Are we there yet??? How to ease discomfort at the end of your pregnancy.

When I grow up I want to be a rabbit. Their gestation period is only 1 month!!! Either that or a seahorse, coz the males carry the babies. Either way, when God created humans, he really stuffed up. If I were his teacher Id put him on detention for making

Anywho, Im getting sidetracked. The point Im trying to make here is, I think every last one of us, especially the ones who went overdue (raises hand three times) really dread the end of their pregnancies. For some it's a time to be cherished. Woo hoo! Ive come this far, not much longer to go. But for others (me) it was more a case of "are we there yet???" labour just couldnt come soon enough.

Here's some tips for you to help make the end of your pregnancy a little more comfortable.

I dont know about you, but I have a tendency to carry really big babies. Therefore, my guts were huuuuge! One tip I learnt was to invest in a sarong. (which I never did coz i had pregnancy memory, in one ear and out the other. it never occurred to me to get one until it was too late.) Sarongs are great for the summer time, as they are so big you can just wrap them around you when youre waddling about the house and let me tell you, its comfort to the max, guaranteed.

Keeping cool when your'e massive can be really difficult too. Its a well known fact that pregnant women suffer in the heat more than non-pregnant people, due to all the extra blood flow pumping about your body. If you can, have cool showers regularly throughout the day. Keep a wet face washer handy, and my fave was a water bottle with the sprayer bit on the end which hairdressers use to moisten your hair during a haircut, fill it up with ice cold water, and spray it all over yourself. Then go sit in front of a fan. Ahhh I feel cooler just thinking about it lol.

Sleeping when you'e huge is a shocker. Some of us are lucky, they are that exhausted from lugging that big watermelon around all day that when they hit the sack they sleep like a baby and dont notice how uncomfortable they are. And the others will toss and turn all night long trying to find the right position that doesnt hurt their back. Try putting a pillow under your belly (body pillows are great for this as you can wrap your legs around it too) which acts as a support for your bump and takes some of the strain off your back.

When shopping, for the love of god dont wear heels!!!! That's just asking for trouble. It's flatties or nothing. Actually I preferred to go barefoot whenever possible as I used to get cramps in my feet if I stood for too long whilst wearing shoes. Remember to stop and rest frequently, and keep a bottle of water with you in case you get thirsty. Extra water is essential for a pregnant woman trying to beat the crowds at the shops.

And last but not least, youve just had lunch, youre feeling all nice and full, and quite a bit exhausted, and feel like a nap on the couch. And then the doorbell rings. You let them in just to be polite, but in the back of your  mind, you're thinking, 'please! just go home!!!!' but you dont have the guts to be rude. Let me just say this. What if you go into labour that night and you dont have the energy to push baby out? What will happen then? It's easy. When you open the door, say politely, and over emphasise how tired you are, "oh hi, I was just about to take a nap, im exhausted." what can they say back to this? Nothing but an "im sorry I should have called before I came round." (Damn right you should have!!!) At which point you say "yeah im sorry, do you mind, Im really just not feeling too well." more than likely they will turn around and say thats fine ill see you next time. And then you can go get comfy and fall asleep.

The end of a pregnancy doesnt always mean you have to suffer. In some cases it is a time to spoil yourself, and enjoy the last precious moments you have with your partner, before you hear the pitter patter of tiny feet. Pregnancy is a time to enjoy yourself and the little miracle that is growing inside you. So what's stopping you?