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I'm Ready, Already!

Getting through the
Final Weeks of Pregnancy

By Katherine Bontrager

Another of Stewart's favored spoilers is a regular pedicure. "When I started growing my tummy, it was just plain hard to reach my feet anymore," she says. "And it's sandal weather! I've had several pedicures now, which include great foot rubs. It's also a confidence booster when you feel like your feet look pretty."

Pre-pregnancy, Stewart always had a keen sense of style, and she says it helped immensely that she was given the freedom to continue to look cute even with a belly bump. "My husband encouraged me to buy as many clothes as I needed," she says. "I kept it reasonable and looked for bargains, but ultimately I felt better having lots of variety. I don't have to stand at the closet and agonize over the fact I've nothing to wear. Besides, it's hard when you're walking through the mall and you see the perfect pre-pregnancy outfit – one you normally would have bought but are now afraid won't fit after the baby comes. If you buy the right pregnancy clothes, you can still feel good, and it doesn't hurt too badly when you have to walk past that outfit you really wanted."

Prenatal yoga and walking also ease some of Stewart's back discomfort and help pass the time in a helpful, healthy way. Using a DVD, she's able to do yoga regularly without having to leave the house. "I started doing it in my first trimester, but it really started helping once the back pain kicked in," she says. "That way I never went to bed stiff. Also, my husband has a co-worker who told him that walking encourages the baby to come, so he's been dragging me on lots of walks with the dog. I don't know whether it's true, but I do feel like I'm staying in better shape than if I followed my natural inclination to fall on the couch this evening and veg out in front of the TV. And it's nice in these last few weeks to have some special time with my husband every evening."

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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