The last month of pregnancy can feel physically exhausting and emotionally draining. Your back aches, your feet swell, sleep becomes harder, and every little sign can make you wonder whether labor is finally starting.
As your due date gets closer, it’s completely normal to feel impatient, emotional, uncomfortable, and more than ready to meet your baby. And if you go past your due date, those feelings can become even more intense.
Many women also experience false labor or inconsistent contractions during the final weeks of pregnancy, which can make the waiting feel even more emotional.
Mental strength during the final stretch of pregnancy can be just as important as physical endurance. Here are some honest and practical ways to help make the last month of pregnancy feel a little more manageable.
How to Get Through the Last Month of Pregnancy
The last month of pregnancy can feel like the longest stretch of all. These simple mindset shifts and practical tips may help make the waiting a little easier.
1. Expect To Reach Your Due Date
You will hear countless women tell you they went into labor at 37 weeks. And this is great. It might end up being you, too! But if it isn’t, you don’t want to assume every day from 37 weeks that this might be the day. Assume your due date will be the day. Even though only about 5% of women deliver on their due date, it is better to overshoot than undershoot.1 It is common for first-time mothers to go beyond their due date. (However, have your hospital bag for labor and delivery packed and baby stuff ready at home from 36 weeks, should you be surprised.)
Related: The Ultimate Hospital Bag Checklist
2. Remember That More Time in the Womb Can Benefit Baby
I am always so focused on being done with pregnancy and wanting to hold my baby that I often forget to focus on how much healthier it is for baby to stay in me until they decide they are ready to come out!2
Babies born before 39 weeks have more trouble regulating body temperature, have less-developed brains, and are more likely to be readmitted to the hospital for other reasons than babies born at term!2 So it is not hurting baby to remain in you. It’s helping them! You may just have a few extra stretch marks to show for it!
3. Do Not Put Your Life on Pause
Toward the end of pregnancy, many women stop planning events or committing to things, assuming they may have a baby. They will decline invitations to girls’ nights, cancel their weekly family dinners, etc. But don’t do this. I encourage you to do the opposite. Plan all the usual stuff you usually shoot for, maybe even more. This way, you do not feel like the only thing you have to do is focus on when baby is coming! Because the waiting can sometimes feel endless. And if baby does come, people will understand what kept you from showing up!
Related: Signs of Labor: How To Know When Baby Is Coming
4. Focus on Growth and Bonding Activities With Your Existing Children
Since it is obvious that once baby comes, your ability to focus on your existing child will be more challenging at first, use the final stretch of pregnancy to focus on them! You will long for those days when you try to be with them and breastfeed a newborn. Finish their baby book. Teach them to ride a bike. Do a project in their room. Try to read all the books in the house together. Do whatever sounds fun and allows you to savor this special time!
5. Focus on Small Projects Around the House
Many parents also find comfort in channeling their energy into simple nesting projects before baby arrives.
Notoriously, my husband and I nested like crazy before our children’s births. And we love house projects. So, our favorite thing is to list all the little things we both want to finish in the final weeks of pregnancy. Things like organizing the pantry, putting up curtains in the nursery, cleaning out storage, or selling unused items on Facebook Marketplace.
But “little things” are key because you don’t want to have a wall torn down during the early days postpartum. All projects should wrap up quickly.
6. Make Time for Yourself
The last month of pregnancy is a great time to take a little extra time to care for yourself because it’s a little harder to focus on beauty after your newborn arrives. (Okay, a lot harder!) So use that time to get your nails done, have your hair newly cut and colored, wax your eyebrows, etc. This can help you feel refreshed and cared for before delivery and give you a head start for the next few months when you do not care. I’ll never forget having my toes freshly done with my third son, and while I was pushing, my OB said, “Your toes look great!“
Related: To Wax or Not to Wax Before Giving Birth
7. Rest as Much as You Can
If you do not have other children — or have an opportunity to do so — take naps. Go to bed early. Sleep as much as possible. Rest becomes especially important as your body prepares for labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery.
Sleep can become much more limited once your newborn arrives, which makes rest during late pregnancy especially valuable. So, use your waiting period to rest up as much as possible! I cannot tell you how much I dream of sleeping and getting rest once I have a newborn!
8. Prepare Freezer Meals and Do Bulk Shopping
Do some practical things to help make life go more smoothly during the early postpartum weeks. This is a great time to build up a stockpile of freezer meals. Or go to Target and get toilet paper and other toiletries you might need in the coming months, when it will be more challenging to get them! I’ve never had so much toilet paper stored up in my house as I do before the birth of a new baby—all thanks to my nesting husband!!
Related: 12 Postpartum Freezer Meals You’ll Love
The last month of pregnancy can test your patience, your energy, and your emotions. But you’re so close to the moment you’ve been waiting for. Give yourself grace, lean on your support system, and take things one day at a time. Every pregnancy and labor timeline looks a little different. Your body is carrying and preparing your baby in remarkable ways, and soon, you’ll be holding your sweet baby in your arms.
