Full Term Pregnancy = 37-42 Weeks Start on this pregnancy checklist for the last 5 weeks of your pregnancy!

This check list for the last 5 weeks of your pregnancy can help your labor go smoother, faster, and easier on both you and your baby. It’s possible you may only have a couple of weeks left since full term pregnancies are normal and healthy any time from 37 weeks to 42 weeks. So you’d better start to take care of this checklist for the last 5 weeks of your pregnancy at week 35! There are lots of things to do. One at a time…You can do it!

Related Content: 9 Ways to Do Nipple Stimulation to Prepare your Cervix & Avoid a Medical Induction – 10 Ways to Naturally Induce Labor

Acupuncture

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First on this pregnancy checklist – Start seeing an acupuncturist every week in the last 5 weeks of your pregnancy. Not only can acupuncture relieve back pain but it can help balance your hormones, get baby in the right position for birth, and make you totally relaxed. An acupuncture treatment might make you fall asleep and have a little nap. But acupuncture tends to stimulate babies. Your baby will be moving and grooving during the acupuncture treatment. Many of my prenatal yoga and childbirth students are a little fearful about acupuncture. Many have never done it before and many are afraid of needles. My experience with acupuncture is so positive.
The acupuncture needles are smaller than a hair from your head. they are so tiny, you literally will feel nothing when the needle is inserted. It almost feels like someone just tapped you with a finger. What do I hear from those moms who decided to take the plunge and get an acupuncture treatment? “I fell asleep. I got so relaxed.” ” I was so relaxed but really enjoyed how active my baby was during the whole treatment.” The acupuncture made a huge difference. I actually felt my baby turn and drop and two days later, my labor started and went so smoothly.”
Find an acupuncturist

Pregnancy Massage

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Pregnancy checklist alternative
If acupuncture isn’t your thing, find a certified pregnancy massage therapist.
Make sure she/he has plenty of experience with prenatal massage and then relax and enjoy.
Book ahead so you can get a couple of massages in those last 5 weeks of your pregnancy.

Why get a pregnancy massage? There have been lots of studies done on the benefits of massage.  Massage itself is therapeutic. It relieves aches and pains. Massage in pregnancy reduces stress and reduces muscle pain and tension. It can also improve blood circulation and lymphatic drainage and reduces swelling caused by pregnancy. According to American Pregnancy, studies done in the past 10 years have shown that “women who received bi-weekly massages for only five weeks, hormones such as norepinephrine and cortisol (hormones associated with stress) were reduced, and dopamine and serotonin levels were increased (low levels of these hormones are associated with depression).These changes in hormone levels also led to fewer complications during birth and fewer instances of newborn complications, such as low birth weight. The evidence strongly suggests there are maternal and newborn health benefits when therapeutic massage is incorporated into regular prenatal care.”
List of Benefits of Prenatal Massage:

Reduction in back pain

Less joint pain

Better circulation

Reduced pregnancy swelling

Less muscle tension and fewer headaches

Less experience of stress and anxiety

Improved oxygenation of soft tissues and muscles

Improved quality and quantity of sleep

Make sure you are getting a massage from a massage therapist who is certified, trained, and experienced in prenatal massage.

Uterine Tonic

Add either (not both) supplement to your pregnancy checklist – Begin taking Nature’s Sunshine 5W or Gentle Birth Uterine Tonic at week 35 of your pregnancy. 5W (which stands for the last 5 weeks of your pregnancy) is an herbal uterine tonic which preps the uterus for effective contractions once labor begins. It is also helpful in making those effective contractions less painful. My herbalist told me I would have a labor that would be 10 hours or less! He was right!
These uterine tonics help to make the uterus stronger. My herbalist told me that the uterine tonic would help make my contractions stronger and more effective, yet they would be less painful. What more do you want to hear? You could skip the uterine tonic and add walking 2-3 hours a day to your daily routine. But this seems a lot easier to me! The herbal combination tones the uterine muscles and prepares mother for an easier childbirth. They also help to prevent blood loss or hemorrhaging after birth.

    To find and consult a certified herbalist click here

Eat a lot of Dates

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Tasty part of the pregnancy checklist. – Starting at week 36 eat 6 dates a day for the last 4 weeks of your pregnancy. Studies have shown women go into spontaneous labor and dilate faster if they eat 6 dates a day in the last month. A study done at the University of Jordan included 69 women. More studies need to be done but the difference was significant. “The women who consumed date fruit had significantly higher mean cervical dilatation upon admission compared with the non-date fruit consumers (3.52 cm vs 2.02 cm, p < 0.0005), and a significantly higher proportion of intact membranes (83% vs 60%, p = 0.007). Spontaneous labour occurred in 96% of those who consumed dates, compared with 79% women in the non-date fruit consumers (p = 0.024). Use of prostin/oxytocin(pitocin/artificial oxytocin) was significantly lower in women who consumed dates (28%), compared with the non-date fruit consumers (47%) (p = 0.036). The mean latent phase of the first stage of labour was shorter in women who consumed date fruit compared with the non-date fruit consumers (510 min vs 906 min, p = 0.044). It is concluded that the consumption of date fruit in the last 4 weeks before labour significantly reduced the need for induction and augmentation of labour, and produced a more favourable, but non-significant, delivery outcome.” 

BabyMoon

Best part of the pregnancy checklist – Go out on a date with your significant other. Or spend a weekend away (Babymoon) no later than week 35 just in case baby decides to come early. You won’t have time for each other for a while and It’s important to nurture your relationship.

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Add memories to your pregnancy checklist – Look for either a Birth Photographer and/or a Newborn Photographer. There are some pretty amazing photographs of births if you’re into that sort of thing. But if not, capturing your newborn’s first weeks will be photos you’ll cherish forever. Newborns grow so fast so capture those magical moments with your newborn baby.

Thank You Notes

Pregnancy checklist necessity for having good manners and being grateful – Purchase Thank you cards. You can start writing thank you notes now or wait until you’re in early labor. It’s important to ignore early labor and writing thank you’s can be a nice distraction.

Cook n’ Freeze

Food pregnancy checklist – Start cooking and freezing during those last 5 weeks of your pregnancy! You will need lots of food already prepared after the baby comes home. Cook up some meals that you can easily heat up. Store them in individual containers or containers for two. You’ll be so glad you’ve got food in the freezer because you’ll be lucky if you can get out of your jammies by the end of the day with a newborn around!

Breastfeeding Education and Support

This part of the checklist you won’t need till after the baby comes but get on it now – Research breastfeeding support groups and find a few lactation consultants. Most new moms have challenges with breastfeeding. It would be nice to know all you need to do is pick up the phone and have someone to answer questions that arise. And I promise you they will arise!

Position Your Baby for Birth

This part of your pregnancy checklist is so helpful in positioning your baby for a better faster and easier birth – Start doing the Miles circuit at 37 weeks every day www.milescircuit.com  Visit the website for instructions.
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