Preparing to bring your baby into the world is a new and exciting time, every time! In your last trimester there are some great ways for you to strengthen and nourish yourself physically and mentally for the wonderful transition that awaits you.
Be Flexible
It would be wonderful to plan exactly how your birth was going to be but let’s accept and acknowledge right now that you can’t make yourself have the birth you want. Preparing your body will increase your chances of having a better birth outcome though. Have an open mind, trust for the best for you and your baby and remember that it is out of your hands. A healthy mother and baby is the important outcome.Be Fit
Walking is a great way to prepare your body for birth! Walk from 30 minutes daily and build it up to an hour or hour and a half if you can. Not all women can, some struggle with pelvic and other reasons. So do what you can do and accept that is enough. Sitting on a birth ball instead of chair throughout the day is great too. You can roll your hips and encourage good positioning by doing this.Eat Well
- Enjoy nourishing herbal tea, a blend of raspberry leaf, peppermint and ginger is lovely. Drink 1 cup daily from 34 weeks, then 2 cups daily from 36 weeks.
- Lots of soups and organic meats or eggs, vegetables, fruits, cultured pastured butter and nourishing food.
- Most importantly eating lots of greens is very good for your blood, beetroot is good too.
- Eating 3 to 5 fresh medjool dates is beneficial, studies have found that women who ate dates regularly before birth have better birth outcomes. Great for sweet cravings too!
Surround Yourself With Great People
There are some fantastic obstetricians, midwifes, doulas, GPs, birth support people, and Acupuncturists out there. Enjoy being supported by helpful and encouraging family and friends and keep your distance from draining people. Avoid and shut down the woman who just can’t wait to tell you her horror birth story in every detail. Even though she knows you are about to give birth any moment, that was her story, and you have the right to enjoy being in your wonderful pregnancy bubble.Bodywork
Time to pamper yourself and ensure your body is in balance. Personally I found having regular acupuncture in the third trimester, chiropractic and massage treatments are very supportive for a good, straightforward birth. These combined therapies can support you to feel calm and collected through this wonderful but sometimes challenging process.Stay Positive, Embrace Affirmations
Here are some birth affirmations for you from Byron Bay Doula, to stay positive through this exciting and challenging time.Acupressure
Your birth support (ie. partner/friend) will be amazing especially if they can do acupressure for you! It helps so much! Debra Betts, a renowned Kiwi Acupuncturist has some fantastic information regarding this for you here. Begin from 36 weeks.Wishing you a wonderful and positive baby arrival experience and… enjoy motherhood, it is precious, they grow quickly!- Caulophyllum 200c – used to assist in the cervix to dilate and prepare the body for birth. Take 2 pills under the tongue once a week for the last 6 weeks of pregnancy (week 34-40)
- Blue Cohosh (liquid herb)- take once contractions have begun. Place 20 drops into a big glass of water sip every half hour to an hour until no longer needed (don’t worry you will know when you won’t need it anymore)
- Arnica 200c – take 2 pills under the tongue 3 times per day for a week after the birth as this will help with reducing swelling and bruising.
- Pulsatilla 200c – if the baby becomes breech take 2 pills 3 times daily until the baby turns.