It’s the week of the due date of your first baby. You’re done with work. What do you do with your time? Here are a few of my thoughts, from the perspective of a child development specialist and advanced transdisciplinary Infant family mental health practitioner.
Focus on DEER: drink plenty of water; eat nutritious foods; exercise, or just move your body a little bit, such as walking or dancing; rest.
Consider a preschooler sleep schedule. What do I mean by this? I don’t want you to mess up your circadian rhythm, but I do think you need extra sleep. You don’t know when this baby is going to be born, and if there’s anything you can do to help your body to conserve energy for the big day, I highly recommend that. When I do sleep consultations for preschoolers, I recommend that they nap about five hours after they wake up, and then they need about 5 to 5 1/2 hours before they go back to sleep again at night time. This might be a good way for you to conserve energy without losing nighttime sleep. And when you wake up from your morning sleep or your afternoon nap, I highly recommend going outside and getting direct sunlight for a few minutes just to remind your body of what time it is.
Focus on activities that produce oxytocin. These are things like 20 second hugs, six second kisses, dancing with your partner, taking a walk and holding hands, spooning, head rubs, massages, petting your cat or your dog, watching some comedy shows or things that make you laugh. If there happens to be an introduction to improv class that week, consider taking it. Check out this article from the University of Arizona on how to increase your “feel-good” hormones.
Consider activities that feel pampering to you. How about a massage? Or a magnesium float? (Ask your doctor first, just in case!) Try one of the 50 ways to take a break. Do some meditation, breath work, and/or hypnosis.
If you have questions about labor, try out evidencebasedbirth.com. They have a ton of free information for parents.
As you move through this final stretch, try to hold the experience gently. You don’t have to “get everything done”—you just need to care for your body, nurture your nervous system, and keep your energy steady for the incredible transition ahead. Trust yourself. Trust your rhythms. And know that caring for yourself now is one of the first, beautiful ways you’re caring for your baby too.
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