You’ve reached the third trimester, more specifically, the 37-week mark, where your baby is technically considered full term. Congratulations! There’s just one thing: your body is over it, you’re ready to meet your little one, and being able to sleep on your stomach isn’t a bad touch either. As you near the end of pregnancy, you may be hurting physically and struggling mentally, as well. That’s completely normal and to be expected during what may be considered a challenging time. Let’s go over a few different strategies to help shift your mindset for the next 3-5 weeks, what I like to call The Five Ps of Pregnancy.

• Prayer
• Perspective
• Purpose
• Patience
• Power

Prayer

Over time, prayer and faith have become anchors in my life, and as I continue my spiritual journey, I’ve come to rely on the power of prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV) states, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” 

This verse is powerful, especially in the season of pregnancy, because when we begin to worry about our baby’s health, our health, hormonal changes, etc., it can cause unnecessary stress when these worries could be cast upon God. Take time to talk with God about what’s bothering you, and when you’re done, leave your concerns with him as we work on step 2, shifting your perspective.

Perspective

When I hit 37 weeks pregnant with my second child, my mind and thought process took a turn. I began thinking, “he could come any day now,” and then I hit 38 weeks, and I was still pregnant. This was hard on me mentally until I took a step back. First, I had to stop complaining. Complaining about the constant bathroom trips, being out of breath from walking from one room to the next, or when my back was throbbing from just washing the dishes. All of these complaints were coming from my ability to carry this child, this healthy child, to full-term. This is not a simple task; it’s a big job, and when you realize that the discomfort is worth it, you just may start to see your purpose in this.

Purpose

During this 9-10-month season, you may start to question your purpose (I sure did). With multiple things changing like your body, career, and friendships, you start to wonder how all of this will work while being a mom. Well, what if the only thing that matters right now is your purpose to create and carry that little human? To prepare to be their mom, caterer, driver, and bandaid giver? You were assigned this task for a reason. Think about how this time, this short but seemingly long period of time in your life was assigned specially to you, and maybe, just maybe, this is a part of your purpose in addition to all the other things you are meant to do.

Patience

During these last few weeks of pregnancy, your baby still has some major development going on. Their lungs are still producing surfactant to help them breathe on their own, they are gaining more fat to help control their body temperature, and most importantly, God is just adding his finishing touches. A part of motherhood is making sacrifices for these little humans we created, so think about different ways to keep busy while your baby continues to grow and get the care they need from inside of you. Here are a few activities you can try during these last weeks.

• Finding a hobby
• Focusing on work ( Preparing for Maternity Leave)
• Nesting and preparing for their arrival.
• Spending time with your other child or children.
• Resting
• Painting the nursery ( if you’re up to it)
• Reading (for fun or baby education)
• Self-care/ Labor prep ( Hair, nails, packing hospital bag)

Power

The final “P”, in our Five Ps of Pregnancy, is power. Everyone’s pregnancy is different, but a few things remain the same. We have the power to fulfill what was bestowed upon us. That doesn’t mean the journey isn’t long and hard, but it does mean that you aren’t given more than what you can handle. So, as you approach your delivery date and handle the last, but most important task as a new mom-to-be, remember that you have the power to not only get through labor, but to handle the next season you’re entering as well.

If you’ve read this far, then I can’t express how grateful I am, and I pray that this post resonates with exactly who needed to see it.

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See you in the next post. Bye for now!

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