My Third Trimester
Before I begin, let me reiterate the fact that no two pregnancies will ever be completely alike. With that being said, no two trimesters will be completely alike either. My third trimester felt like I blinked and suddenly there was a baby in my arms. It went by SO fast! Mind you, my last trimester did end a month early so that might have something to do with it.
A Tad Uncomfortable
As you can expect, this trimester was uncomfortable. I remember hearing stories about how hard it is to do the most simple things when you have a basketball for a stomach, but I believed the stories were a bit dramatized. Spoiler alert: they weren’t. The pride I felt when I was able to tie my shoes without passing out was truly belittling.
Here’s an idea for all of you creatives: Come up with a product that will help a woman cook dinner without resulting in a new burn on her oversized belly. The number of times I burned my stomach while cooking is embarrassing.
What’s New With My Body?
Braxton Hicks. I think. Honestly, I have no idea when my Braxton Hicks stopped and my prodromal labor started. BH contractions aren’t supposed to be very regular or grow in intensity. Mine did every single time I experienced them. When I say “intense,” you should know that these cute, little BH/prodromal contractions were NOTHING compared to real labor contractions.
Managing Discomfort
Some tips I was given to help alleviate these contractions were:
- Drink plenty of water
- Eat plenty of protein
- Rest more
- Press pause on intimacy
- Eliminate stress
The Physical Struggles
Swelling. My feet and hands swelled a bit throughout my last trimester. Nothing crazy, but just enough to be annoying.
Hip Pain. My hips ACHED during those last couple of months. They seemed to hurt the most at night. In case you didn’t know, when you’re pregnant you aren’t supposed to sleep on your back or stomach. I have always slept on my side so I didn’t think this was going to bother me too much. I was wrong. Sleeping on my side had my hips aching SO MUCH. Even with a pregnancy pillow supporting my stomach and a pillow between my legs, it was impossible to get comfortable.
The Emotional Rollercoaster
I was also pretty crabby throughout this trimester. Whether that was due to hormones, uncomfortability, or my own brattiness I genuinely do not know.
Jackson also put this trimester to good use and got in some pretty good leg workouts. His favorite things to kick were my ribs and bladder.
Silly me, I thought the painful kicking was going to stop once he’d been born. Nope. That little goony still gets in some pretty good blows while he’s nursing.
The Final Countdown
On the bright side, this was also the trimester when everything became very real. I cannot express how excited I was to meet my baby. Heck, I was even excited for labor. Quick Tip: Do not wait until the week of your baby’s due date to pack your hospital bag. If I would have done that, I would not have had a bag ready and we would have been scrambling even more than we already were when I went into labor.
The third trimester may sound rough, and it was, but looking back on it now I kind of miss it. For the only time in my baby’s life, I had the most control I’ll ever have of protecting him. His feelings were never hurt. He never felt lonely or sad. All he knew was contentment.
So mamas, if you’re still reading this, I know pregnancy isn’t comfortable. I know you just want to feel normal again. But I ask you to take just a minute to appreciate the fact that this is the closest you will ever be to your baby. Though it may seem unlikely, you are going to miss this one day.
Was your last trimester like mine? Have any tips you think could help? Leave a comment to help a mama out!
A Prayer for Peace
Father, I pray that you bless her with peace. You have created her for such a time as this. You intentionally picked her to be the mama of this sweet baby. Fill her with confidence. Rebuke any fear that has taken root within her. Remind her of your Fatherly love.
