How do you stay comfortable at the end of pregnancy?

[Simon]

I am just over 36 weeks and have never been this pregnant before. The aches and pains are starting to add up and I really fear that it is only going to get worse. I always hear terrible stories about how uncomfortable it is at 39 weeks. So, I'm wondering what others do/have done to stay comfortable?

Sitting on wood chairs causes horrible hip pain.
Our sofa causes back pain.
My ribs hurt for hours if I lay too long on my right side.
My hips and back hurt terribly when I first get out of bed. Luckily, it seems to go away as I move around.
A narrow band around the top of my uterus/belly is alternately numb and painful. Bra bands are the worst culprits but I can't go without.

I am sure this is all probably normal, but what did you do? Take tylenol? Hot showers? (I hate baths). I have a heating pad, but am not confident how safe it is to use. I am open to any and all suggestions!

[amldaley]

Super hydration. Some Tylenol.

Getting your feet up when you can.

Sleeping propped up.

Give yourself license to feel a little miserable. You are growing another person in there, after all!

And remembering that you are almost there!

[mikala]

Can you try swimming? At that stage water was a magical place where I could move without aches. Prenatal yoga also helps with tightness.

A good sleep positioner or body pillow can also work wonders.

I think the midwives also recommended magnesium supplements to help with muscle aches so that might also be something to explore.

Good luck! Just a few more weeks.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I went to 42 weeks with both so I put in my time. :) I found that stretching every night helped and prenatal yoga helped even more! I did water aerobics with ds2 also and I think that the activity was good for me. I was always on the go with both kids.

If you don't have one, you should get a yoga ball. They are great for all sorts of things but really good for sitting on during pregnancy. Feels good and has the bonus of helping baby get in a good position vs lounging on the couch.

eta- warm baths.

[daisymommy]

I hated that last month. Very miserable indeed! This was the point I always swore I would never be pregnant again ;)
The other suggestions were great, I would add wearing a good prenatal tummy support to take some of the weight off, and it will brace your back too.
Other than that, stay off your feet as much as possible, accept help, and hang in there!

[Melaine]

Yikes....I never made it that far....as much as I HOPE I do with this baby...I was absolutely miserable from Week 30 on with the girls...for me it was only another month though at that point.

[Simon]

Thanks for the advice and commiseration.

Some of these seem so obvious but I have been on restricted activity for so long, they totally escaped my mind. I hadn't thought of swimming and thats a great idea. We do have a yoga ball but I was only thinking of the ball for post-partum use since we bounced Ds2 to sleep all the time. I brought it out this morning and, alas, its a little soft to hold my weight right now. :p But I can fix that.

I am going to psych myself up to try some streching tonight. I am very stiff and unflexible at the best of times, but I will try anything that might help at this point.

I am really very excited at the possibility of having a full-term baby. A big, fat, squishy newborn, maybe even one that nurses real well. I actually packed up my preemie clothes last night because I think he'll at least be born into NB sizes and that felt so very, very good.

[amldaley]

Thanks for the advice and commiseration.

Some of these seem so obvious but I have been on restricted activity for so long, they totally escaped my mind. I hadn't thought of swimming and thats a great idea. We do have a yoga ball but I was only thinking of the ball for post-partum use since we bounced Ds2 to sleep all the time. I brought it out this morning and, alas, its a little soft to hold my weight right now. :p But I can fix that.

I am going to psych myself up to try some streching tonight. I am very stiff and unflexible at the best of times, but I will try anything that might help at this point.

I am really very excited at the possibility of having a full-term baby. A big, fat, squishy newborn, maybe even one that nurses real well. I actually packed up my preemie clothes last night because I think he'll at least be born into NB sizes and that felt so very, very good.


Awww...how wonderful for you after your preemie experience to be able to pack that away! (Literally and figuratively!)

Before you stretch, hydrate. Warm up a little. And if you have some magnesium and/or potassium take that. Or eat an extra banana. Muscle cramping in this late stage is VERY common!

I LOVED swimming when pg with DD...just lazily moving about the water. I felt like the ballerina hippos in Fantasia but I did not care! Again, know though that even before swimming, to do the same things as above for stretching. And realize that you may end up SUPER hungry after swimming.

Hope you find some relief!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BabyBearsMom]

Warm bath (if I can find a bath tub big enough for my whale like body at that point!)

Prenatal yoga (I am so psyched for my class to start on Sunday. This was a life saver when I was PG with DD1). I do a weekly 90 minute class and practice for 15 to 20 minutes a night before bed.

Prenatal massage, I do them every other week for the last 2 or 3 months.

A good quality body pillow and mattress to support you while sleeping.

[mom3boys]

Definitely the body pillow.

Or be crazy like me and engage in long walks in horrible pain and otherwise try to will yourself into labor in an attempt to get the baby out--then you will feel some relief! (Although I waited until about 37 weeks to start doing that :)

My DS3 also "stayed in" the longest. And my gyn said the pain at the end is worse with each pregnancy. I had horrible lower abdomen pain, literally started crying one night because of it. I did not do massage or yoga (did yoga only with the first kid) but I think those are really good suggestions. I know it is tough, but hang in there--I got my biggest, plumpest, least-red baby out of it and of course, now I don't quite remember how awful those last weeks were ...

[kellij]

I've always gotten great help from either physical therapy or a chiropractor. It's seems like at some point my hip sort of goes out. It's usually noticeably better after one visit.