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I'm Ready, Already!

Getting through the
Final Weeks of Pregnancy

By Katherine Bontrager

By now, for most, the glamour has worn off. The hormonal high and natural glow have been replaced by sleepless nights, aches and pains and a dangerous lack of patience with all those people who keep asking, "You haven't popped yet? Wow! You look huge!"

Welcome to your final weeks of pregnancy. Unless you're one of the fortunate few, a good night's sleep is almost impossible to come by. Your belly is tight, along with your back, legs and various other body parts that are tender from the added weight. And your loved ones are walking around on egg shells because you've got this wild look in your eye that says, "Let's get this thing going!"

So how can you regain some calm in these tiring final weeks? Breathe easy, because there are countless suggestions for helping take the edge off before the big day arrives. Don't know which will work for you? Try them all and remember that these are the final days you have to yourself before your world is turned upside down.

Portia Stewart of Lenexa, Kan., found herself tired and oh-so-anxious at the end of August, as she and her husband awaited their son's big appearance. Because it was Stewart's first child, she was eager to hear advice on passing the time with some degree of sanity. One of her coworkers suggested Stewart try a prenatal massage – and she hasn't looked back.

"Sitting at a desk all day at work nearly kills my back," Stewart says. "So I started visiting a massage therapist – a registered nurse trained in prenatal massage – after getting my doctor's permission. It's wonderful. Can I say that again? Wonderful. I've gone twice a month for the last few months, and it's done wonders for my back. It's also a great little meditation."

Stewart tries to clear her mind of all thoughts and worries and enjoy the scents and sounds. "My therapist plays calming music and dims the lights, and she uses scented candles and massage oils that are safe for pregnancy," she says. "I try to imagine my baby. I think he likes it, too, because he'll kick a bit initially and then settle down and become very restful. She massages basically from head to toe and spends a lot of time with my back, but she also does this light efflurage on my tummy that's so calming. My husband always says I look much more rested afterward."

Want to see more?

• Accentuate the Positive: Getting Back to Basics in the Third Trimester
• The Home Stretch: Surviving the Last Trimester with Twins
• Trimester Talk: What Questions to Ask Your Doctor and When to Ask Them
• Talk about it!

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