quick clicks

pregnancy today articles

pregnancy today q&a

message boards

research baby names

prepare a birth plan

content channels

ip channel rss feeds

read birth stories

read parenting stories

recommended books

e-newsletters

safety recalls

ip diaries

ip store

mom of the month

dad of the month

editor's letter

letters to the editor

I'm Ready, Already!

Getting through the
Final Weeks of Pregnancy

By Katherine Bontrager

• Distract yourself from the discomfort by getting involved in something you love doing. Focusing on others helps pass the time and makes you feel good.
• See positive friends who make you laugh, or, if your patience is short, watch comedies to lighten your mood.
• Get pampered: a pedicure, a great haircut or some exciting new accessories.
• Practice autohypnosis to relax your mind while repeating to yourself a loving, serene message. Hint: Always visualize the same, secure, happy location.
• Go to a place that has positive energy and you'll tend to absorb it. What locale makes you happy? This could be a walk on the beach, a park or a museum.
• Eat complex carbohydrates to elevate your serotonin levels.
• Listen to upbeat music.
• Don't do too much and get overtired.
• Feeling hot? Massage a cooling leg gel on your feet, ankles and calves – better yet, let your partner do it! Or put some cool water in a misting bottle and revel in the refreshing mist.
• Start journaling your feelings, experiences, hopes, etc. Your children and future generations will see it as an important legacy.
• Create a soul collage: Cut out photos, magazine art, pieces of dried flowers, etc., and paste them on a sheet of paper. See what feelings and themes you create and what they reveal about you. This is a great time to get in touch with your identity.
• Knowledge is empowering: Read books about delivery and childcare.
• Make it a point to do something outside the house every day – even if it's a short walk or window-shopping!
• Above all, focus on what you have, not what you don't have. Rehearse the finish line in your mind.
Pages:  1  2  3  4  5  



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!