Third Trimester Recap
Sweater and jeans c/o Pink Blush Maternity
I can barely believe we're here already! I'll be 38 weeks tomorrow and baby could come any day now (hopefully not too soon though, because we still have to put the car seat in)! I'm getting a little more uncomfortable by the day and trying really hard not to complain--I've had a pretty amazing pregnancy so far with no complications and for that, I feel really lucky.
So without further ado, here's my final trimester recap! It's been so fun keeping these notes throughout this pregnancy. I think the third trimester has definitely been the toughest for me so far, but we're getting so close and I know it's going to be so amazing when we finally get to meet this kid.
Cravings:
Cottage cheese--recently I've been eating it with Trader Joe's grain-free granola, some sliced bananas, and a little pumpkin pie spice sprinkled overtop
Grapes
Ice cream and pretty much any dessert, especially hot fudge sundaes
My go-to lunch was a gluten-free tortilla wrap with cheese, heated up turkey, mayo, some bacon, and lots of spinach
Smoothies again, which was a nice change of pace from all the junk I've been eating
Symptoms/Week-byWeek:
Heartburn
My heartburn has been worse than ever--it started in my second trimester but has pretty much only gotten worse as the baby has gotten bigger. Every few days I'll actually wake up in the middle of the night (usually 1-2 AM) and throw up. So fun!
I found that Zantac works pretty well (I take it twice a day whether I feel like I need it or not), but the biggest way to control it is to eat small meals, have a super early dinner, and not eat anything after 8 PM (7:00 is better but doesn't always happen, especially if I teach night classes at the Pure Barre studio).
30-32 weeks I think I started feeling baby hiccups, which are so cute. They feel a lot different than regular kicks and you can tell her whole body is moving when she gets them.
Swelling
When I got off the plane after flying from California to Virginia my ankles were really swollen, and that was the first time I noticed it. They went down again after a few hours but around 30-32 weeks my feet and ankles would swell so much and actually hurt. None of my shoes fit me except for my Birkenstocks and my Uggs right now, and I had to buy a pair of tennis shoes two whole sizes larger than I usually wear!
31-32 weeks I had to retire my wedding bands and engagement ring because they were getting a little too hard to take off and I was afraid they'd end up stuck and I'd have to get them cut off or something. I ordered this Qalo ring for when I'm working out or walking Ender or teaching Pure Barre; and I got a really pretty little 14K recycled gold band from Cat Makes Things in San Francisco to wear other times. I miss my regular jewelry but its been fun trying out some new stuff, and I think I'll wear the gold ring on my right hand after the baby gets here.
Around 35-36 weeks I bought a few pairs of compression socks and they helped so much. I wear them all the time. My hands actually started swelling a bit around this time as well and they really hurt in the mornings and evenings--sometimes my fingers actually get stuck like I have arthritis or something.
My skin is still pretty messed up--my chin and nose are all broken out and they get really red and dry. It cleared up a little around 33 weeks but still isn't back to 100%. I've been using this mask (affiliate link) a few times a week and it seems to calm everything down a bit. (It also smells amazing.)
My ribs, lower back, and hips hurt so much most of the time, especially at the end of the day.
Around 33-34 weeks sleeping started getting a little uncomfortable--I don't feel super tired or anything during the day but I definitely have to have enough pillows plus my Snoogle and carefully support my self getting in and out of bed. I've messed up my back getting up in the morning at least twice. I also feel like I've lost all of my ab strength and really have to work hard to get up from lying down positions, and Rob has to pull me up from the couch if he's around.
I take an epsom salt bath at least twice a week and it's amazing.
Exercise:
Ender and I are still walking 40 minutes-an hour most mornings and I take class (either Pure Barre or PB Empower) about twice a week. I taught 6-10 classes a week right up to 38 weeks (this morning was my last class!), so I might try to get in a few more times and work out, although I really can't do any abs anymore. I'm really slow and achey all the time but I really do feel better when I get some exercise.
I feel really grateful to have been able to stay active this whole time, even if I do sometimes catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror or (even worse!) the self-facing camera on my phone and I don't exactly love what I see, but I'm trying to remind myself that I need to gain weight so this baby can be healthy. My growing belly has brought me a lot of joy, it's the double chin and flabby arms/legs/butt that I could do without.
Other Stuff:
I listened to a few episodes of the Fear Free Childbirth podcast and I really liked it. I haven't done a ton of reading or classes or anything to prepare for labor and delivery and instead have been focusing on getting into a positive headspace about it--I'm actually really excited to experience it all.
We've been working with a new dog trainer on some stuff with Ender and I think it's helped him listen to us a lot better. He's not allowed on the couch or bed anymore which has been really hard for me because I love cuddling with him, but I think he needs a little more structure and boundaries so I'm glad we started before the baby shows up. (I had someone ask for more information about this and can definitely share more details as we continue working with the trainer, if you guys are interested!)
I dropped a cinnamon roll on the floor and cried about it.
Minted was nice enough to give us the gorgeous invitations we sent out for my baby shower in Virginia and I absolutely loved them. It was so special to have them get involved since they've gifted us so many things through every milestone of our relationship so far, from our wedding invites to the holiday cards we send out every year.
My aunts here in the Bay Area threw us a couples shower in Pacifica and we had the best time--they did this fun game where everyone wrote down their guesses for the date of birth, baby's weight and length, hair color, name, and a really sweet section where they filled in what qualities they hope she gets from me and from Rob. I'll definitely be looking back on those and treasuring them for years to come.
I got the Tdap vaccine and was pretty proud of myself--Rob may have had to come with me and hold my hand/calm me down a little bit (injections are kind of my biggest real-life fear in the world), but it was a great experience overall and it made me realize that I'll seriously do anything for my daughter. It reminded me of how I used to be unable to swallow pills so I just didn't take vitamins, and I've thrown back a huge prenatal vitamin every day without fail these past 8 and a half months (and a gross iron supplement more recently).
This belly band (affiliate link) has been really great for giving me some extra support throughout the day and also letting me get some use out of shirts that aren't really long enough to cover my growing belly.
I think the weirdest thing for me has been getting special treatment from people: women letting me go to the bathroom before them, people offering me their seat, a guy at the post office offering to carry my packages out to the car for me. We were at Rob's company summer party and a nice man offered to drive us to the parking lot in a golf cart and my first reaction was to wonder why he thought I wouldn't want to walk to the car--sometimes I think I forget I'm pregnant.
Non-Pregnant Person Things I'm Excited About:
Not feeling like I'm going to throw my back out (or pee) every time I sneeze or cough.
Having a glass of wine or a cocktail.
Sushi and a COLD TURKEY SANDWICH FINALLY OH MY GOD.
Eating dinner at a normal time and not having heartburn keep me up all night.
Going on a nice long run--I stopped running a while before getting pregnant and never felt comfortable starting up again, but I've really been missing it the past few months.
Most importantly, holding my baby and finally getting to meet her.
And that's that! If you are or have been pregnant before I'd love to hear if you had similar or different experiences. As always, let me know if you have any questions! Thanks so much for reading these posts, it's really been nice to document this time in my life.