by D. Warnaar

Created on: November 03, 2008

When you first learn you are pregnant, you may be surprised to find out that you are actually pregnant for not nine months but ten months (40 weeks)! While that time frame is a relatively short time to grow a human being, by the time you hit your EDD (estimated due date) you'll be chomping at the bit to meet your little one. Not to mention the fact that you can't sleep because you have to pee every five minutes, you're constantly wondering if that Braxton-Hicks contraction might be real labor , your husband has to give you a shove from behind to help you up from a sitting position and even your maternity clothes are too tight! The past 40 weeks will seem like nothing compared to each agonizingly long day over your due date that you spend waiting for your body to go into labor. Dealing with an overdue pregnancy isn't fun but I can promise you that in the end, it's worth the wait. Just remember, that baby has to come out soon so you won't be waiting too much longer no matter what! In the meantime, here are a few things that might help you bide your time:

Spend Some Quality Time with your Husband

Trust me, once the baby comes even on the rare moments you have some time to share when the baby is sleeping you'll be far too tired to do anything but pass out next to each other in bed. My husband and I passed the time playing Scrabble or Monopoly on the back porch or going to movies (another thing you can't do once the baby arrives!)

Girls Day Out

Meet up with your girl friends for a day of shopping or brunch. After the baby comes you'll barely leave the house the first six weeks or more so enjoy your girl time while you can. Spending time with your single friends is especially important since you'll likely spend more time with "mommy friends" once the baby arrives.

Pamper Yourself

Get a manicure and pedicure. What woman doesn't love those? You can justify paying for them to your husband (not that you need tooyou're the one carrying 35 plus pounds of baby weight) because you cannot reach your toesor even see them! If you're like me, once you can see and reach your toes again it will take you no less than three days to paint your own toes (one day each for two coats of color and the third day for the top coat). I kid you not!

Be Lazy

What more is there to say than this may quite possibly be the last change you have to be bored and/or lazy. As hard as it is, try your best to enjoy it. Lie on the couch and do nothing all day but watch Lifetime movies. Oh, and eat of course. It's what we preggos do best!

Write for Helium

Share some of your newly found pregnancy expertise. My son turns 11 weeks in two days and this is the first chance I have had to sit down and write an article. Even now, I have had to stop several times to replace the pacifier and make him a bottle after he woke up from his nap! Now he lies in the Boppy next to me, cooing away and I am typing as fast as humanly possible to finish this article!

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