What Every Mum-to-Be Needs to Hear As Her Pregnancy Due Date Comes… or Goes

It’s 3am. You’re awake. Because your back, breasts and bladder all hate you. One is aching. One is leaking weird yellow fluid. And one is full, yet again. 

You’re heavily pregnancy and ready to give up on the idea of ever going into labour. But before you retire into your maternity pyjamas for the rest of your life, hear us out.

Here’s what we all need to remember as our pregnancy due date comes (and possibly goes) and as we prepare to welcome our little ones into the world.

You’re allowed to be a hot pregnant mess right now

As you prepare for your new addition, you may feel like you’re literally lost in your own massive body. Days are spent watching Netflix shows, waddling around the house, cleaning random things, eating chocolate, texting your husband to pick up more chocolate on the way home and peeing.

You also spend a great deal of time willing your baby to come out, then worrying about what happens when you actually do go into labour. Have I done enough to prepare? Is the nursery set up safely? Am I really happy with my baby name decision?

You may cry a lot. And yell a lot. You may also spent a fair amount of time Googling weird sh*t on your phone. Like “it is possible to be pregnant forever?” and “pregnancy-induced insanity”.

Don’t worry. All of this is completely normal behaviour for a mum about to give birth. You’re allowed to be slightly anxious, slightly erratic and slightly crazy as your pregnancy due date approaches. It’s your right.

You’ve kept it semi-together for nine (give or take a few days) months now. You’re done. Your baby is cooked. And you’re ready to eject this bun from your oven. Like yesterday.

Your delivery day is coming, even if your pregnancy due date has gone

At this stage, it probably feels like you have been pregnant forever. It also probably feels like there’s a good chance you will remain pregnant forever. But, trust us, you won’t.

You WILL have a baby. You WILL go into labour, either through induction or naturally. And media outlets WILL NOT write stories about you, the woman who gave birth at 105 weeks pregnant to a toddler-sized infant. You’re almost there. Just look at how far you’ve already come. Next stop: labour.

Yes, labour is scary, but you’ve got this mumma

Sure, labour is probably one of the main concerns keeping you up at night, but it’s the grand finale you’ve been preparing for all these months. And, compared to pregnancy, labour is quick. Painful. But quick.

Through the build-up that comes with labour, the false contractions, the early stages of labour, the loss of all those strange fluids, it’s okay to feel like you have no freaking idea what you’re doing. It’s normal to feel a little out of control. But trust in your ability to do it. Whether you need to be induced, opt for an epidural, have a C-section or do it naturally, the outcome is the same – a bruised and battered vagina (or abdomen).  And a newborn baby to finally hold in your arms.

You’re going be a great mum

How do I know? I don’t. But if you’re up at 3am, reading this and concerned about whether you’re gonna be a great mum, chances are, you’re gonna be a great mum. Because great mums are worried about the wellbeing of their kids. All the freaking time.

In pregnancy we worry about whether we selected the right colours for the nursery, whether we’ve chosen to eat the right foods for baby’s development, whether we’ve given them a cosy home for the last nine months.

In motherhood, the worry continues. We worry about whether we’ve fed them enough, whether they are getting enough sleep, whether we’re teaching them the right values to face the world with, or eventually, without us.

Yes, your pregnancy is nearly over (thank f*ck) and your pregnancy concerns will soon be a thing of the past. But your worries as a mum will continue.

So, as your pregnancy due date comes and goes, eat the chocolate, rearrange the nursery wardrobe (again) and watch M-rated shows on Netflix. Before you know if, you’ll be stuck watching nothing but Disney movies and Peppa Pig for years.

What’s in store after bub is born? Check out these 18 totally messed up things no one seems to mention about being a new mum.