Hi there, mommy, you are almost ready to become a mother! It might feel weird for a bit, but this month, you baby will arrive! Your life will change for the better. As you begin preparing for the biggest day of your life yet, here’s a small ‘cheers’ from the team at the Birthplace for having endured a tough nine months of pregnancy. It’s certainly no mean feat!
As you enter the last month of pregnancy, here’s a glimpse of how it could all be.
Whatever you were feeling last month, be prepared the same with a lot more intensity. It’s all getting so real now - the baby’s due in a few weeks, but it certainly doesn’t rule out an early arrival. Interestingly, the due date is just a ball-park figure and most babies have a mind of their own!
This means you will be on a constant ‘alert mode’. A little tingle down there might get you worried. Even though you should ideally relax, yet, it is a very normal thing to experience. It’s actually a good thing to be alert because it’s only you who will be the first one to know - both physically and instinctively.
You are likely to swing into full preparation mode - setting up the nursery, picking little knick-knacks for your baby and thinking about names. You will be buzzing with energy at times and feeling nervous at others - after all, there’s the labour part of it too. While the fear of being able to pull it off might consume you at times, remember, you can do this!
You might feel impatient too. The baby that you have been nurturing for nine months is just a few days away from arriving into your life and you want it to happen soon! The urge to hold, cuddle and just watch your baby yawn would make you jump into action right away!
The discomfort will continue. Your back will most likely be wanting some help. Your feet may remain swollen, you may also want to check with your doctor about it, and your breasts will continue preparing for the arrival. Keep those stretch marks happy with any cream that your ob/gyn prescribes.
Your baby’s movement will be restricted, more than how it was in the last month. Talk to your ob/gyn about what you should expect in terms of movements and keep tab. If you feel that the baby isn’t moving as much, please don’t hesitate. Get in touch with your ob/gyn immediately.
Your Braxton Hicks will definitely intensify. This means, it’s important, this month in particular, to be able to identify the difference between false labour and the real deal. Keep talking to your ob/gyn as you would not want to be mistaken.
The urge to visit the washroom at regular intervals will continue. That’s because your baby is fully grown and is exerting maximum pressure on your bladder as well as your pelvic floor. The good news, however, is the fact that because your baby has descended fairly this month, you are likely to experience something called ‘lightening’, which means you would find it easier to breathe.
This month would be very different from all the months of pregnancy that you have experienced. This month, you are on high vigil, watching out for any signs of the big arrival. One of those signs is your water sack breaking. When this happens, it’s not going to be like how they portray in movies -- a sudden gush of fluid. It’ll be more of a trickle that you will feel. When this happens, swing into action.
The other sign will be dispelling of the mucus plug - this means that the protective plug that you had between the baby and the vaginal canal - that has come off and your body is ready to deliver.
This month, your ob/gyn will check the position of the baby. As explained in the last blog, the baby, by this time at least, is expected to be in the birthing position -- which is head down. In case that hasn’t happened, there are two positions that the baby could be in:
If your baby is in one of these two positions, then the ob/gyn might suggest turning the baby around - which means setting the baby into the birthing position by moving him or her from outside the belly in a series of well-practiced moves, provided the required criterias are met.
If that is not the case, then you would have a specific birthing plan, more likely swinging towards c-section. Your type of delivery will also depend on several other health conditions and also on whether you have had a baby before and what was the method of delivery used.
If you have other birthing plans like water birth or hypnobirthing, talk to your ob/gyn in advance.
This is also your last chance to plan your maternity photoshoot because hey, this happens to be one of the most important memories of your life..
Keep everything ready - you never know when the baby would make an arrival. Like explained in the last blog, have a plan, enact it out and save all emergency contacts. Keep your bags, outpatient records handy and do not panic.
Have a happy birthing experience!
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