Come those final 3 weeks of pregnancy, I would say it’s safe to say you are borderline losing your mind.
It is partially preggo brain, partially just over it. And then for me, because I had been glutened twice in one week at 37 weeks (one by choice…stupid… and one by accident), and then at 39 weeks I found out I had a pregnancy tumor growing on my finger I had to have removed in a minor surgery… it was a blast.
But really, at 37 weeks your baby is considered “early term”, which means they could in theory come at any point and be completely safe. So… every day you wake up thinking “Maybe today is the day!”
With the angst of waiting, I found a few things that kept me slightly sane those last days. And really these are things that were my go-to all pregnancy, but the closer to my due date I got, they became absolute necessities.
Freshly Waxed and Tinted Brows and Tinted Lashes: I have been going to Southern Chic Wax for almost a year now, and it’s seriously amazing what it does for my confidence just to know my brows look good. You know what I mean? I go makeup-less most days anyways, but with tinted and well-shaped brows I really do feel 100 no matter what. Feeling confident your third trimester can be a bit of a struggle to be honest, because you just feel massive and uncomfortable at all hours of the day. But, knowing I have at least this going for me really does the trick. I go out knowing I look semi-put together. It’s all about the little things, y’all!
Girl Time: I valued girl time more in my weeks leading up to birth. Whether I was at lunch out with my Mommy and Me Group at church or a Friday night in with a few close friends, banana bread, face masks, and way too many belly laughs for this preggo to handle… I soaked in every minute of it. With all things in life, I am really careful with what I say “yes” to, I can be the master of over-scheduling if I am not careful, but I really have been desperate for time with my closest girls and made it a priority. Most of them are moms, so I asked lots of questions as they came up and they just make me feel at ease. Plus, getting out of the house while Paul was gone during the day got my mind off of labor and guessing when he is coming.
Massage: Listen, go get a massage. My hubby was great to help with massages, and became a pro at rubbing my ankles, but there’s just something necessary about a professional pre-natal massage that you both deserve and for real need. Get those hips aligned and ready, and get the stress out. Especially as an unmedicated birth, it’s proven that the less stress you feel consciously and subconsciously upon going into labor will directly effect the ease and length of your labor. #giveme20massages
Nails: Go get your nails done, ya hear me? Go do it. Get a good one, don’t skimp. By 37 weeks you really could go into labor at any point. And, I don’t know about you… but like having my eye brows done… when my nails are done I just feel confident, pretty, and put together. Going into labor confident about everything going on really can help you. So, why not? Just go there, milk it. Go get an amazing mani and ask for them to rub those ankles in your pedi… eherm. Not because you want to go into labor or anything… cough.
Pure Barre: Y’all, between us having only one car (but not anymore WOOT WOOT!) to swollen ankles and achey hips, since about 33 weeks I had a really hard time getting to Pure Barre toward the end. But, even still, I did whatever I could around the house to get my PB fix. Planks, pretzel, ab routines from class, push ups, and squats… whatever I could do to feel active without overdoing it. I cannot WAIT to get back to the barre post-baby and rock it out again with my girls. But, until then, I have been applying everything I learned over the last two years in class to keep my pregnant self feeling confident and ready for labor. I committed to 200 squats a day- a variety of them to keep it interesting.
Pregnancy Pillow: I was given one of these back way early in my pregnancy, and didn’t touch it for months. I am a super simple person, so the idea of crawling into a pillow every night just didn’t really sound appealing to me. But then, 34 weeks came along and I was miserable. So I decided to give the pillow a shot… and I regret not trying it sooner. It really is that great. The ONLY downfall to a pregnancy pillow is trying to maneuver out of it 5 or 6 times a night to pee again. The bigger I got, the harder it became to throw my legs over the side of the pillow and find the ground. But… you do what you gotta do.
Cozy Pieces: But no really- all I bought in the last month was pajamas, cozy pants, and slippers. I bought pajamas I knew would make me feel presentable in the hospital for the close family allowed into our hospital room after delivery, and then items I was okay with people coming over to see us in after we were back home that don’t compromise comfort for me. I, of course, shopped with nursing in mind as well. Everything I could do to feel cute, presentable, and practical is currently hanging on my clothing rack. Just don’t ask Paul how he feels about how many pajamas I have bought… 😉 I have linked for you below some of my favorites.
Those last few weeks are your final days before your life changes forever. And, although it’s incredibly exciting, don’t forget to rest and take full advantage of you time before baby gets here. Soak in every single second you possibly can with your husband. Go on dates, go to the grocery store together, be present. This is IT for life as you know it. With Knox here now, I can say the best is yet to come for you if you’re waiting for your baby to come right now. Paul and I have become a team in a whole new way, and it’s really fun (we are exhausted… but laughing and having fun still ha). Every bit of discomfort, pain, tinkled pants from laughing too hard, weird pregnancy tumors, and everything in between… I can say from the other side, it’s worth it. It’s worth every bit of it.
xoxo- Han
Sweater: here
Pajama Set: here
All photos by Cottonwood Road Photography
Already need this guide and I’m only 32 weeks! Not sure yet how I’m going to make it to the end but I know it’ll all be worth it! The worst part of waiting is I just want to meet my baby!!