The final trimester of pregnancy is a strange time. You’ll be told to rest, as if you can somehow bank sleep. The reality is likely to be a dash to buy everything you need, as well as don’t need (a hi-tech ‘nappy bag’ for instance). Once the baby arrives, even trying to get out of the house becomes a mission. With that in mind, here are some helpful ways to focus mind and body during the final few weeks, if you’d rather not spend too much time obsessing over the correct shade for the nursery.
Complete your baby courses
The National Childbirth Trust runs the most well-known antenatal courses, but many others are available too. Bump and Baby Club is supposedly a little more relaxed in its attitude towards childbirth. Some hospitals offers their own courses, so it’s worth seeing if any are available at yours. As well as providing information about the birth, antenatal courses bring together women at the same stage in pregnancy. Once all the babies arrive, it’s helpful and reassuring to be able to share advice. Most antenatal classes start around eight to ten weeks before your baby is due, but some get booked up months in advance, so it’s worth putting your name down for the one you like the look of at an earlier stage.
Try acupuncture
Many hospitals recommend acupuncture in the third trimester, while some even provide it for free. Acupuncture is helpful for birth preparation, as well as any musculoskeletal pain. A technique called moxibustion can be used to help turn babies from breech, transverse or back-to-back, to head-down presentation. Registered acupuncturists can be found through the British Acupuncture Council.
Take the right kind of exercise
It’s probably sensible to avoid anything that too closely resembles cold water swimming in late pregnancy and instead opt for an indoor pool. Swimming takes pressure off the bump and can also help reposition the baby if needed. Various swim groups offer ‘aquanatal yoga’, including AquaTots, Turtle Tots and SwimKidz. In the final weeks of pregnancy, exercise becomes harder – but Mamawell, run by Rosie Stockley, provides online courses suitable for right up until the end of pregnancy. They help to stretch and strengthen the body, and courses are also available for the postpartum period.
Consider yoga and hypnobirthing
As well as being an enjoyable way to exercise at this stage, certain yoga positions are useful during childbirth. Janet Balaskas runs the Active Birth Centre, with courses available online. She was one of the early proponents of active birth and encourages women to use a variety of different resources, including yoga and hypnobirthing, for birth preparation. I found her advice invaluable. The Positive Birth Company also provides well-regarded hypnobirthing courses. Most yoga studios will also offer pregnancy yoga, which – be warned – is not exactly strenuous. Don’t come expecting too many downward dogs; the focus will most likely be on breathing techniques and easy stretches. Yoga classes are also a good place to meet other expectant mothers.
Book some R&R
Pregnancy massage tends to be a much lighter style. If you’re in London, Sarah Jane Watson makes life easier by coming to you with her heated bed and frankincense oil. Having worked as a professional masseuse for 30 years, she is confident enough to provide a wonderful pregnancy massage. Urban Massage also allows you to book a massage at your home. It’s worth noting that most places won’t offer massage to women in their first trimester so it’s best to save it for those final weeks.
Pregnancy-safe facials are also lovely at this stage. Pfeffer Sal’s Gently Does It facial is hi-tech but suitable for pregnancy. The Aman Spa at the Connaught offers a 90-minute ‘nurture experience’ that is designed with pregnancy in mind. I read about Danuta Mazur years ago and have been seeing her for a while now. Her facials are safe for pregnancy, and I can highly recommend them. For more of a retreat, Thyme in the Cotswolds offers treatments for pregnancy in the Meadow Spa. The hotel is a quiet, relaxing spot, and in many ways the ideal place for a late pregnancy break. Perhaps it’s because Caryn Hibbert, who founded Thyme, used to work as a doctor specialising in women’s health.
Prep down there…
I have become something of an evangelist for a contraption called the AniBall. It’s a birth trainer that I was recommended by a friend for my first pregnancy, and I now recommend it to all my friends who are pregnant. It’s certainly not glamorous – but it helps prepare your body for birth and reduces the amount of tearing and damage done. It’s recommended to start using it from around 36 weeks. Best used in private…
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