I’m Getting Close to My Due Date, What Should I do?

September 21, 2026 by Full Circle Yoga KC

As your estimated due date approaches, it’s completely normal to notice your excitement—and maybe your anxiety—start to grow, I see it happen a lot at the studio.

You’re ready to meet your baby. Family and friends begin checking in daily. Your healthcare provider may start talking about induction. Suddenly, it can feel like everyone is waiting… including you.

One of the hardest things to remember is that an estimated due date is just that—an estimate. Babies don’t own calendars, and they often arrive on their own timeline.

If you and your baby are healthy, these final days (or weeks) can be an opportunity to stay connected to your body, trust the process, and prepare for one of life’s greatest transitions.

Here are five ways to help navigate the final stretch before labor begins.

1. Trust the Process

If you and your baby are healthy, continue trusting your body’s incredible ability to grow and birth your baby.

Many first-time parents go into labor after their estimated due date. While it can be hard to wait, it’s important to remember that a due date is simply an educated guess—not an expiration date.

One tip I often share in prenatal yoga classes is to tell family and friends the month you’re expecting your baby instead of the exact estimated due date. Or even mention a timeframe about a week after your estimated due date. It may sound a little silly, but it can take some of the pressure off if the date comes and goes.

Stay connected to your baby, continue your daily routines when you can, and remind yourself that your body is still doing important work.

2. Keep Moving

By the end of pregnancy, movement can feel like the last thing you want to do—but gentle, purposeful movement can make a big difference, both in the mind and body.

At FCYKC, we often say:

Motion is lotion.

Walking, prenatal yoga or prenatal barre, stretching, and functional movement can help you stay comfortable, encourage your baby into an optimal position for birth, and support your physical and emotional well-being.

Movement can help ease recovery in postpartum that you’ll be thankful for too!

3. Create Healthy Boundaries

The constant texts…

“Any baby yet?”

“Are you in labor?”

They all come from a place of love, but they can quickly become overwhelming.

It’s okay to set boundaries.

Let family and friends know you’re soaking in these final days and that you’ll share your exciting news when you’re ready.

I know some expectant parents even hand their phone to their partner during the last days of pregnancy so they can manage updates and allow the birthing person to stay focused on resting, nesting, and preparing.

Protect your peace.

4. Be Informed

We say it in class all the time- Knowledge is power and power leads to feeling empowered and informed.

Before labor begins, take time to understand your options, ask questions, and learn about common decisions that may arise during labor and birth.

I encourage families planning a hospital birth to attend both:

Their hospital’s childbirth education class
An independent childbirth education class

Different perspectives can help you better understand your choices, ask thoughtful questions, and make informed decisions that align with your values.

Feeling informed doesn’t mean everything will go according to plan—but it does help you feel more confident navigating whatever unfolds.

5. Support Your Body Naturally

Many expectant parents become curious about natural ways to encourage labor as they approach or pass their due date.

While there’s no magic trick that guarantees labor will begin, there are gentle practices that may help support your body as it prepares for birth. A resource I recommend to families is Evidenced Based Birth that provides excellent evidenced-based information on many of these practices. These include:

Eating dates
Drinking red raspberry leaf tea
Walking and gentle movement
Sexual intimacy
Nipple stimulation
360° breathing
Functional pelvic movements that encourage mobility through the pelvic inlet, such as movements that open the front, back, and sides of the pelvis. One of my favorites is a tuck and untuck of the pelvis while on all 4’s.

Remember, these practices are intended to support your body’s natural preparation—not force labor to begin.

One Final Thought

The waiting can be one of the hardest parts of pregnancy.

You may feel excited one moment and impatient the next. That’s okay, and normal!

Celebrate the last few days sharing breath with your baby who’s right below your heart.

At Full Circle Yoga KC, we believe these last days of pregnancy are the moments to listen to your body, listen to your baby, and take in the beautiful transformation that is unfolding.

You’ve got this!

How Can My Partner Help During Labor and Delivery?

August 14, 2026 by Full Circle Yoga KC Leave a Comment

Birth partner supporting laboring mother during a contraction

There was a time when partners waited outside the birth room, pacing the halls with a cigar in hand, waiting to hear the news that their baby had arrived.

Thankfully, birth has changed.

Today, partners have the opportunity to be active participants in one of life’s greatest transformations. Supporting someone through labor isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about showing up with confidence, compassion, and a willingness to be present.

Birth isn’t just transforming the person giving birth. It’s transforming both individuals into parents.

What if I don’t know what to do?

This is one of the most common concerns I hear from expectant partners.

Without tools or guidance, it’s easy to feel lost, overwhelmed, or unsure of how to help. The good news? You don’t have to memorize every labor position or know exactly what’s happening at every moment.

Instead, think about supporting the experience.

Labor often unfolds over many hours. During that time, there are countless opportunities to connect with one another.

Go for a walk.

Hold hands.

Breathe together.

Dance between contractions.

Share a meal.

Laugh.

Be yourselves.

The best birth partners don’t stop being partners during labor—they lean into what already makes their relationship strong.

The Many Hats of a Birth Partner

The Gatekeeper

One of the greatest gifts you can offer is protecting the birth environment.

Help create the atmosphere your partner wants by:

Keeping the lights dim if desired.
Playing music. Having a calm playlist and an upbeat playlist is helpful!
Offering encouraging words and positive affirmations.
Using a calm, reassuring voice.
Setting the mood with battery-operated candles or essential oils.

You can also become the gatekeeper of time by gently reminding your partner to:

Stay hydrated.
Eat.
Empty their bladder about every hour, which can create more room for baby to descend into the pelvis.

Small reminders can make a big difference.

The Movement Coach

One phrase we love at Full Circle Yoga KC is:

Motion is lotion.

Movement helps labor progress by encouraging baby to navigate the pelvis while also helping the birthing person stay more comfortable.

You don’t need to know dozens of techniques. Simply encourage movement throughout labor.

This might include:

Walking.
Slow dancing.
Changing positions.
Leaning on you during contractions.
Hands-and-knees positions.
Gentle hip movements.
Using a birth ball.

Simple comfort measures, gentle touch, and downward strokes along the back or arms can also help create a sense of relaxation and support.

The Advocate

Advocacy doesn’t mean becoming confrontational or challenging every recommendation.

Instead, it means helping your partner feel informed, supported, and heard.

A great advocate knows it’s okay to ask questions like:

Can you tell us more about why you’re recommending this?
What are the benefits?
Are there any risks?
Are there alternatives?
If mom and baby are doing well, can we have a few minutes alone to discuss our options?

Advocacy is about protecting your partner’s voice—not speaking over it.

When families understand their options, they are better able to make informed decisions that align with their values.

Presence Matters More Than Perfection

birth partner holding hands with laboring mother

You don’t have to be perfect.

You don’t have to remember every breathing technique or every labor position.

Your calm presence, encouragement, and willingness to walk beside your partner through labor matter more than getting everything “right.”

Birth is something you experience together.

Want to Feel More Prepared?

If you’d like to build confidence before labor begins, join us for our monthly Prenatal Partner Yoga Workshop at Full Circle Yoga KC.

Together you’ll learn hands-on comfort measures, movement strategies, breathing techniques, labor positions, communication tools, and practical ways to support one another throughout pregnancy, labor, and delivery.

Our goal is simple: to help both parents feel informed, connected, and empowered as they prepare to welcome their baby into the world.

You can reserve your spot here!

“Big Baby” Conversations: What You Need to Know

September 10, 2025 by Full Circle Yoga KC Leave a Comment

It’s not uncommon during pregnancy to hear your provider say, “Your baby might be big.” These words can stir up worry, confusion, and even shift how your birth plan is discussed. Often, this estimation comes from an ultrasound, growth scan, or a physical exam (palpation). But here’s something important to remember: these methods are not always precise. Many parents discover after birth that their baby was much smaller—or sometimes larger—than predicted.

So, what happens when a “big baby” is suspected? Frequently, the conversation turns toward induction of labor. In some situations, an induction may be medically necessary and appropriate—especially if other health considerations are part of the picture. But an induction solely because of a suspected “big baby” isn’t always straightforward.

This is where your voice and your questions matter deeply. Here are a few helpful ones to bring to your provider:

What are the benefits of induction in my situation?
What are the risks for both me and my baby?
What do the actual statistics for my situation?
What are the alternatives?

Knowledge is empowering. When you gather information, you’re able to make an informed choice that feels aligned with your values, your body, and your birth vision.

🌿 Movement Matters
If a baby is truly on the bigger side, positioning during labor becomes even more valuable. Practicing different birthing positions before labor builds muscle memory, so your body already knows how to open the inlet and outlet of the pelvis when it matters most. This can create more space for baby’s descent and help labor unfold with greater ease.

✨ Trust Yourself
Above all, remember that your body and your baby are working together. Whether your baby is average size, “big,” or somewhere in between—you are strong, wise, and capable. With preparation, support, and trust in the process, you’ve got this, Mama.

Asparagus and Birth

June 16, 2025 by Full Circle Yoga KC Leave a Comment

A reflection on patience, tending, and the miracle of growth

What on earth, you might be wondering? Why such a title—asparagus and birth?

Let me take you back a few years. In the midst of the pandemic, my family and I did something wild and wonderful: we moved to a home with land—five acres of space to breathe, dream, and root down. It was something we imagined doing much later in life, but pandemics, as we all learned, tend to awaken new perspectives and bold decisions.

One of the first things I planted in our new garden was asparagus. Not because it was easy or offered instant gratification, but because it whispered to my soul about patience, trust, and the unseen growth happening beneath the soil. I knew asparagus would ask me to wait—years, in fact. It felt like a quiet agreement between the earth and me: tend to me, trust me, and your care will be rewarded in time.

For four years, we watered, weeded, and waited. In the third year, those tempting stalks pushed up through the earth, crisp and green, only to be left alone once more. As any gardener will tell you, letting them be is the hardest part. But the soil knows, the seasons know. The deep rooting must come first.

This year—finally—came the harvest. And oh, what a harvest it has been! The crunch of that first fresh stalk, snapped right from the ground, was pure magic. Juicy, sweet, and full of life. Most of the time, they don’t even make it back to the house. My children love them too, snacking straight from the garden as if they’re nature’s candy.

Waiting for the asparagus reminds me so much of pregnancy. And no, thank goodness, pregnancy doesn’t last four years (can I get an amen?). But still, it too is a journey of patience, tending, and deep-rooted transformation.

As a parent-to-be, you nourish yourself in body and mind—watering the roots, so to speak. You breathe more intentionally, you move with awareness, you honor the changes unfolding. Like the asparagus patch, you don’t always see the fruits of your efforts in the early stages—but growth is happening nonetheless.

And then, as the final weeks approach, there’s that familiar ache: “I’m so ready to meet this baby.” That longing. That breath-held trust that body and baby will move in their own rhythm toward the most sacred unfolding—birth.

And when the moment comes… when you meet your baby for the first time, the harvest is beyond what words can hold. The culmination of love, effort, trust, and waiting—all there in your arms.

This spring, I’m savoring each crunchy, sweet bite of asparagus and feeling the echoes of that sacred waiting in my heart. I’m also sitting in the deep joy of being a mother to two incredible beings who continue to teach me about presence, patience, and love.

So here’s to asparagus. And here’s to birth. Both remind us that waiting is not passive. It’s an act of hope. Of trust. Of love.

Join us at Full Circle Yoga KC where we specialize in family-centered yoga! Explore Full Circle Yoga KC’s class calendar to reserve a spot for a the many specialized classes we offer.

Peanut Balls and Labor

November 3, 2022 by Full Circle Yoga KC Leave a Comment

The Peanut Ball for Labor

Many expectant Mamas first hearing of a peanut ball for labor and all it’s amazing benefits is at the yoga studio when they attend a prenatal yoga class.

A peanut ball is a wonderful and highly effective tool to use in labor. It’s also a lovely tool at the end stages of pregnancy when resting in shavasana at the end of a prenatal yoga class after hip opening yoga poses.

The peanut ball helps widen the pelvic outlet to support baby’s descent. Research provides evidence it can help with the progression of labor. It is a useful tool to allow for a laboring mama to rest while the peanut ball works to support the laboring body and baby’s journey to earthside. It is placed between the legs to aid in letting the body relax while helping widen the pelvis for baby’s descent and support the progression of labor. A peanut ball can be used with or without the use of an epidural. It’s especially helpful for those who have an epidural due to the limited changes in positions that can be used once an epidural is placed. A laboring person without an epidural may find it particularly helpful to use when rest is needed, while one rests the peanut ball supports the working laboring body.

Two of the most widely used positions with a peanut ball, as showed above are side lying position (photo 1) and semi-reclining position (photo 2). Side-lying position helps baby move into optimal position for birth. Bending the knee over the top of the peanut ball allows for the pelvis to open more. The semi-reclining position promotes further dilation and for baby to drop lower.

It’s always a little joyous celebration in the studio when an expectant Mama is at the final weeks of pregnancy and the peanut ball is coffered in shavasana with a gentle massage.

Peanut balls are also great fun for little ones at Mama and Mover’s Yoga Class!

Full Circle Yoga KC is family centered yoga studio in Midtown Kansas City specializing in Prenatal Yoga, Prenatal Partner Yoga, Baby Yoga, postpartum yoga, and many family-centered workshops.