My Third Trimester Pregnancy Symptoms
Week 28:
I’ve been so tired this week. Not physically tired, but sleepy-tired. I don’t know if the third trimester is starting to catch up with me or what, but I’ve been sleeping later and need more naps.
Let’s talk about intimacy, shall we?! I’ve been told by several sources that intimacy during the second and third trimester is just wonderful! pleasurable! the best it has ever felt!
Not for this girl! More like painful! burning! the worst it has ever felt! I read that pregnancy can throw your pH levels for a loop as well as a number of other things. If you’re in this with me, I feel your pain. (I LITERALLY feel your pain!)
I’m starting to get a little overwhelmed at all of the things I have left to do before baby comes. I’m not worried about the nursery, necessarily. He’ll be sleeping in our room for the first month. I’m more worried about the little things that make life easier when you have the baby – comfy pj’s, nipple cream, baby monitors, baby carriers, etc. I know it sounds so silly, but I’ve heard how overwhelming and difficult life is those first 3 weeks, so if there’s a gadget out there that makes it easier on me – I WANT IT. Even something like bedside tables (which we don’t even have yet). I know those would be so helpful to have for middle of the night feedings. Ugh! So much to do. So little time.
Symptoms this week: I still wake up with hip pain as I logged in second trimester. I think this symptom is here to stay. I also continue to get bloody boogies! And I still crave tuna salad, chicken salad and turkey sandwiches 🙂 Not much has changed. My breasts are COVERED in stretch marks now. They are bright purple and no matter what I put on them, they remain visible. I’ve gained 18 pounds thus far.
Week 29:
YOU GUYS. I’m reading the best book, “Bringing Up Bebe – One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting.” I’m only on chapter 4, but I cannot put it down. It’s so fascinating to see how other countries parent their children and ways we do it differently, i.e. in the beginning of the book, the author walks you through her first pregnancy while living in France. She notices how worrisome American’s tend to be throughout the pregnancy process, whereas the french women seem so laissez faire about it all. A simple example of this is that the French don’t deny themselves the foods they want to eat, though they are strict in watching their figures and weight. If they want oysters, they eat them. If they want unpasteurized cheeses, they eat them. The book is also so much more than pregnancy; it’s how they raise their kids or train them to sleep. The craziest part is that the infant mortality rate is lower in France than in the U.S. so something must be working. The book is filled to the brim with really interesting facts. I highly recommend it!
Week 30:
It’s the 10 WEEK COUNTDOWN! Saying that gives me major butterflies! Not only is the nursery halfway complete (we are waiting on a changing table, bookcase, changing pad, rug, and some other fun things) but our savings account is growing for the hospital bill, so I feel prepared in this aspect. What I DO NOT feel prepared for is labor in general. I just feel like I don’t know what to expect, and we also haven’t taken a hospital tour yet so it’s still very surreal to think about. I’ve gone 30 weeks talking about Baby Weir, but I haven’t actually stopped to think about what goes into the grand finale. Haha. Surprisingly, my OB hasn’t talked about it either. I mean, I literally have NO idea what goes on during labor… or how to bring in a lactation consultant… or how long a typical hospital stay is, etc. etc. etc. It’s kinda crazy!
My OB told me to start expecting daily kicks from baby. We have no issue there! Baby Weir is very active! And the more he grows, the more I feel him consistently. He’s no longer a little flutter but a wave of motion in my stomach (thinking about how much he’s grown already makes me tear up – no joke!)
My parents came in town this weekend to help us with the nursery. It’s so cute, you guys. It’s the only room in our house that feels complete, so I find myself in there a lot. We have a really great glider in his nursery, so I’ll go up there and read sometimes (our house is 2-story).
I have a lot of events going on in the next few weeks. The month of February will be my busiest month yet. I’ll be going to an out of state baby shower (Mississippi), an out of state wedding (Louisiana), throwing a bridal shower for my bestie and watching our two best friends tie the knot at the end of the month. Whew! Something tells me I’m going to be tired. 🙂 Here’s a gift guide of what I’ve given as hostess gifts if you need ideas.
Also, we had an OB appointment this week. I’ve gained 24 pounds at 30 weeks. I personally think that sounds like a lot but my OB says we’re right on track! I also asked if she could tell how big a baby is going to be at birth, and she basically said someone who is tiny can have a 10lb baby and someone who is larger can have a preemie. There is no true way of telling! My goals this week: set a hospital tour and figure out how to hire a lactation consultant. I’ll keep you updated.
Week 31:
We had our family baby shower in our hometown of Jackson, MS this past weekend. It was beyond amazing and the coolest part was that all 4 sides of our families were invited, so it was like having everyone we loved under one roof! We walked away with some pretty cool stuff like a humidifier, traveling sound machine, tons of clothes and baby socks, hooded towels, stuffed animals, baby books and we got our stroller and car seat! Our car was so full that we couldn’t even fit the stroller and car seat in it, so we’re having family bring it up when the baby makes his debut. We had so much fun unpacking everything and putting it in his room!
On another note, we live in a 2-story house and realized that sleeping upstairs in the guest bedroom for the first couple of months would be easier on us (his nursery is upstairs). Doing this gives us access to his changing table for middle-of-the-night changings as well as his glider to rock him when I have middle-of-the-night feedings, so we’re slowly starting to move the things we need into that bedroom, like all of his bath stuff, our sound machine, bassinet and humidifier. It’s going to be different not sleeping in the master bedroom, but I know it will only help us.
As far as symptoms go this week, I noticed something funny: as we headed back to Florida (which is a 6 hour car ride from Jackson) I noticed how uncomfortable I was when sitting for that long. We actually stopped a few times for me to stretch my legs. The funny part is, when we got home and I was walking up and down the stairs and unloading baby stuff in the nursery, I was complaining about standing up! I’m at that stage where, truthfully, i’m just downright uncomfortable all the time. There is no happy medium anymore.
When visiting my pregnant friend this past weekend, we noticed how low I was carrying (boy) as opposed to how high she was carrying (girl). She has problems with her baby kicking her ribs, and I have problems with pain in my lower back. This is probably one of the reasons I can’t get comfortable!! I also noticed that I’m starting to swell a little. When I take my shoes and socks off, I have imprints from my sock line. And if I’m flat footed, my ankles look like tree stumps! Ha!
Week 32:
I’m 99.9% sure I have hemorrhoids, so that’s been fun. I’ve also cried 3 times this week, mostly from stress to get things done in time, ex: all of my preggy friends have already had maternity photos taken except us. Truth be told, I don’t really want them. I just don’t feel up for it, but I know i’ll regret not doing it. And also that I’m just uncomfortable. Meh.
We took a trip to New Orleans this weekend for a friends wedding. I thought it would be a little much since my fatigue is back, but it was just what I needed. If you’re feeling a little “meh” this week like me, I would totally recommend a weekend getaway that’s no more than 4 hours from your home. It was a great refresher for us. We laughed a lot and ate really good food. And sometimes it’s nice to sleep in another bed besides your own (since i’m not sleeping, we might as well mix things up!)
My app says baby is the size of a honeydew melon, and I sure can tell! What once started out as little kicks are now full blown body rolls. I LOVE it. I think it’s so great! My hand rarely leaves my stomach. I don’t want to miss a movement!
Week 33:
Something I’ve noticed in my third trimester is that I’m thirsty ALL THE TIME. It’s absolutely unquenchable! And it’s so difficult to not want to drink something at 10 PM. I find myself chugging a lot of water all day!
I’ve begun to pack my hospital bag! It makes me feel better knowing that it’s ready to go whenever I need it. Of course, it’s not fully packed yet. I still have a LOT of things I need to get, but I just bought slippers and nursing bras from Nordstrom so one less thing to check off the list. I will be posting a hospital bag post soon!
I noticed recently that everyone who’s pregnant around me has an outie belly button. Mine is still an innie! I don’t know why. I’ve always had a super shallow and small belly button, so I don’t think there’s much to push out. Ha!
Third trimester comes with some serious aches and pains. If I stand for too long i’m just so sore. I know it’s the change in posture and my heavy belly, but sheesh!
We went to Target the other day and finally bought some Dreft to begin washing baby clothes and sheets. Surprisingly, I don’t have that many clothes for him. We pulled out all the stops for his nursery and the practical stuff that are necessities, but I probably have a few onesies and that’s it. My goal in the next week is to make a huge list of stuff I still need and buy it all.
I’ve been noticing myself get impatient a lot more. My husband even asked me if I was OK and mentioned that he noticed it, too. I think it’s just hormones (I mean…I hope!) Throughout this pregnancy, I’ve gone through phases where one week, I’m really patient and relaxed and the next week, I’m high strung and everyone frustrates me. This week, it’s the latter.
Also, I hate being weighed at my appointments. Every time I get my weight taken, I’m always 5 pounds heavier at the OB office. Our appointments are usually in the afternoon so I’m always weight at the end of the day with my shoes on and a belly full of food. UGH! Anyways. I’m up 28 pounds this week. Something tells me I’ll be up 35 pounds when baby gets here.
Week 34:
I’m having a love affair with my new maternity bra. Seriously, you guys. No one warned me how comfortable these things would be. I’ve been slowly adding to my hospital bag and knew I would need some good maternity bra’s for when baby gets here. I stumbled across the Cotton Candy Seamless nursing bra and as soon as I put it on, I wanted to buy 5 more. I’ve read to buy a maternity bra no sooner than 3 weeks before your due date, but I’ve grown a whole cup size since I got pregnant (34B, now a 34C) so I knew I could go ahead and buy some since I was buying a size larger than my pre-pregnancy size. This bra is super comfortable with straps that easily snap off. It also feels really secure and offers a lot of support with the racerback. I highly recommend!
Enough about my new bra. My hormones are off the charts cray cray this week. I cried twice in one day on Monday, and three more times throughout the week. Like I said in a post above, February has been a really busy week for us with a lot of out-of-state traveling, bridal showers, baby showers, weddings, etc. and I think it’s taken a toll on me emotionally. I truly can’t wait to lay in bed as much as possible in March. Ha!
Week 35:
4 weeks and 6 days left! How are we already at this point!? I’m getting more nervous by the minute!
We took a tour of the birth center this week. We did it with 4 other couples, and I was the furthest along in my pregnancy by at least 4 weeks. At first, I was thinking about how we should’ve done it sooner, but then I realized that going when you’re just weeks out not only makes it feel more real, but you also take mental notes and ask all the right questions because…hello! You’re giving birth any week now!
I was really impressed with our birth center. It’s only 8 years old, so it’s fairly new still. The labor rooms were so spacious and the bathrooms were very, very clean. They showed us the lounge and talked about how a little “jingle” plays over the intercom when a baby is born so family and friends that are waiting can know. Also, I was surprised to hear that there was no limit to how many people could be in our labor room with us, ex: if you can fit 20 people in your room, go for it! Crazy right? They are really big rooms!
They mentioned that all tests on baby are performed in the room nowadays (except circumcision) and the baby sleeps in the room, as well. I know a few hospitals back in my home state take the baby out of the room for testing as well as put them in the little room where you can peek through the glass and see all the other babies. They don’t do that here.
On the second night, you’re moved into a Post-Partum room so that your labor room becomes available for someone else. The post partum rooms are a little smaller, but still very nice. Wowza, was the hospital cold! I see why people recommend robes and socks now. Don’t forget to pack you some!
The babe has been kicking my cervix lately. It’s kinda painful! Especially when you don’t expect it. It’s like a wave of pain above your vagina.
I have a numb spot on my stomach from stretched nerves. I can barely feel my fingernails on it. It’s so crazy and feels really strange.
My best friend got married this past weekend and I was in her wedding party. With a lot of standing and walking throughout the day (and into the night), I put a lot of strain on my calf muscles and woke up at 2 AM with the worst leg cramp I’ve ever had. Part of it was not drinking enough water throughout the day, too. You guys – I’ve had surgeries and a kidney infection, but this leg cramp was by far the worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my life. It was like someone cut my leg open with a scalpel and was pulling my leg muscle like stretch armstrong. Terrible! Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water so this doesn’t happen to you! I was limping for two days!
I had a vaginal swab this week for Strep B (I think that’s what it’s called). Super quick, painless and way less invasive than a Pap smear. I will get the results next week. If I test positive, I’ll receive an antibiotic during labor.
Week 36:
I’ve felt a lot of emotions this week – fear, nervousness, anxiousness, stress. In fact, this week has probably been my most anxious week yet. And the feelings aren’t even about labor and delivery, but more about everything leading up to that. Am I prepared? Do I have everything I need? Have I saved enough for the hospital bill? Will I continue working after labor? You see, as a sole business owner, I don’t get “maternity leave” or free healthcare. I have clients who expect me to fill the role that I promised them, and being the only one I know who can do that role, I run into the problem of, “who will take my place while i’m out?” I do think I’ve finally figured out a solution, and I feel better that I now have a plan in place. Still, I’m hoping it all goes smoothly so that I can take in those first few weeks of motherhood!
We are now doing weekly visits at the OB’s office. I truly feel like I live there now, ha! I thought at my 36 week checkup that they would check my cervix for dilation. They didn’t do that this week. I’m not sure why! We did get to see little man’s face during this visit which was a nice surprise. We’ve only had two ultrasounds up until this point, and I didn’t think we’d get a third. I actually wouldn’t call it an “ultrasound”. It was an iPad on a stand with wheels, and it was brought into our sunny waiting room (normally ultrasound rooms are very dark so you can see everything. Also, ultrasound’s are generally projected onto a Television for easy viewing). It was kinda difficult to see everything on the monitor! But I was really happy I got to see his face and see him play with his hands. She couldn’t determine if he was head down, but she did keep saying he was “really low”. I feel his hiccups low in my uterus, so I think he’s head down. She also told me only 5% of babies are born feet first, so it’s very rare for a baby to not be head down.
The results from my vaginal swab came back negative. Woo hoo! No need for an antibiotic during labor.
We recently purchased everything that was still needed off of our registry and got our big Target box in the mail today – baby shampoo, baby lotion, baby body wash, Lanolin cream and other things for breast therapy, our Tula baby carrier, more onesies, a car mirror, baby thermometer, pacifiers (both newborn and 3+ months) and since we live in a two story home and the baby will be downstairs for much of the year, we purchased a pack-n-play to go in front of our bed. I read that the baby sleeping in your room reduces his/her chance of SIDS, so we had to figure out an alternative other than a crib upstairs. I’ve heard good things about the pack-n-play: affordable, long lasting, easy to break down for travel. We were considering an expensive bassinet for $299 (the Guava bassinet). Our friend had the same one and it looked really nice, but after asking her opinion and her telling us to go with a pack-n-play, we pulled the trigger. It also has a changing pad for middle of the night changings (so we don’t have to hike upstairs) so I’m excited about this purchase! Lastly, since i was pregnant much of fall and winter, I had no maternity shorts! So I finally got me a pair of Old Navy shorts with belly band so I can wear them postpartum until my stomach goes back to its regular shape. All in all, this definitely added MUCH relief to my busy brain.
I’m not out of the dog house yet. I still need a robe for the hospital, leggings, hands-free pumping bra, going home outfit and belly band to tighten my stomach, but if baby comes before I can get those things, I’ll survive.
Week 37:
On average, I used to wake up at 6:30 AM every morning. This last month, I haven’t been getting out of bed until around 8:30 AM! And the craziest part is that I go to bed early, sometimes around 8 PM. But I have no complaints! I know that sleep is hard to come by when baby gets here, so I’m soaking up as much sleep as I can.
No OB appointment this week as my doctor is on vacation in the Poconos. She mentioned that we could come in and have a nurse visit (which just consists of weight check, blood pressure check and fetal heart rate) but that it was optional, and we could skip it since we show no signs of a high risk pregnancy…so we skipped it. Hoping to get my cervix checked at next week’s appointment so we can get an idea of where we’re at!
The wedding rings have officially come OFF. My fingers are swollen these days and it has been uncomfortable wearing them, so as of right now, they’re sitting in a dish by my sink.
We’ve been trying to get out more during these last few weeks: hanging out with friends, plant shopping and tending to the yard, dinners out. We even got a couple’s massage this past weekend for Tyler’s 28 birthday, and it was amazing! Mamas – you deserve to pamper yourself. Your body is working hard to support a new LIFE, so get out and get pampered! Go get a pedicure! Or a facial! Or a prenatal massage! It is so worth it. It was nice to not have to think about doing anything but relaxing. The prenatal massage was definitely a new experience. Instead of laying on my back and stomach, they asked me to lay on my side and put a pillow underneath my head and my legs (which is exactly how I sleep). It felt just as good as a “real” Swedish massage, and I’d go back tomorrow if I could afford another one. My favorite part was when she rubbed my feet. They’re just so sore and swollen, and it offered much relief! Also, don’t believe the myth that a foot rub/pedicure will send you into labor. All of my friends who have been through pregnancy got pedicures weeks before their due dates and nothing happened. I’m living proof!
And I hate to say it, but the cravings don’t stop here. I am all about some big bowls of kids cereal these days. I literally cannot wait until it’s time to eat a bowl of cereal. I never eat more than a bowl, but it’s so tempting to want a second. It’s kinda crazy! Haha.
We got our pack-n-play in this week. It is pictured below.
It’s totally met all of my expectations. It fits at our bed end to-a-tee. I love that it has a place for him to sleep as well as a changing table. We’ve filled the pouch with diaper wipes and diapers. All we need is baby! Highly recommend this item. It was a breeze to put together, and I can see why mom’s prefer it because the breakdown is easy for travel (and we live in another state than our home state)
Week 38:
Week 38, you will forever go down as the week we got to pick Baby Weir’s birthday!
This week, we went in for a cervical exam. I didn’t know what that entailed. In my head, I suspected it would be the same as getting a Pap smear. Truthfully, it’s a little more painful than that but ironically a little less invasive. There is no metal speculum. Just a doctor and her hand (and a glove, of course!) But boy does she reach in deep! The whole process lasts for maybe 8 seconds. Just in those 8 seconds, she’s able to tell how dilated you are, if the baby is head down, and if you’re cervix is thinning. This week, I was 2 cm dilated, 80% thinned and baby was most certainly head down. When she first began the exam, her comments were, “Oh my god, he is so low!” I can feel it, too. Not only does he head-butt my cervix all day, but sometimes he’s so low that it truly makes me waddle.
After the exam, she asked, “How do you feel about an induction?” to which we agreed since we have out-of-town family who would like to be present for the birth, and an induction is pretty much the only way they would be able to make it in time. She said my chances for a C-section were 1%, the baby was in position and ready to go and that performing an induction at 39 weeks would be absolutely safe. We said OK (although our faces said otherwise – deer in headlights! Is this really happening!?)
After getting dressed, we made our way to her computer where she pulled out a calendar and said, “Pick a date!” It was so overwhelming. We had a few dates to pick from and we settled on March 28, which was my husbands exact due date when my mother in law was pregnant. He liked that they both shared the same birthday month, too. Once we confirmed the date with her, she called the hospital and put us down for a 4 AM induction. Now that we finally had an end in sight, everything became very, very real. We made our 2 month, postpartum appointment and left the OB’s office all giddy and in shock. We now have 7 days to do everything we had planned on doing before baby gets here!
This gave me a burst of adrenaline, and I asked Tyler if we could go to Target and do some last minute shopping that would put my mind at ease. He said yes. We then ate dinner at our favorite pizza shop and headed to Target.
I am a list maker and had been keeping a list of things I needed before baby so I was ready to GO – we got all the necessities like toilet paper, paper towels, 409, dish soap, laundry detergent, hospital bag snacks, face lotion, makeup wipes, shampoo, a travel sized shampoo/conditioner kit for hospital bag, bandaids, razors, paper plates, paper cups, sugar, olive oil, drinks, baby powder, butt paste, vasoline (for his circumcision), baby hats, and I even left with a hands free pumping bra (I have heard really good things about this!) We ended up spending over $400, and I cannot tell you the last time I spent this much at one store, but it felt SO GOOD to knock out my list. I don’t plan on stocking the fridge or pantry until I get back from the hospital for fear that my produce will go bad (we eat a lot of fruits and veggies).
When the weekend of my 38th week came and we were just 3 days out from meeting Baby Weir, we decided to really take in these last few days with each other. It has been a slow paced weekend and one that turned out to be truly magical. One of the things we did was visit the garden store. Tyler gets 6 weeks paid paternity leave and wanted to keep himself busy with projects, so we ended up deciding we would build a raised garden bed and grow vegetables! We decided to plant squash, banana peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, blackberries, cilantro, rosemary and lavender (a natural bug repellent). They’re all sitting on our porch right now, and we plan to get around to that in the next week or so. Our weekend also consisted of dessert runs to Dairy Queen; enjoying delicious hamburgers at Johnny Rockets; and visiting the book store to pick out some books for the hospital stay. One night, we ate at our favorite Japanese restaurant for dinner. Since we cook 6 nights out of the week, it was nice to be waited on for once. Our last Sunday as a couple ended with a beach picnic which was probably my most favorite thing we did. It was so relaxing to sit in the sun and enjoy each other’s company. We packed snacks like ham sandwiches and fresh cut pineapple and watched swimmers on the beach. This is probably the memory I’ll remember most. My recommendation to you is get out as much as possible! I’ve barely been at home the entire weekend. It helps keep my mind occupied and who knows when we’ll be able to leave the house again!
Week 39:
It’s Day 1 of week 39. We slept in until 8:00 AM. I tried sleeping longer knowing that this would be my last full day of sleep for a while, but I’m too nervous for that! The linens have been washed, the beds are made, the candles are lit, the yard freshly mowed. Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 28, we will be welcoming our first son into the world and are preparing for family to arrive into town tonight – both sides will be staying at our house while we’re in the hospital. No sense in paying spring break hotel fees when we have open rooms!
It has been a bittersweet day! I cried myself to sleep last night thinking about how tonight will be the last night with my baby belly; the last night i’ll feel his kicks and tiny bones poking through my skin; the last night my husband places his hands on my tummy to feel the action. I am so grateful to my Lord for allowing me to experience pregnancy. What a wonderful almost-9-months it has been.
An upside to being induced is that I really dont think we could have prepared for the arrival of Baby Weir any better. We live 6 hours from home, and being induced allows family to plan and be here for his arrival. I’d like to think that God had something to do with that. With being induced comes lots and lots of CLEANING – our baseboards have never looked cleaner; our yard has never looked more groomed with fresh pine straw in the beds and new potted plants; the baby bassinet and changing station is prepped and ready in our master bedroom; there’s not a dirty dish or piece of laundry in sight; our hospital bags are packed with everything we could think of, from a canvas for his foot stamp to change for the vending machines to disposable cameras. I feel really good about the progress we’ve made with preparing our home for baby!
I am definitely feeling some nerves today. I am a person very in tune with my emotions and when I feel happy/sad/worried, I feel it strongly. One thing I’ve been doing differently is not dwelling on the fear that I feel right now. I’m pretty much telling myself that it’s just another day and that helps me pull through. I haven’t been thinking about tomorrow too much.
Week 40: N/A
