A Need for Solitude

By this time, you can actually see your due date on the calendar hanging in your kitchen, and you may be increasingly reluctant to leave the house. This is only natural. Why would you want to be caught in a shopping mall when your water breaks or suffer through an action-packed movie when your nerve endings seem raw? You may also long to stay near familiar things because your nerves are frayed and sitting on your own couch, surrounded by your favorite pillows, is comforting.

There's nothing wrong with staying home. However, be sure that you're seeing friends so that you don't feel too isolated and grow increasingly anxious as a result. Ask your girlfriends over for a pasta supper. (They can bring the sauces, and all you have to do is boil the pasta.) Have your partner arrange a take-out dinner party with couples you're especially close to or enjoy romantic dinners at home with your partner. A good laugh and an understanding look can go a long way toward helping you stay calm and happy during these final weeks. And remember, if you're feeling less agitated and more content, your baby may too.

Originally published in You & Your Baby: Pregnancy.

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