Birthing Ayurveda: Week 30—Slow Down!

Welcome to Birthing Ayurveda, where we follow one woman's pregnancy experience week by week—from a positive home pregnancy test all the way to delivery.

If you read the last blog, you know that vata has been on my mind. My dear friend called me this week (so timely!) to share some advice that my brother-in-law gave her around this time during her pregnancy. We both are quite similar in our personalities in that we love to work and like to always be on the move.

He told her to slow down.

She said she simply started to go in to work about an hour later and wrapped up about an hour earlier. She used the time to do yoga, cook a nice breakfast, read. And because of that, she cherishes those last few months of her pregnancy. She reflects on it fondly as a time where she really connected to being a mother, felt a deeper connection to her child, and felt more grounded and rooted in welcoming the changes to come.

As karma would have it, this was very timely for me. My conferences were done, major projects were wrapped up, and all I had to work on was mostly getting things in line and setting everything up before I head out for maternity leave in a few months. So it was totally doable.

I felt rooted, grounded, content, connected, expansive, and just overall joyous. I listened to my body more. I really felt connected to the idea of being a mother and could (finally!) envision myself spending time at home with my baby, enjoying cooking for the baby, reading to the baby, singing to the baby. For me this was huge since I realized I still carry guilt for not connecting to this idea, particularly early on in the pregnancy.

I also started the nesting process. I have my shopping list ready, I organized my closet, and have begun thinking about what needs to be done around the house.

You have to slow down to shift mentally and physically. It takes time to process and digest and then act thoughtfully.

Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy. I am realizing how quickly this precious time is flying by—time that will never come back.