In episode 26 of Oh Mama, I’m coming at ya from almost fully cooked! That’s right people, not long to go now! Being officially 36 weeks + 6 days when recording this, baby girl could make her debut in a few days, or hang out in there another month yet. Who knows, only time will tell!

Bumpdate wise for you, lots has been going on over the last couple of weeks. The nursery is coming together sooo nicely, pram is set up, cot is built, bassinet is up in our room, and all here gorgeous little clothes, socks, beanies and other baby things are washed, folded and patiently waiting her arrival.

Okay mama, here’s all the things we’re talking about:

• My go-to recommendations for maternity clothes
• Swollen hands and feet in the third trimester
• Practicing perineal massage with my partner
• Packing my hospital bag (+ the best tip I’ve been given for how to pack)
• What I’ve done to prepare for baby’s arrival so far
• Why I hired a TENS machine to support me in labour
• What our hypnobirthing experience was like
• Why I decided a hypnobirthing course was right for me and my partner
• Is hypnobirthing all woo-woo? Or are there practical skills too?
• Things I’m leaning on for labour: breathing techniques, pain management, accupressure, affirmations, meditations, self hypnosis, light touch massage, anchor points
• How I’ve prepared to be informed with what we consent to in hospital
• Why I wrote a birth plan and how it’s helping me feel ready for labour and birth
• Birth plan vs birth preferences and what it means to me
• What can go in a birth plan: environment, communication, birthing positions, intervention preferences, emergency plans, golden hour

**OH MAMA MANTRA: “**Labour pain is healthy pain”

Connect on TikTok: @thisistayrae

Connect on Instagram: @thisistayrae & @ohmamapod

Wanna be fancy and email? You got it: heyohmama@gmail.com. Love you!

*Please note: this podcast is not medical advice. Instead, think of it as having a pregnancy chats with your BFF, where we keep things wildly honest, and we share what we're really thinking and experiencing as we grow a tiny human. If an episode is helpful, amazing, but it's in no way here to tell you what to do or how to be/feel/act/think. Your experience is unique and perfect to you. No comparison necessary here, but we hope hearing the experiences we share makes you feel a little less alone in the moments when you might wonder if it's only you that's going through it. I promise you mama, it isn't. You're not alone, and we're in this together - one big mama squad.