March 13! Happy due date, little guy!
I’m pre-writing this post at 39 weeks and one day, so who knows will will happen in the 6 days until it goes live. (If you’re not already, be sure to follow along on Instagram to keep updated on all things real-time with baby!) My wish? That I go into labor…um…YESTERDAY. I think that alone can tell you a lot about how I’m feeling nowadays. This entire pregnancy has absolutely flown by, but these past few weeks have felt like 293,493,495 days long. Enough about wishes, though. Let’s dive right into my third trimester recap!
Third Trimester Pregnancy Recap
What’s been going on with baby?
He’s doing great in there, and is SO ACTIVE! It’s pretty incredible to feel and watch on the outside. Nights are his dance party time — he rocks and rolls, sometimes for hours — I think it’s safe to say that he’s going to be a little wild one when he arrives! His energy is like a ball of sunshine.
We got to see him via a 4D ultrasound at our 36 week appointment, and that was pretty surreal. We brought the girls along so they could see him, too, which I’m so happy we did because even though I’m not totally sure if they understood what they were looking at, it was a really special moment to share with our family. It’s hard to *really* tell what he’ll look like from an ultrasound, but one thing is certain: He’s got chubby cheeks! At 36 weeks, he was measuring at 38 weeks and around 8 pounds. So….I’m scared for delivery nearly 4 weeks later. Ahhh!!!
How’s Mama?
Overall, I’m doing pretty good! The most prevalent physical symptoms right now are my feet throbbing at the end of the day, sleep getting increasingly uncomfortable/insomnia creeping in frequently (more on that below!), and my stomach/general body going through some drastic growth changes like stretch marks and fatigue. I’ve felt pretty energetic for the majority of this trimester, but the past few weeks I’ve slowed down a lot. I get out of breath easier, it’s generally just tough to move around, and I get tired very quickly. Have been just trying to rest and relax as much as possible, which is something I’ve never been great it, but am reminding myself that it’s important!
Mentally, I actually feel in a great place. I talked a little about how I felt some anxiety about adding a third baby to the mix in this post, but lately I’ve had a sense of calm come over me. I think having the baby’s nursery done has definitely helped. So did taking a “Labor and Delivery” course to review all that we pretty much forgot from before. Most of all, seeing how excited the girls are has been really gratifying. Even though I know we’ll all have hiccups and need to take our time adjusting to having a third kid in the mix, I just know we’ll all rise to the challenge & change with flying colors.
How are Doug and the girls?
Doug’s in my camp — a bit nervous and anxious, but so ready to meet our little guy. As always, he’s been my rock. He’s been so helpful around the house — every task and list I’ve been has gotten completed with enthusiasm, and he’s always so attentive toward how he can best help.
The girls are super excited! They’ve impressed me with how much they seem to understand with it all — both girls have been the most incredible support system. They’re always asking about the baby, wanting to give my belly kisses, love to talk about being big sisters/the baby, and help to even “take care of Mommy.” One quick story/example: The other day we were at a restaurant, and Grace had to go to the bathroom. On the way there, she insisted on leading ME as we made our way through the tables so that she could “Protect mommy’s belly.” It was so sweet I nearly started crying.
Give us the deets on your pregnancy insomnia.
Gah it’s so frustrating! Starting around week 30, I’ve had pregnancy insomnia about 3-4 times a week. As someone who’s always been a sound sleeper, this is totally foreign to me! I’ll usually wake up at around 4 am and be wide awake. I’ve tried pretty much everything, but when that happens, there’s no hope in falling back to sleep. So I’ve just begun to embrace it! I’ll grab a cup of coffee and my computer, and get ahead on work. In a way it’s actually been super helpful — I’ve gotten ahead on a lot in terms of content here that I normally wouldn’t have been able to!
Are you taking a maternity leave?
Sort of! I have a full post explaining my plan for “maternity leave” that went live this week – you can check it out here!
Do you feel prepared?
We really do! We’re so ready. We know the newborn days will be tough, but we’re ready to dive in. We’ve got our room set up with a baby changing station and bassinet. His nursery is ready to go. Car seats are installed in both cars. Everything is clean and ready to roll, including his clothes, my breast pump items, toys, etc. All we need is the baby!
One thing that was so helpful was taking courses through my doctor’s office! We did a Labor and Delivery course, an Infant CPR course, and also did a tour of our hospital. I’m pretty positive we were the only third-time parents there, but honestly, you forget so much about it all as time passes! It all helped for me to mentally ready and reduced a ton of stress because I felt empowered with knowledge.
I will say that one of my biggest areas of stress right now is the delivery itself! I’m READY to have this baby out of me — so uncomfortable and plus I’m just ready to meet him! In terms of the delivery, I also keep hearing so many stories about how the third baby comes so fast — sometimes in a matter of an hour once labor starts. So every ache and pain I find myself on high-alert being like, “AM I IN LABOR?!?!” The anticipation of it all is definitely one of the hardest parts about the end!
Speaking of….any false alarms?
Yes! We went into the hospital last week (38 weeks) with one. I had what I can only describe as “watery leaking”, and the doctor wanted me to go in to make sure my water didn’t break. (Apparently sometimes this happens! Your water can break and it can be a very slow “trickle” in lieu of an obvious break.) But, nope, it wasn’t my water breaking. One thing that was crazy to see, however, was that I was having lots of contractions! The machine they hooked me up to showed that my uterus was very consistently tightening and loosening. I just couldn’t feel it all — So strange, right!?
Have you narrowed down names yet?
We have two final ones that we’re going in with, and we’re pretty heavily leaning toward one. It’s going to be a surprise, though! (In case you missed it — check out this post, where I share some of my favorite baby names!)
Let’s chat delivery.
Yes, yes! I’ve mentioned this a few times here, but I’d REALLY love to have the baby all naturally and without any pain medication/an epidural this time around. A lot of people think I’m crazy for this, I know. It’s hard to give a reason why, other than I’d like to experience the full experience that my fellow mothers have throughout humanity. (With both Grace and Josephine I had an epidural!)
That said, who knows what will happen! I may have to unexpectedly get a C-section. If I don’t labor on my own, I may need to be induced, in which case I’d likely opt for an epidural because I’ve read Pitocin creates significantly more intense labor contractions. Even if I labor naturally, I may decide mid-labor that I’d like an epidural after all. Birth never really goes according to plan, so while I’m going in with my intentions set, I also have an open mind. I mentioned it in this post, but I really believe that the best birth plan is flexibility, because ultimately the most important thing is baby and mama’s health!
Show us the bump!
Below is an end of second trimester bump shot, and an end of third trimester bump shot. It’s amazing how the body (and bump!) changes! I’ve developed stretch marks in the past 10 weeks that seem to get more pronounced by the day, and it’s pretty crazy to see the difference in the overall shape of my belly as this pregnancy progresses.
General Third Baby + Third Trimester FAQs
Recently I took to Instagram to ask what questions you all had about anything pregnancy related, but specifically this third pregnancy! Below were some of the common questions received. If there are others you’re curious about, leave them in the comments below and I’ll be sure to answer!
Has it been noticeably different carrying a boy vs. girls?
Yes! I’ve noticed that the actual shape of my belly is a bit different — the best way to describe it is that it’s more “round” overall. (Does that make sense?)
Otherwise, it’s hard to say. In terms of pregnancy-related nausea and physical symptoms, I’ve felt better overall, particularly in the first trimester. Still fatigued sometimes and feeling very pregnant, mind you, but better overall. However, there have been other things that have happened this pregnancy that never did with my others, like pregnancy insomnia, throbbing feet, and I’d say generally I’m can be a bit more agitated than before. I’ve also been eating a lot more, and craving a TON of sweets. With all that said, I’m honestly not sure if this is a boy vs girl thing, or if it’s simply a different pregnancy.
How’s the 3rd pregnancy different?
I’d say the biggest difference is my mentality. Because I’ve been through this twice before, I know what to expect. Overall, I think I’m more calm and accepting of the tough days and times because I know it’s so fleeting. “This too shall pass” — and in fact, it all goes so fast. So even when I’m feeling fatigued or the days feel extra long, I try to keep it all in perspective.
Weirdest pregnancy symptom?
Pregnancy insomnia, and my feet throbbing. I’m not sure if those are even considered weird overall but they’re weird and foreign to me!
Has it gotten easier or harder between the first baby and now?
Oh gosh. This is a loaded question. I’d say round III has overall been both easier and harder than round I. Sorry to give a total non-answer there.
This time around has absolutely flown by – definitely faster than when I was pregnant the first time. I know more now than I did then, so I’m more calm and accepting of the process. I’m wrapped up in so many additional things that before I didn’t have — our family, maintaining our household, growing my business, etc. — that I’ve sometimes have to remind myself to focus on preparing for baby, too.
Physically, I’ve felt better overall, but also very fatigued at times. My question is whether that fatigue this pregnancy itself, or my season of life right now. Maybe both? Either way, when I think of it, pregnancy round III has been a bit harder because, unlike when I was pregnant with Grace when I could go to bed as soon as I got home from work, nowadays I usually have two toddlers to run around after. Even on days when they’re at school, I am trying to catch up with work and have limited time there because of juggling the kiddos in the off hours, so it’s just a much bigger balancing act.
Overall, life is just busier and crazier than when I was pregnant the first time. It’s almost like I don’t have the time to stop and think about things the way I did before. I just roll with them more. Which makes the pregnancy process easier, definitely, though it can make days harder because I can’t seem to stop and take it all in like I perhaps was able to do more before.
What is the best thing a family member & friends can do to help once the baby arrives?
Aw, this is such a GREAT question! Definitely just being there — showing up to support. That doesn’t necessarily even have to mean in a physical sense. It can be a simple text checking in and asking how we’re doing, or swinging by just to quickly say hi.
One thing I will say, is that the newborn days are hard because you’re so sleep deprived, healing, and adjusting to baby. While visitors were always so appreciated, I do remember feeling a little overwhelmed if they stayed a long time in the early days of Grace and Josephine. This is because there are such short windows to do even the necessities like sleep and shower, and when people are over, you inevitably end up entertaining and chatting the whole time. Which is lovely because newborn days are often lonely….but I’d say to save any long visits, or ones with a lot of people involved, until a few months out when there’s a more consistent routine with baby starting to happen.
Looking forward, I’d say that the most helpful thing for us would be to help with the things that may be hard for Doug and I to balance at first. Things like taking Grace and Joey for an hour, cooking a healthy dinner and dropping it off, or even helping with the baby while we grab a quick nap. (The caveat with that nap suggestion is that we’ll likely feel uncomfortable asking, so if you actually want to do that, you need to be pushy – ha!)
Any other questions? Leave them in the comments below and I’ll be sure to answer! If I haven’t delivered yet….send all the good labor vibes our way! 😉
PS – Second Trimester Pregnancy Update + First Trimester Pregnancy Update
