Week 32: Pregnancy Week by Week

Week 32: Getting Ready for Labor and the First Few Postpartum Weeks

Every single human being was drummed into this world by a woman, having listened to the heart rhythms of their mother.

-Connie Sauer

What's Happening in Your Body?

You may experience shortness of breath as your uterus presses on your diaphragm or ribs. You might find you need to take stairs slowly, and give yourself plenty of time to get from one place to the next.

What's Happening with Your Baby?

During these last weeks of pregnancy, your baby's weight is increasing by as much as one-half pound per week.

Getting Ready for Labor and the First Few Postpartum Weeks

Now is the time to stock up on things you might need during labor and the first few weeks of life with your new baby. Get some great ideas on how to get ready.

Nourish Yourself

Stock up on prepared foods now, and reduce the amount of meal prep work that you'll have to do during the first weeks of your baby's life. Make a batch of Multigrain Pancake and Waffle Mix and store it to use later. All you have to do is add the wet ingredients when you're ready to prepare it. Bake a French Bean Casserole and stick it in the freezer, sealed in foil. Mothering.com has a full range of recipes, many of which can be frozen or stored for later use.

Body Wise

Try some African dance to get in the spirit of the last trimester and to prepare for labor. African dance is particularly grounding during pregnancy-it allows you to be present in the moment and to forget about everything else.

Natural Soothers

With a new baby, sleep will become precious. Sleepy Tea will help you to relax and get a good night's sleep.

Higher Ground

Birth Story
A month before the due date of my second pregnancy, I had a dream that there were two little girls with pigtails in their hair joining our family. When I told my husband about my dream, he joked, "There had better be only one baby in there. We only have one more bedroom!" Click on this link to read the rest of Blessings of Homebirth.

Image by Durga Yael Bernhard

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