By Lauren Hartmann, Babble
As I write this, my due date is 20 days away, and as it approaches, I’ve been thinking about how different these final days are in comparison with the rest of pregnancy. Obviously, the end of pregnancy looks different for each woman, but for the most part, we’re all in the same boat once that third trimester rolls around: Ready for this baby to be outta here.
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As I write this, my due date is 20 days away, and as it approaches, I’ve been thinking about how different these final days are in comparison with the rest of pregnancy. Obviously, the end of pregnancy looks different for each woman, but for the most part, we’re all in the same boat once that third trimester rolls around: Ready for this baby to be outta here.
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You buy milk and the expiration date is after your due date.
I remember this happening with my daughter and it’s about to start happening with this pregnancy. It’s the weirdest thing knowing you’ll probably bring home a new baby sooner than you’ll bring home a new gallon of milk!2.
Your fear of the pain of birth has been outweighed by your desire to be un-pregnant.
Especially if this is your first pregnancy, it can be easy to focus on the pain that comes with childbirth, but as the end of pregnancy approaches, this fear is replaced by a desire to simply not be pregnant and uncomfortable anymore. A little bit of discomfort in birth is better than another month of the discomfort of pregnancy, right? Or at least this seems to be my end-of-pregnancy logic.3.
Nothing fits.
Like … seriously nothing at all. Last week I ripped a hole in my only pair of maternity jeans, so now I’m relegated to leggings and the two dresses that sort of still fit me. Most of my dresses have become shirts and all of my shirts have become unwearable.4.
Puffy face, hands, feet … need I say more?
Oh, the puffiness. My face looks eerily similar to the time I got my wisdom teeth taken out and all of the rings on my fingers have been removed. In addition, my feet have decided to boycott all shoes.5.
People keep telling you that you look “ready to pop.”
Random strangers start giving you that “Whoa!” look, like you might just give birth in the middle of the grocery store aisle. You’ll also get a lot of those “ready to pop” comments … just in case you hadn’t noticed.6.
You start nesting like Martha Stewart on six shots of espresso.
Some people are more intense than others during the nesting stage, but many women experience nesting to some degree or another as labor gets closer. For me, nesting takes on the form of scheduling blog posts ahead of time and making sure my house is tidy and dishes are done every night before bed. It also means purging old things and organizing the nursery and completing any other last-minute pre-birth tasks.7.
You’re practically sleepwalking.
In the days and weeks leading up to your due date, you may feel extra tired. I know I become positively narcoleptic. I doze off on the couch in the middle of the day, even though I’m not usually a napper at all. I’d like to think it’s my body’s way of telling me to store up all the extra sleep I can, because I’m definitely going to need it.8.
Your grooming habits suddenly improve.
The idea of going into labor with unshaven legs and a serious need for a pedicure inspires you to up your grooming game, big time. You schedule yourself a pedicure and start shaving your legs again on a regular basis. You may even start showering/doing your hair more often “just in case.” You never can be too prepared for those photo ops, you know!9.
You stop making plans.
As much as you try to remind yourself that this pregnancy might last beyond your due date, it’s hard to just carry on with life as usual. If you’re anything like me, you slowly stop making plans … just in case. I didn’t realize I was doing this until I looked at my schedule recently and saw that it’s gotten more and more empty as my due date is approaching. I guess I wanted to make sure I didn’t double book my birth with anything else!10.
Getting extra emotional about life changes
Toward the end of my first pregnancy, I found myself getting emotional about all of the changes that were about to take place. Going from being a married couple to being parents felt intimidating at times, and like the end of an era. I definitely got nostalgic. This time around, I’ve slowly started feeling the same about the change in our family dynamic — going from three of us to four. I get weepy about it multiple times a day. Sometimes because I’m a little sad, and other times because I’m happy.
