The late stages of pregnancy
Very little goes wrong in the last few weeks of pregnancy. From week 32 onwards, your doctor and midwife will be mainly keeping an eye on the continued growth of your baby and your own health. You'll need to have check-ups more often than before, probably every three weeks from week 32 to week 36, and then fortnightly up to week 40.
© DK
One of the problems of later pregnancy is that it's harder and harder to get comfortable. As your abdomen grows larger, sitting or lying in your usual positions can become difficult. If you lie flat on your back, the weight of your growing baby will press down on your major blood vessels and nerves that lie against the spine and cause numbness and tingling pain, even dizziness and shortness of breath. Experiment with your sleeping position in bed and find ways to make yourself as comfortable as possible. It may help to use some cushions or soft pillows.
Tense and relax technique during pregnancy
Good relaxation techniques combine the release of tension in the mind and body with deep, regular breathing. You'll find it helps to practise these techniques so that towards the end of pregnancy they've become second nature. A good way to relax your whole body completely is to use the tense and relax technique. This is a pleasant way to relax during pregnancy, and will also serve as a good preparation for labour, when it's a great help to be able to relax most of the muscles in your body, so that your uterus contracts without the rest of your body tensing.
What you do is tense and relax different parts of your body one after the other. Your partner can help by touching you where he can see you are tensing up: you respond to his touch by relaxing. Practise this technique twice a day for 15-20 minutes if you can, before meals or an hour or more after eating. You'll find it really helps you feel better.
Find a comfortable position, either lying on your back or propped up with cushions on a chair. Close your eyes and then try to clear your mind of any stressful thoughts, anxieties, or worries by breathing in and out slowly and regularly and concentrating all your attention on your breathing actions. Let pleasant, relaxing thoughts flow through your head, and if anything worrying or nagging tries to surface, prevent it from doing so by saying “no” under your breath, then go back to concentrating completely on your deep breathing.
When your mind is totally relaxed and your breathing deep and regular, begin the tense and relax routine. Think about your right hand: tense it for a moment, palm facing upward, relax it and tell it to feel heavy and warm. Work up through the right side of your body, tensing and relaxing your forearm, upper arm, and shoulder. Then repeat the process on the upper left side of your body. Next, roll your knees outward, and then in turn tense and relax your buttocks, thighs, calves, and feet. Press your lower back gently into the floor or cushions, then release and relax.
Finish off by relaxing your head and neck. Relax your face, eyes, and forehead, and smooth away any frowns.
Getting enough sleep in late stages of pregnancy
A good night's sleep is one of your top priorities in the late stages of pregnancy.
If you can, have eight hours of sleep a night, but you may find you suffer from irritating insomnia. Although your metabolism slows down at night your baby's doesn't, and he may be active and kicking through the night hours. If you can't sleep, there are a number of things you can try:
- have a warm (not hot) bath before going to bed to relax you and make you sleepy and calm
- a hot milky bedtime drink helps you drop off; also, read a calming book, listen to music or the radio, or watch television
- deep breathing and relaxation exercises are excellent treatments for insomnia, so find a bedtime routine that suits you
- instead of worrying about your lack of sleep, get up in the middle of the night and do something - perhaps a job that you've been putting off for some time - or go into your baby's room, look at things, touch them, rearrange them, and feel happy at the thought of your baby
- if you have worries that stop you sleeping, visualize each one as being written on a piece of paper. Then mentally screw it up and throw it away.
Your baby's position
As a baby reaches full maturity at about 37 weeks, he usually becomes heavier and tips head down. But some babies remain breech until term.
If a baby is in the breech position at term he may be delivered by Caesarean section. If your baby is breech in the last weeks of pregnancy, though, don't worry - he'll probably turn himself before labour actually begins:
- 30 per cent of babies are breech at 30 weeks. More than half of these babies will turn spontaneously during the next two weeks
- 14 per cent of babies are still breech at 32 weeks. There's a 60 per cent chance that a baby who is bottom down will turn of his own accord before labour starts
- fewer than five per cent of babies are still breech at 37 weeks. One-quarter of these will turn on their own, although this is less likely if the legs are extended or there isn't much room in the uterus for some reason - for example, if you're having more than one baby or a large baby.
Posted 16.11.2010
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