Dear future me,
This has apparently been the same for each pregnancy, but pregnancy brain (or is it baby brain?) makes you forget. Just so you know, you have done it before and it’s OK…
The last 4-6 weeks of pregnancy are rough. Really, really rough. I guess it has to be to get people to want to go into labor, right? Except you don’t mind labor. Well, you don’t like it much, but it’s not terrible. (Pushing is absolutely terrible, but thankfully that has been quick, even with the latest 9 lb 6 oz addition!) But back to the reminders of those last few weeks…sciatica that makes you avoid going anywhere with your (poor, housebound) kids. You will have real exhaustion and need to take a nap as much or more than your current baby/toddler (although your exhaustion could be from current young kids, too.) And you will have tight (at least not painful) “practice” contractions that come everyone 10-15 minutes starting in the evening for the last 3 weeks. The baby is probably not in a bad position, your body just needs to ramp up to get them out after all the getting out it’s done over the past few years!
Recovery physically isn’t so bad, especially after the first week. But two weeks of help is better!
Dear future me, if you are blessed to get pregnant and carry a child again, remember this and plan for it!
