• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Family Life
  • Family Travel
  • Family Home and Hygge
  • Technology for Families
  • Home-made birthday cake
  • Work with us

Mum on the brink

Motherhood - the ups, downs and lifehacks

  • Tiny Family Home
  • Family Christmas hacks
  • Microblogging on IG
You are here: Home / Family Life / Pregnancy week 38- Time for Pampering

Pregnancy week 38- Time for Pampering

by Mumonthebrink 10 Comments

.

I’ve reached 38 weeks of pregnancy. This is the final stretch. Sticky Bean can decide to come any time now, though, thankfully, he is deciding to stay in for now.

As I mentioned last week I have some wonderful midwives looking after me, so I am feeling more and more relaxed.

Over the last week Sticky Bean has stayed very active. He still turns into breach position, probably once a day, but is also often found head down, frequently in a partially engaged position. I do feel the difference: When he is breach my pelvis is very unstable and especially painful, in a head-down position I am pretty good at sitting and standing for longer periods, I know for sure when he is engaged, as there is a certain pressure very low on my back. (I am reassured by my midwife that it is normal for them to move so much in subsequent pregnancies and with excessive amniotic fluid like I have)

I’ve had some swelling in legs and hands over the past week and a blip of high blood pressure (back to normal now). These were all sorted with some “sexy” compression hosiery and a very good night’s rest on Monday night of just over 12 hours. I keep repeating my mantra- Sleep is magic! (As true for adults as for children)

This past week I have been focussing on the road ahead- relaxing and preparing for birth… with a bit of fun thrown in:

  • End of last week I booked a lovely pedicure session with Mona from Studio Sparkle. It was a blissful hour or so of my feet getting some real rejuvenation and pampering. The products Mona used smelt good enough to eat. This pampering also got me ready for the wonderful warm weather we are having now with feet that I can happily show off and toe nails nicely shaped and painted.

 

  • I have finally got around to picking up my trusty old CD: the Chilled Mamas Birth Preparation CD. This relaxation and hypnobirthing CD has helped me through my previous two labours with minimal pain relief needed. Anges’ voice quickly gets me relaxed and into “the zone”. I truly believe that it is with the help of this CD that I have experienced my labours in a very positive empowering way (despite the complications that came with them.) I do recommend it to anyone, it is £10 well spent!
bump art, pregnancy, hypnobirthing

.

  • Finally today I went back to Mona. Did I mention she is also an expert at face and body painting? (That’s the other branch of her business- Little Precious.) After brainstorming some themes- symbolic, flowery or an image of some sort (like a ultrasound scan) – and medium which to use – henna, body paint or glitter tattoo- I opted for a fun body painted image. We talked about Sticky Bean and the Mona suggested how about a Monkey (which was apt considering last week’s post). So she painted the Bump, aka Heffalump (during which I nibbled on nuts and drank a lovely smoothie… and may have dosed off for a while too). Then we had loads of fun taking pictures of the end result.

 

SPD (or PGP) is still making life very hard. Walking any distance is impossible, my back seizes up, I have to stop every couple of meters to catch a breathe and relax; I have no chance of doing simple chores like loading a dishwasher; if I drop something on the floor I rarely can pick it up myself, but look at it helplessly before asking people around me to help.
Sleeping has it’s challenges- I have to wake up to turn over, I grit my teeth and try stifling the screams of agony during this shuffle to my other side and more so when sitting up to get out of bed.

However, I am choosing to enjoy these last few days or weeks. This is my last pregnancy and with the end in sight it is easier to savour the small wonders of pregnancy like Sticky Bean’s hiccups, the distorted bump as a bottom, an elbow or foot gets pushed out. I have loved the pampering that I’ve indulged in.

This is the time to centre myself, shoo away any negative thoughts or doubts and get myself ready for the task ahead: deliver this baby in the serene way I hope for him to come into this world.

How did you spend your last weeks of pregnancy? Were you anxious? Impatient? Enjoying the calm before the storm?

.

.

Related

Filed Under: Family Life Tagged With: hypnobirthing, Pregnancy

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Elizabeth "Mommatwo" says

    at

    Love love love love love

    Reply
    • Mumonthebrink says

      at

      🙂 Pampering with a twist too, right?

      Reply
  2. Mex_3 says

    at

    Loved reading this and so pleased you’re feeling more relaxed. Can’t wait to see a photo, not long now xx

    Reply
    • Mumonthebrink says

      at

      Thank you! Not long indeed. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Anne Mackle says

    at

    This is lovely and so good to have photos to show baby when he’s bigger. Such fun. I’ve never seen it done before. Good luck for big day.

    Reply
    • Mumonthebrink says

      at

      Thank you! It was such fun to do, also made lots of people I showed it to smile.

      Reply
  4. Susan Mann says

    at

    I am totally loving the painting on the bump what a great idea. I think pampering is a great thing to do, especially when you have children already to look after. Hugs and sending calming and positive thoughts your way xx

    Reply
  5. Mona Turnbull says

    at

    Hey Monika, What a fab blog entry. I enjoy reading your blog these past few days. Thank you for coming to get your pedicure done and yesterday bump painting was such fun!

    SPD was my nightmare with I was pregnant with both boys 🙁 I do feel for you. big hugs and I am sending you loads of good vibes, not that you need much more because you are such a positive person.

    lots of love xoxo Mona

    Reply
  6. Chris at Thinly Spread says

    at

    Aw, you have me smiling! That bump picture is fabulous – what fun!Good luck lovely! xxx

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Don't miss another article again! Sign up today!

Join 7,298 other subscribers.

Motherhood is the ride of your life! Our chosen path is to live small to allow us to spend time and money on travel and experiences as a family.
We love new technology and gadgets that make parenting easier.
Mum on the brink is a lifestyle magazine built on the experiences of our writers.
Read More…

Just 700 square feet / 65 square meters for a family of 5? That's a very small apartment for all of you! ...we hear this quite often! How do you fit? How do you make it work? There … ... more about Renovating & Decorating a Small Family Home for a Family of 5

Tags

Baby Blogging campervan camping Camping and Caravanning Campy Van children Christmas cooking and baking days out diy Europe family family fun family life garden health Home improvement Homemade & homebaked house House and Garden Learning Life Hacks Lifestyle moments Multilingual and multicultural Mum on the brink's tips Natural Childhood Out and about outdoors Oxford Oxford and around Parenting Pregnancy Rants and Faves Review sailing small family apartment Sweden Technology Time Tested Review tips toddler Travel UK

© Mumonthebrink 2010- –2021