Thursday, when I will be about 37.5 weeks (I hit 37 weeks on 2/16).  After this, I will be going weekly for 30-minute visits until baby makes his/her arrival.  I went at 32 and 35 weeks as well.  For our home visit, we must have the birth kit completely assembled.  I ordered my birth supplies right at 37 weeks, so they should arrive just in time!  We also have some items to gather from around the house.

In addition to my visits with the midwives, I have chosen to see my chiropractor and massage therapist.  I started seeing the chiropractor twice a week at 36 weeks, and may up this to three times per week in the final week or so, depending on how I feel.  At this point I go on Mondays and Thursdays and I do really need both sessions.

They check my back, neck, and hips, so that I stay aligned and help keep baby in a good position.  Baby likes to flip around a lot still, ending up breech for at least a couple hours each day, but usually stays head down!

I have been getting massages as often as I have been seeing my midwives — so, I went at 28, 32, 35, and 37 weeks, and now will go weekly until baby arrives.  The muscle that starts in my low back, crosses my hips, and wraps around to my thighs (one of the longest in the body) has been very sore.  It crosses over the round ligaments, so it’s supporting a lot right now as baby gets big.

It helps to get a massage frequently in these last weeks to keep that muscle from getting too sore and keep my body able to move easily.  I have been happy with my choice to include these three things in my care.

After massages and adjustments, I make sure to drink lots of water and/or homemade electrolyte drink, and I am taking a very warm bath with bath salts two or three times a week.  This seems to help soreness as well.

These are just a few ways I’ve been preparing for baby in the final weeks. Tomorrow I’ll discuss nutritional needs and how I’m preparing around my home.

Have you used the Pink Kit? Did you/do you plan to visit a chiropractor and/or massage therapist during pregnancy?