As of Sunday, I will officially have entered the final month of pregnancy! It has been so tough!  The weather in Cape Town is almost always above 30 degrees celsius, our house doesn’t have any form of air conditioning and we still don’t own a fan ( I need to make this a priority)!  So I thought it would be a perfect time to share how I’ve been keeping happy and positive in the last stretch of pregnancy considering all the challenges that are unique to the stage and our climate:

1.  NUDITY

I spend most of my days, in my bedroom…naked ( why do we have our own houses if not for this purpose? ). If someone happens to knock on the door, I simply throw a towel over, address their need, and toss it right back off when they leave!

2. CONVERTING MY BATHROOM INTO ANOTHER BEDROOM

Our bathroom is always so cool! So, I’ve just started laying out pillows there and just relaxing – with my cellphone in hand surfing the internet. I’d like to also add that the bathroom now, is just another room – since having kids. I have no qualms with eating there or having my coffee in there!

3. DELEGATING

I delegate most of the work that needs to get done around the home.  Everyone here knows that this is their preparation phase.  I don’t intend on being too involved, once baby is born, so everyone needs to start embracing their new roles. I’m letting my helper cook more, my hubby is starting to take over with homework and I just make sure everyone is on schedule.  The only ‘task’ that still remains mine is my 22 month old and that’s perfectly fine. On days when the load is particularly heavy, I do more with the kids and cooking, but I make sure that I balance it out with lots of rest, the next day.

4. MAKE-UP AND EXERCISE

There is something amazing about taking a walk and just having all that blood pumping into every single part of your body. It makes you look and feel good because it nourishes your skin and lifts your mood. It’s results are much like the pregnancy glow – which is brought about by  hormonal changes but you can also fake it with light exercise (and sex!).  So I try to walk often (but not too far )and well, let’s just say that I don’t neglect the bedroom.  If that all fails ( as it often does in pregnancy), then a bit of make-up ( brows, blush and a good base) will do the trick!

5.  SLEEP AND MULTIVITAMINS

Getting enough sleep at this stage is near impossible but I’m finding that I’m sleeping better – now that I’m taking in more vitamins and breaking all my sleep ‘rules’:

• I sleep with no less than five pillows ( instead of the usual pillow free set-up).
• I have no rule about what time to wake up – I woke up at 9:45 today. Insomnia and the interruptions from the other kids make it hard to sleep.
• I also sleep wherever it’s comfortable – on the floor in the lounge, upright on the couch, with the TV on, etc. I do whatever my body seems to want, on that particular evening.

I don’t believe in taking a cocktail of vitamins because I believe that we should eat well and only use multivitamins sparingly – in case our diet has not been perfect. So I’ve only been alternating between taking Vital’s Iron Complex and the Women range.

Ladies, these tips aren’t a promise for a hassle-free pregnancy or last trimester but it certainly has made things much more bearable. I still fantasise about early labour but I know it’s best to keep baby in as long as possible.

How are you managing with your preggy belly? I would love to hear from you!