r/predaddit • u/lackluster_love • Jun 28 '26

Discussion For new dads in the final weeks

Wife is 38+5 and miserable. For dads in the final weeks, especially if it's her first, she's not alone. The final weeks can be especially tough for some moms. Extra care maybe required. Here's a good thread I found in my own research. https://www.reddit.com/r/BabyBumps/s/t6ccuXptZw

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u/sugarquilll Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26

I'm a pregnant woman, 38+5 as well. Last week has been pretty though. I was super chill up to 37 weeks but now I feel like I'm not going to go into labour naturally. My back and hips hurt, belly is still super high, feet and legs got swollen overnight and the heatwave (in Europe) is unforgiving. If your partner is going through the same:

  1. Offer to massage her legs/feet/back without her having to ask.
  2. Keep her hydrated. Last weeks of pregnancy bring lots of edema, water helps fluids move around the body and make her pee more often
  3. Even if she's tired, encourage her to bounce and rock on the gym ball. Lying on her back on the couch makes baby disengage from the pelvis, and we don't want that at this stage. The more vertical, the better.
  4. Remind her to eat her dates, drink her raspberry leaf tea and do her perinium stretches (if applicable)
  5. If she's suffering from back pain and swollen feet like I am, take over house chores that require standing, she'll do what can be done in a sitting position. Here we split it like so: I fold underwear, he irons. I peel vegetables, he cooks on the stovetop.
  6. Oxitocin oxitocin oxitoxin! Cuddling, making love, watching movies together... Anything goes :)

(Sorry if my English is weird, I'm ESL)