37 weeks pregnant. We’re actually talking to fewer of you because some have already given birth. Both What To Expect and Baby Center have some very good information. What To Expect talks about Perineal Massage! Wild. Here’s the Truth … too little, too late. Birthing Better families discovered two things about the inside tissue of our baby’s birth passage:
- It takes about eight weeks of five to 10 minutes per day to really soften and make pliable the soft tissue of your birth canal.
- The area mentioned in the What To Expect is only the small amount of tissue between the vagina and rectum. That’s the very, very, very last part of the tissue that needs to stretch. This area is associated with ‘The Ring Of Fire’. Actually you (we did!) had to soften ALL the tissue inside our vagina. This is all explained in the audio called The Internal Work.
Birthing Better families want to add at 37 weeks pregnant:
- Baby Center talks about the difference between False and Real Labor
Birthing Better families want to share with you these important skills but the skill grew from the response to this false/real labor stuff that confuses most of us.
- Do NOT go into labor tired! False labor drains women because they spend most of their time waiting. When they lack skills they are trying to get their labor going. There are heaps of suggestions in how to get your labor going. You don’t need to. There is NO false labor. Your baby and body are working together over a period of time before both kicks into active labor. This means that you have to treat this period of time differently.
- Use this ONE question: ‘What do I want to do now?’ or from your partner ‘What do you want to do now?’. Answer that question and then DO that activity!
If contractions do not get stronger, longer and more intense then you are NOT in active labor. Do NOT get depressed. Ask ‘What do I want to do now?’ again and again and again! Keep choosing to do ‘something’ instead of waiting. When you answer that question time and again, then you’ll have lived your life until labor gets active.
Your BOTTOM LINE There is NO false labor. It’s just your baby and body taking time and doing it softly without intensity. Don’t try to get your labor going, just ask ‘What do I want to do now?’: ‘I don’t know’ is not a proper response. Do you want to take a walk, a bath, go to sleep, eat, go to a movie, listen to music, get cuddly, go shopping? Keep living life. Labor will start when your baby and body are ready AND you won’t be TIRED!
- There is no lesson for 37 weeks pregnant
The Birthing Better Childbirth Preparation Online Course gives you lessons from 24 weeks pregnant to 36 weeks pregnant. There is logic to this time frame.
- 24 weeks pregnant is on The Birth side of pregnancy: your baby is moving, you look and feel pregnant and there are about 16 weeks left!
- Your head is clear and you have time at 24 weeks pregnant to learn a full complement of skills with your partner.
- By 37 weeks pregnant, your brain is very focused on The Birth and your body is very ready to give birth. If you’re just learning the skills now, you will be highly motivated, so learn some skills. It’s better to have at least one skill than none.
37 weeks pregnant is the time to integrate your skills to your Braxton-Hicks contractions. They are more defined. You get to sense the 5 Phases of Contractions (Read excerpt) and how you might change your breathing skills as well as all your softening and staying open skills.
In other words, you are now practicing your practices! Your partner should be included and will want to be.
You might still be doing the Internal Work or feel you want to stop now. That’s ok either way.
Birthing Better skills were developed by moms and dads in the early 1970s in the US and used by many thousands globally in all types of birth. Birthing Better online birthing classes are housed in Common Knowledge Trust.