Third Trimester Enjoy...
Yay! You made it to the final stretch of pregnancy. Even though you will be increasingly more uncomfortable and anxious, there are some things you should enjoy in these last few months…
Prenatal Classes
Learning how to change a diaper: basics
Rest! And lots of it! Don’t be shy or embarrassed by it. It is okay to go to bed at 8PM like a kid. You are carrying one. Get as much as you can in before the baby comes because when he/she does you may not get lots of it depending on the cards you are dealt. Naps are always nice even short 20 minutes ones to simply recharge.
Maternity shoot: Even though you may not feel like it, your body is beautiful the way it adapts to grow this babe inside of you and you will want to look back at it. You will be surprised at how much you may miss your belly postpartum. You can go fancy and get a photographer, printed photos etc. Or you can just do it yourself. And by yourself I mean your husband or friend taking shots. As long as you have a decent camera (even camera phones now are amazing) and some natural lighting (by a large window or outside is always your best bet with this), the photos will turn out real nice. It will be cute to include your hubby in them or your pet or second time around with your first child.
Prenatal yoga: To help clear your mind, reduce stress and anxiety in the last few months. The stretches will help alleviate any discomfort your body you may be feeling and if you are lucky you will get an instructor who massages your forehead temples with lavender oil:). You may feel like me in the beginning, apprehensive about joining something too slow paced. I always liked intense workouts or hot yoga. But view it more as your zen time. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed and looked forward to my classes.
Prenatal classes: Ok may not be something you are counting the days down to. A lot of OB will recommend participating in these classes and for good reason. It will prepare you and your partner with situations that may come up, things to think about postpartum and you will also get to see where you need to check in, where to go, what rooms you will be staying in etc. That will give you a peace of mind on what to expect when labour begins. I highly recommend for first time pregnancy! And it also is a cute activity for you and your partner to bond and participate together.
Pedicure: to help with the swelling feet! Will also be good not to have gross feet when you are giving birth at the hospital.
Date night! You may be exhausted and feel like a balloon, but it’s very important to sneak in a couple date nights before baby comes. Important for you and your partners sanity and will be a nice break before sleepless nights and chaos ensues. It does not have to be anything fancy. Just talking a walk together and getting some gelato is sweet. Anything to get out of the house and enjoy each others company means a lot. When your due date is around the corner, it is a very good idea to do so as long as it’s not far from the hospital. It will help relax your body to possibly allow labour to come and maybe some post date activities will get the labour started. Enjoy a beer or glass of wine even! Your baby is fully developed by now and it will give you a chance to relax. Your OB may even recommend it to you. You deserve it! Just maybe don’t do it in public so to avoid judgemental stares.
