Well, mama, you did it! You are officially in your 3rd trimester. As unbelievable as it feels, this is a time of great growth – both physically and mentally. It’s the time to accept all the changes your body is going through and truly embrace the beauty of bearing a new life. It’s time to be brave, which means you must acknowledge your fears of childbirth, and then figure out how you will move through that fear gracefully. It truly is within your power to do so. So actively engage your mind, your heart, your soul in this beautiful miracle and CHOOSE to be a warrior mama goddess! You can do this, lady! Follow these tips and mindfulness tricks to continue your journey to motherhood with grace, love, acceptance, and bravery.
1.) Make Sure You Nest
Nesting: To create and settle into a warm and secure refuge. (Thefreedictionary.com)
We’ve heard this term before. Expecting mamas nest. That’s what we are supposed to do during the months we wait for this baby to arrive. I always found myself shying away from that term. It sounded so homely, kind of boring, and a little controlling. What did it mean anyway? Now I find myself much more introverted than I ever used to be. The growing symptoms of pregnancy demand it in some ways. We get tired quicker, and our body doesn’t want to do the things it used to. There is so much going on inside, you can’t help but draw in on yourself during these last few months.
I’m coming to terms with this. Like a blazing fire that pulls at you on a chilly winter night…I’ve decided nesting is just what it says it is. Making your home into a warm and secure refuge. For you, for your husband, for your child – a place that is alluring and safe. And peaceful for all.
2.) Stay Creative
Do something creative today. Take time to write in your journal, paint a new picture for the baby’s room, dance in your kitchen, try a recipe you’ve never made before – whatever your creative spirit desires – give into it. So much of your energy is pulled toward that life inside. It’s nice to take a few moments of the day and focus on the life outside.
3.) Cry If You Want To!
Well…it’s happening. Perhaps the hormones are getting stronger and stronger, or perhaps we are just mourning the loss (or gain?) of another 10 pounds on the scale. Either way, the tears and emotions are so close these days aren’t they? Try to ride the wave of feelings as best you can, but don’t hold it in. If you feel like crying, cry! Let those salty tears cleanse you from the inside out – you will feel washed clean, and you will breathe so much easier after they pass.
You are so strong! A warrior Goddess does not have to ignore her feminine, emotional side. It is learning to cope and to ride these waves that make us stronger and fiercer in the end.
4.) Say Your Positive Affirmations Every Day
How do we state positive affirmations as if they already exist? It’s more than just putting an assertive spin to your thoughts – it is truly believing in your dreams, in yourself, before they are actual reality.
“Ask yourself how you would feel if your wishes were granted, and then allow yourself to internalize that emotional state.” ~Madisyn Taylor, Daily Om
The idea is that if we can find that emotional state, truly feel it in our bones, then the universe recognizes it as reality, and your visions as fact! So. What affirmations about this baby, your new life, can you believe today? It’s a whole new world.
Meditation: Positive Affirmation
I am strong, I am beautiful, I am life. I am strong, I am beautiful, I am life. I am strong, I am beautiful, I am life…Keep going Mama. Keep going.
5.) Combat Stress and Anxiety by Stretching
A woman holds stress and anxiety in her hip joints. So it is natural to assume that how you are feeling toward labor and childbirth is reflected in how sore your hips are. The tension will pool, collect, and become stagnant…trapping all those negative thoughts inside you.
Combat these feelings and free up anxiety by stretching out this area. Try pigeon pose, or cobblers pose to help you release tension today. Breathe in peace and courage, focusing on the hip joints. Imagine this cleansing breath swirling and soothing around the tension. Then acknowledge the fears and worries that are out of your control and breathe them out…sending them far away, sweeping the achiness with them. And leaving peace and calm in its wake.
6.) Cultivate Calm
We cannot bring to the world what we don’t have within us. Or think about it this way: we cannot teach our children what we haven’t yet learned. If you want to raise a peaceful child, you have to learn how to cultivate peace within yourself. If you want to raise a confident child, you have to learn to master confidence within yourself.
It’s so simple, yet it feels like constant chaos, doesn’t it? We are a never ending work in progress – don’t stop learning and changing, so you can bring the best to the next generation.
7.) Distract Yourself!
Distracting yourself may keep you sane during this last stage of pregnancy. Bonus points if you find a healthy way to do so! I’m looking at you, pancakes. Here’s a fun one: Think of all the cheesy pregnancy movies that you watched before you were pregnant. At the time, we didn’t truly understand what those women were going through. Guess what? Now you’ll know every inside joke. So queue up Father of The Bride Part II or What To Expect When You’re Expecting and have a movie marathon this weekend. You’ll laugh and cry – ah that music in Father of The Bride – and it’s not so close to your due date that the delivery will make you decide to keep that baby inside you forever. Remember, it’s Hollywood! They take major dramatic liberties…right? RIGHT?
*Excerpted from The Daily Soul Sessions For The Pregnant Mama book: A daily dose of soul and inspiration for all thrilled, shocked, excited, and delighted mamas-to-be! Available on Amazon now! There are 280 soul sessions – one for every day of your pregnancy. Join The Daily Soul Sessions mama tribe at www.thedailysoulsessions.com. We are dedicated to helping mamas and mamas-to-be stay creative and inspired, and to figure out how to hold onto themselves and their passions while everyone else is holding onto them.
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Join The Daily Soul Sessions tribe! We are 3 sisters, 2 of us are identical twins, Grammy nominated singer/songwriters and recording artists from Denver, Colorado who, when we got pregnant accidentally the first time around, wrote a book about how to stay connected to yourself, your positivity, your creativity, and your inspiration during those crazy 9 months! Now we are all 3 pregnant again with our 2nd babies! Kara is due any day now, and Kate and Kacey (twins!) are due 10 days apart in February of 2017.
