Mom's feelings & symptoms

Month 8

Try some of the following tips:

• Include good sources of iron in your diet – these include the leafy green vegetables and beets, organ meats, and oysters.
• Avoid caffeine (chocolate, tea, coffee, soda) because it prevents absorption of iron
• Take your iron supplements with a glass of orange juice. Vitamin C helps your body get the maximum benefit of the iron supplement.
• Cooking with a cast iron pan may actually help deliver extra iron/minerals to the food.

Breathlessness
This growing baby is taking up a lot of space that you used to use to breathe. By the end of the ninth month, the baby will have dropped down into the pelvis, but until then you might find yourself huffing and puffing a little. Slow down a bit, and rest more often. You may find that an assortment of pillows is helpful in propping you up and supporting your tummy as you lay on your side.

Lay on your side
Laying flat on your back should be avoided because of the weight that it applies to the arteries and veins that supply your pelvis and lower extremities. This may interfer with blood flow. The increasing weight of the uterus does affect the circulation to the lower extremities – as well as putting more demand on them in carrying additional cargo.

Tired legs
Your calves, thighs or feet may cramp up and leave your leg feeling achy. Massage those tired legs, and put them up when you get the chance.

Watch that baby move!
As you approach the end of pregnancy, it is important that you continue to feel active periods of fetal movement. This is especially true if you’ve had any complication of pregnancy like hypertension or diabetes, etc. Many clinicians have different formulas for what they consider a “normal” amount of movement. Certainly every baby will not be the same in terms of the amount or quality of movements, but most healthy babies will move frequently. To do a fetal movement count, choose the babies most active time of day, and do it at the same time every day. Start the clock and see how long it takes you to record 10 movements – twists, pokes, kicks and turns.

If the fetal activity is slower than normal, have something to eat or drink, walk around for 10 –15 minutes, and then lay down on your left side and see if the movement has picked up. Your baby should move a minimum of ten times in four hours – your clinician may have even stricter guidelines. If you have any concerns regarding fetal movements, especially a decrease in the quantity or quality of fetal movements, consult your physician without delay.

It's almost time..
Some women get a little tired of being pregnant – this is getting to be a more uncomfortable time. Backs ache, feet hurt, and sleep is not the best. But the end is nearing, and this is both exciting and concerning. There are lots of feelings to sort out as the big day approaches.