Keeping Your Sanity During the Last Month of Pregnancy

As I am writing this, I am 38 weeks pregnant.  Or, to look at it another way, I haven’t had a cold cut sandwich or a strong drink in 266 days. I feel like I have been pregnant forever, and there is a very real possibility I still have 28 more days to go (I will give this baby 4 more weeks, and that is absolutely it).  

I know that being pregnant is a special gift, and many some women handle the last month of pregnancy with grace and appreciation.  

I am not one of those women.  

I am exhausted, swollen, irritable, and so, so very tired of being pregnant.  I can’t wait to meet my son, but I am really done. done. done. being pregnant. 

However, feeling like I am done being pregnant gets me absolutely nowhere, as this baby is in control of when labor happens, so I suppose I should make the most of it.  Or at least, try to have a more positive tolerant attitude about the last few weeks.  So, as I happen to love to-do lists, I decided to make a 28-day list of ways to keep my sanity during the last month of pregnancy. 

The Countdown:

Day 28: Get a pedicure.  

Day 27: Watch the episode of Friends: The One Where Rachel is late (Full episode available on YouTube for a couple bucks).

Day 26: Make a fruit smoothie and let indulge in some celebrity gossip. 

Day 25: Look up YouTube videos on meditation for labor and delivery.  They might help calm you, and give you some good strategies for labor. 

Day 24: Give yourself a facial.  Here are 13 recipes you can try using ingredients that are likely already in your kitchen. 

Day 23: Take a bath (if your doctor is okay with it) with epsom salt.  Light some candles.  

Day 22: Make a bowl of popcorn and rent your favorite movie.  

Day 21: Get a massage.  Some pressure points are supposed to be able to bring on labor.  If you can’t afford a professional massage, get your husband/friend/parent to give you a good rub down! 

Day 20: Make and eat some spicy Mexican food.  Some say spicy food helps bring on labor. 

Day 19: Read Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth. 

Day 18: Fill up an online shopping cart with workout outfits to use post pregnancy.  Even if you can’t buy them right now, it is fun picking ’em out and envisioning getting fit! 

Day 17: Check out this Newborn Checklist, to see if there is anything you still need. 

Day 16: Start a Clash of Clans account.  It’s absurdly fun, and can waste a lot of idle time (read: distraction). 

Day 15: Bounce on a yoga ball while watching your favorite movie, and eating some fancy chocolate. 

Day 14: Check out Coursea.  They have online classes, including a really awesome (and entertaining) course in childhood nutrition.  It’s absolutely free. 

Day 13: Start a photo book (through Shutterfly, or something similar) for your baby’s first year.  You can design it, and fill the first few pages with bump photos.

Day 12: Listen to Taylor Swift’s – Never Grow Up, and have a good cry.  

Day 11: Write a letter to your baby.  Add anything you like (details about your pregnancy, hopes for their life, small anecdotes about the times), that you can save until their 18th birthday. 

Day 10: Go to the park and enjoy a nice walk, or leisurely swing (if you feel safe and stable doing so).

Day 9: Get your hair cut and styled.  It may be a while before you’ll have the time to do it again. 

Day 8: Search YouTube for “Ellen Scares People”, and binge.  Be prepared to pee your pants from laughing so hard.  

Day 7: Go to a good chiropractor, if there is one in your area that specializes in prenatal adjustments.  

Day 6: Treat your hair to a homemade hair mask. 

Day 5: Do some prenatal yoga.  

Day 4: Have a mocktail. Or two. 

Day 3: Go have lunch with a girlfriend or a loved one.  Make sure to order dessert. 

Day 2: Sleep.  All day.  As long as you can.  It’s gonna be a while before you get another chance. 

Day 1: Wake up and have a loved one make you a feast of a breakfast.  Biscuits and gravy, buttermilk pancakes smothered in maple syrup and whipped cream, ice cream, heaps of bacon, Eggs Benedict… take advantage of eating (so long as your doctor hasn’t put you on any restrictions), because it is the last time you’ll likely get to eat until the baby is born!