Magical Date
Due date - that magical date you were given to expect the arrival of your little baby
When I was pregnant of my boys I wrote my Magical Date in big letters and with an huge exclamation mark in my pregnancy diary. This day was printed in my memory from day 1 right until the very end.
There was no question about it, I would not go over this date. Friends who already had children, my midwife, family members and random people who I met in the supermarket or on the street warned me that it was such a small possibility that the baby would come on the due date. They all wanted me to protect myself for a possible disappointment, because they all knew that a baby is considered term anytime from 37 weeks up to 42 weeks and will most likely arrive at some point during this 5 week period. Of course I heard and read this aswell, but I thought 19 September is a beautiful day to have your birthday!
Luckily, I belong to the only five percent of women who give birth on the predicted due date. That said this was for my first born but for my second I was a bit more anxious that I would go over the Magical date. I felt tired, preoccupied with my 3,5 years toddler and not so ready for the birth, so I booked myself 2 days before the ! in my agenda a relaxing massage. The massage therapist used some acupressure points to start the labour on its own and I felt very relaxed afterwards.
After the massage I went home, deciding not to do anything other than relax, drink some tea, watching my toddler playing outside in the sandbox and after 1 hour or so it happened, my water broke! When your water breaks you know that the baby has to come within the next 24 hours, so in our case 1 day before the due date, not the 18th but on 17 February 2007 our second son was born.
Every week counts
For all pregnant women, every week counts. Research has shown that every week your baby continues to grow inside the womb makes a difference to their short and long term health outcomes. If the pregnancy is healthy and progressing without any issues and you’re not having a high risk pregnancy, the optimal time for babies to be born is as close to 40 weeks as possible. If there are health complications, the timing of birth should be guided by your healthcare professional, with the pregnancy continuing as long as it is safe for mother and baby.
When a mama goes into labour on her own it’s beautiful sign that her baby is ready to meet their parents and that her body is ready for labour. (Home - Every Week Counts)
Labour Preparation Massage
When I started my practice in nurturing women during pregnancy and beyond, I wanted to become a specialist in delivering perinatal massage therapy. I offer NurtureLife® Pregnancy, Postnatal and Labour Preparation Massage in my cosy home studio.
Research has shown that regular massage from late pregnancy to birth decrease maternal pain perception during labour and birth. (nih.gov)
Massage relaxes your body, allows the body to produce the right hormones for the labour to progress, engaging a sense of connection and openness.
As long as I have my practice I am very happy that women know to find me for the Labour Preparation Massage. They book in for a massage somewhere around 38 -39 weeks. There is a tendency that women do not want to wait until 40 weeks or over and I completely understand. By the time your Magic date is visible in your pregnancy diary you are more than ready to welcome your little one so why not help the progress a little bit and get a relaxing massage.
If the mother-to-be books an appointment for the Labour Preparation Massage somewhere between 38 weeks and 42 weeks, she’ll get an 90min NurtureLife® Pregnancy massage with focus on the continuously changes in the pregnant body. This massage is all about relaxation and prepare her for labour as part of her birth plan, to get a calm mindset and assist the natural process of her body when it is ready for labour.
I’ll include acupressure points to the pregnancy massage to help prepare her body for labour and use a nice Pregnancy Massage Australia labour blend essential oil mix to help relax and nurturing the body.
Please note that: A labour preparation massage is not a medical intervention, and not designed to initiate labour specifically. The aim is encourage the body to begin labour on its own, there is no guarantee this treatment will induce labour but it will help you to relax, mama!