I can’t believe I am 35 weeks pregnant! I am so close now to meeting Bun and I could not be more excited. She could arrive any day now!
Although I am incredibly excited for her arrival, is fair to say I am feeling uncomfortable now. Bun doesn’t have much room to move around anymore and is about the size of a honeydew melon… I am suffering with sleepless nights and lower back pain. But it’s my anxiety about the upcoming birth that is starting to get on top of me a little.
I know that H-Bear’s birth was incredible, I felt calm, relaxed and fairly pain free. Hypnobirthing was such a positive experience first time round that we have decided to do this again for Bun’s labour. Although I have experienced it before, I can’t help but feel anxious that any day now I am going to have to do it all over again. Add into the mix that we already have two little ones under the age of 5, and Bertie our precious pooch, the dynamics of family life are certain to change again.
I’ve been trying different ways to relax, tune into myself and get into a calm and confident state of mind. Nick treated me to some fabulous new beats headphones (which I LOVE!) so that I could listen to some hypnobirthing scripts in preparation for the birth. Listening to the scripts are a great way to deeply relax and reduce anxiety. My headphones are perfect for this because they are noise cancelling, so I can train myself to totally block out everything else around me and focus solely on myself and how my body is feeling without being interrupted, which is a really important part of hypnobirthing.
I’ve also been going on little dog walks with Bertie whilst the kids are at school, I find that the fresh air always really helps me to relax. I’ve been popping my headphones on and listening to my fave musical theatre – zoning into this really chills me out and makes me feel more calm and in control!
My hypnobirthing teacher has always told me that listening to your body is really important. So after a busy morning of general mum and life-admin, if I’m feeling exhausted and have a spare half an hour I’ve been taking a break from everything and having a nap (if my body will let me!). I’ve been suffering with sleepless nights, so if I can take advantage of some quiet time whilst the kids are at school – I will!
The most important thing is to listen to your body. Don’t feel guilty if you need some time for yourself to rest and relax. Make time for yourself, tune into your mind and body and the rest will feel much easier!
*Collaborative post*
