I’ll admit it, I was a little naïve this time around. I thought that because I had such a wide range of holistic supports at my fingertips, my fourth baby would surely arrive early. Reflexology, Reiki, Acupuncture, hypnobirthing, kinesiology, homeopathy, tissue salts, Bach flower remedies, bio energy, essential oils, even my pendulum, I had convinced myself that together they would somehow give me more influence over timing.
But here I am, 40+ weeks and still waiting. And I’ve realized something important: these tools aren’t here to control when the baby will arrive. They’re here to support me—mentally, physically, and emotionally—as I wait and surrender to the process.
Looking back, each of my births has taught me something different. My first baby arrived at 37 weeks on the dot and my second at exactly 39. With my third, I struggled so much with the waiting and the uncertainty that I went for an induction at 40+5. I just couldn’t bear the thought that something might be wrong and as I had decided that 37 weeks was full term waiting almost another month felt like an eternity.
But since then, my life has shifted completely, my nervous system is much more regulated most of the time. I run my own business, I spend my days with the boys, I’ve trained in maternity reflexology, supported other mothers on the cusp of meeting their babies, and I’ve gathered a whole toolkit of supports that I’ve been using every single day. And yet even with all this knowledge and practice I’ve still had to face the same lesson: baby will arrive when baby is good and ready.
Birth is a dance between our bodies and our babies. We can encourage, we can prepare, we can support the process—but ultimately, it’s not ours to control. Outside of medical intervention, the timing belongs to them.
That realisation has been a game changer for me. Instead of getting caught up in “when,” I’m focusing on “how”—how I can stay grounded, how I can calm my mind, how I can trust this process. My tools haven’t sped anything up, but they’ve given me the strength to wait with more peace and less fear.
Waiting isn’t easy. But it doesn’t mean something’s wrong. It’s part of the journey, part of the surrender. Approaching 41 weeks, I’m choosing to trust that my baby knows exactly when it’s time.
To any other mums who find themselves in this space of waiting: I see you. I know how heavy the days can feel when you’re watching the calendar and wondering why nothing is happening yet. It’s not easy, and you’re not alone in feeling impatient, anxious, or even frustrated.
If there’s one thing this pregnancy has taught me, it’s that our tools—whether they’re holistic supports, rituals, or simple daily practices—aren’t there to force things along. They’re here to steady us, to calm us, and to remind us that our babies know when the time is right.
So if you’re waiting too, I hope you can take a deep breath and lean into whatever helps you feel safe and supported. Trust yourself, trust your baby, and know that when the moment comes, you’ll both be ready.
Le solas agus Grá,
Gráinne
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GráBeo Holistics by Gráinne Staunton 
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