Last week we talked about supporting your circulation as a key part of labor preparation in your third trimester of pregnancy.

Did you know there are two other “guests” at this dinner party as well?

When I work with clients to prepare for labor in the third trimester, we talk about all three party guests – circulation, hydration and lubrication.

They all need to be in attendance to kick this labor party off with the moving and shaking we need for the guest of honor to arrive!

Circulation

As we talked about earlier, circulation is a key part to the festivities of bringing your baby into the world.

Getting the blood and body moving is hard when you can no longer see your toes, but it is for this reason it is so important.

For more details on the food and movement support that is ideal for supporting your circulation, see last week’s blog post.

Relaxation

You have a lot of weight pushing down on your pelvic floor (and let’s be real – everything else!) That can create a lot of discomfort and tension in your whole lower body.

Meditation and self care activities like massage, acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments and journaling can help you to unwind. 

This might sound like a no brainer but – ask for help.

It is easy to get caught up in getting the nursery ready, washing baby clothes and worrying if your “to do” list has all the boxes checked. 

Part of getting ready for this baby is lowering your stress level and relaxing as much as you can. Nap (you are going to need it), journal and call a friend to ask for help conquering your task list.

One question I ask my mommas every time we meet in the last few weeks is how they are feeling about what they have left to do. Your emotional body is as important to the labor equation as the physical body is.

Lubrication

Another unsung hero attending this party is lubrication. When you are in your third trimester it is common to feel like you have to drink water all the time (and in turn pee all the time – thanks little one!)

Water alone isn’t enough to help the dry skin, dry lips and dry hair that start to show up in the later stages of pregnancy.

You can take the water in, but it’s kind of like trying to put water in the radiator of a car instead of coolant. It will just burn off and not actually cool the car down and keep it from overheating.

The same is true for drinking water when you are so hot in the late stages of pregnancy. Consider adding the following items to your diet to help retain moisture:

• Bone broth

• Fruits and Veggies

• Goji Berries

• Gelatin

• Tapioca 

• Chia Seeds

• Boba Tea

• Smoothies

• Oatmeal

If you have gestational diabetes, be mindful of what you can/cannot have on this list. I include all of these items for general awareness, but you will want to discuss any that you are unsure about with your practitioner.

Pelvic Steaming and Labor Preparation

We have talked about food, but did you also know that pelvic steaming can play an important role in labor preparation?

After you are 37 weeks, it is safe to steam with the guidance of a certified peristeam hydrotherapist.

Steaming for labor preparation is an incredible tool because it brings all three of these guests to the party in one easy 10 min session.

How Does Steam Work?

For starters, let’s think about the medium itself.

It is water. Water is hydrating. The delivery mechanism itself supports your end goal.

Steam is highly energized water. It stimulates circulation in your pelvic floor all on its own. Add the right herbs at the right times during your last few weeks of pregnancy and it will help your body to hydrate and hold its moisture.

Steam relaxes the pelvic floor muscles. It’s like a warm relaxing bath. The steam also moves circulation through critical areas of your perineum which moves stuck emotions as well as circulation and restoring a feeling of ease.

Hydrating the skin with steam and herbs also helps reduce trauma to the pelvic floor during delivery. Steaming before trying to stretch, have sex or do other activities in these last few weeks has wide reaching positive results.

As I mentioned before, using steam for labor preparation should only be done with a skilled peristeam hydrotherapist who is trained to do this safely for you and baby. When done correctly, it is a game changer for your labor and postpartum recovery.

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