Buckle up moms-to-be! It’s time for the homestretch – the last blessed and wobbly stage of your pregnancy. You are probably less graceful now that your belly’s bigger. The center of gravity has shifted and you are clumsier, but fulfilled that you’re running the last mile towards meeting your baby. Your hormones are riding you on an emotional rollercoaster, but you’re glad you made it so far.

The third trimester is both an exciting and challenging time. While your anticipation is growing, so is your baby. And he or she is gaining weight rapidly. Which means, you are, too. Your baby accounts for most of the weight gain, but so do the placenta, amniotic fluid, larger breasts and uterus, and increased blood volume. The increasing size of the uterus pressing against your stomach is making it harder for you to eat. Your baby’s body has developed perfectly- all the organs are formed, it’s personality kicks through the walls of your belly, and you can feel the bond growing stronger by the day.

Its lungs are now self-sufficient. The fingernails are completed and you might feel a tingling or a tickling scratch. The placenta is tough and fibrous and does not channel blood like it did before, preparing to force the bay out by decreasing the amount of oxygen. The soft area above the forehead is now shaped like a diamond. The health settles into the birth canal toward the end of pregnancy. There is less movement because the baby is confined. All sense organs are well formed and the baby experiences the world with you and within you.

My personal experience through this intense stretch was one of constant wonder.

I was ecstatic through the seventh month, still fully active and exercising every day. I did not feel any fatigue, except for some sleeplessness at night and a nasty acid reflux that came from the excess pressure of the belly into the diaphragm. I picked up swimming twice week and extended the Qi-Gong practice through my yoga routine. Because I was getting iron deficient, I took Floradix tablets to supply the lacking ferritin in my body. At night I visualized a triangle pointing down to the Earth suspended from my navel into the uterus and I meditated upon the new soul bringing light in my life. I emphasized the positive trait of my spouse and built a strong self-image of myself as a protector and guide of the new soul.

The eighth month brought more physical fatigue and certain fear from the approaching birth. How would it all map out? Was I doing the right things? Was I strong enough for labor? I kept my daily prenatal yoga practice and the semi-weekly swimming. I walked more than usual and did intense breathing to sooth the upsurge of anxiety. I found out that my baby was breached and started doing acupuncture, moxi bustion and regular inversions to flip her back. It was a tough period. I feared a possible C-section that I was trying to avoid at all costs. But I kept my inner calm and meditated on my role as an intermediary between the earth and the sky. I placed a twelve-pointed start at the center of my heart and gained faith in the divine orchestration of things. By the end of the eighth month I learned not to expect anything from the birth. I was fine with any outcome. I was ready to accept what was necessary.

The ninth month threw me really off center. I cut on some of my teaching activities. I was getting too heavy and even found riding the subway difficult. The anxiety escalated. And so did the insomnia. The acid reflux worsened and my calves were so sore from cramping all night. The lower back was killing me, and the chronic sciatica that I used to have resurfaced again. I was a mess, still trying to juggle things, but unable to follow through. What rescued me was my meditation practice. I would see my baby now descending as a cherub from a cloudless sky and perching on my cervix to adjust into the birth canal and get ready for birth. This was the moment the baby flipped and everything came into place. My anxiety disappeared over night. I found the strength within to sustain any challenge and I felt incredible power to build my visions here and now. I welcomed the new soul and was excited about its first breath into life. The cherub was coming from the realms of light into physical form to illuminate this world. The sudden shift of perspective charged me up with positive energy and faith that everything would come the way it was supposed to.

Fearless and ready for the last shamanic leap I got all my acts together and let things be.

I think this attitude of surrender and full acceptance of any outcome is the most powerful tool to take any mom through labor and fill her up with hope and optimism. And remember, no need to panic excessively. Things somehow work themselves out and every mom gets the optimal birth experience for her and her kid.

Prenatal Yoga Routine: Gift Of Life (3rd Trimester)

This Yogea routine focuses on poses that prepare for delivery and breathing techniques that help you navigate through intense contractions. Because the joints are more supple, and tender a combination of stretching and strengthening gives you the balance you need. The sequence introduces moon salutes that open the spine and chest, tone the legs and elicit the yielding response through the body. Low lunges, kneeling hero poses and all fours create a stable base for moderate twists and hip openers. Supine poses stretch all muscle groups as they provide sufficient room for the growing belly. The crown of the head is stimulated by subtle inversions and the hormones are regulated through supported poses that reboot the pineal and pituitary glands. The focus is on safe hip openers and squats that prepare for the upcoming pull of gravity, and open forward bends that calm the mind and instill a sense of tranquility and acceptance.