A New Parent Truth

Surviving the 3rd Trimester






Oh boy. The 3rd trimester. You know the saying about March... how it comes in like a lion and out like a lamb? Well it's the opposite with the 3rd trimester... it comes in like a lamb... very sweet and innocent and hopeful and optimistic... and it goes out like a lion... roaring fiercely. I kid, I kid. Kind of.

In an effort to make this informative but not scary I shall break this down into pros, cons, and lessons learned which I hope is helpful. Sometimes it's nice to know you're not alone with the thoughts and feelings swarming around your head and every inch of your body.

Pros:
- You really feel the baby move. At this point, there's no doubt in your mind that there is a tiny human hanging out inside you. You feel feet, elbows, fingers, entire body rolls, etc. and you can see said extremities as they protrude out the sides of your ever growing belly. Sounds weird but it's actually pretty cool. You can also counter the movements by pressing into them and your baby will respond. I found that to be pretty cool but Mike did not. He didn't like when I pressed on my belly because he thought I was hurting the baby :).

- If you haven't been counting down thus far, you can start now. I didn't allow myself to begin a countdown until after spring break. At this point we were within 75 days which sounded more manageable to me for a countdown.

- This is likely the time you'll have your baby shower(s)!! You get your hands on all the cool baby gear and essentials and can really satisfy your nesting instincts by finding a place for everything. This was when I rearranged our entire kitchen to prepare for baby. Every inch of it.

- As far as symptoms go, I had it really easy. I had acid reflex maybe 3 or 4 times throughout my entire pregnancy, and never experienced any heartburn of note. I also slept perfectly until about 39 weeks. I know, do not adjust your screen and please don't send me hate mail but it's true. I never needed a body pillow, or even a different pillow arrangement for that matter. I did wake up 2-3 times to pee each night but that worked well anyways because I also needed to wake up to move from side to side (it's sort of like moving a mountain once you hit 36 weeksish) but all of this was to be expected and once I settled back into bed I was out like a light until the next nature calling. Definitely not complaining about this one.

-I'm not sure if this is really a pro or if this is a terrible reflection of myself but, you can get away was a lot in your third trimester of pregnancy. I certainly wasn't as "sharp" as I normally am at work and everyone was super understanding. I am not "sharp" at home the way I am at work so Mike didn't notice a difference but at least at work, this was really nice. I also got out of many chores around the house simply because it just was not as easy for me to do them anymore. Taking out the garbage, scrubbing the tub, brushing Jackson, etc. were all things I could pass along to Mike without complaint.

Cons:
- Expansion. Oh man, the expansion. For a while I really thought I'd make it to the end without getting super huge but alas, that did not happen (and actually makes me laugh now). I was fine until I wasn't and that was around week 38. Granted, I did go 12 days past due and it was truly during my overdue time I felt really, really huge. This is also when I got stretch marks. True story, I had zero stretch marks at 40 weeks pregnant and by the time I reached 41 weeks and 5 days I had many. Humph.

- Movement. Although this is still a good thing because it offers reassurance that nugget is doing well, by the end of your 3rd trimester the movements hurt. I'm not sure what really makes it painful it just is.

- Crazy, crazy pelvic pain. The baby moves downward toward the end of pregnancy which is expected. I started to feel this when I noticed peeing came with a greater sense of urgency due to the increase in pressure. I could also tell baby's movements were moving down in general (less around the top of my rib cage and more towards the middle of my torso). But one day I noticed a twinge of pain in my pelvic bone specifically on the right side. It felt like I over stretched my groin. Then the next day it went from an over stretched feeling to oh my god what on earth is going on? I had to limp when I walked because it was so painful. Laying down only helped a little bit too because anytime I moved my right leg I felt pain. It was crazy. Apparently, this was due to the baby moving down even further and my hips expanding. I'm happy to report it went away after a week and thank god it did because it was not fun.

- Hibernation. Around 38 weeks I was doing my weekly grocery run when I realized... I was sort of done making public appearances. First of all, I wasn't fitting into my clothes very well anymore and everyone stared at me like I was on display (which I hated). Second, I definitely had the waddle going on and walking took forever. And third, I couldn't make it through the whole shopping experience without having to pee. Twice. This was when I told Mike I was ready for him to assume grocery shopping duties. He obliged and I really only went out of the house after that when I needed to or when I was so tired of being in the house I thought I'd go nuts (which definitely happens when you're past due).

- Annoyed. This is the general feeling I had during the final weeks of pregnancy. I was annoyed for many reasons which I'll spare you from at this time because it's not very uplifting but in summary: It's hard to feel and be so far from normal. I couldn't wait to be done so the journey back to normal could begin. I feel it's important to note here that when I say I was annoyed I was not annoyed with Mike in the slightest. Honestly, he's one of the only things that kept me sane and for that I'm so very grateful.

It's not easy or glamorous but it is the home stretch and rest assured, it truly will end (and if you feel like maybe it won't ever end and you may just be pregnant forever don't worry, I felt the exact same way and my baby still came out :). I think the best thing you can do is just listen to your body and do whatever it is that makes you feel okay. Honestly, for me this was sitting on the couch and watching tv. I zoned out, caught up on blogs, browsed baby clothes online, and basically just whittled the time away. I did haul my ass outside for a walk every other day for the sake of getting out and as an act of desperation for the baby to please come out but, other than that, I really lounged my way through those 12 days I went past my due date. If you're a busy-body this probably won't work for you but again I say, do whatever makes you feel good.

And if you happen to grace the presence of a woman who looks even remotely close to having a baby here are a few tips:
- Do not ask her if she is about to pop. Just don't.

- Do not stare at her stomach while talking to her. She is aware it's huge, no need to stare.

- Ignore her outfit and know she probably broke a sweat comparable to running a 5K just to put every piece of that clothing on her body. You're lucky she's in clothes at all, really.

- If you're curious about when the baby is due and really want to ask, first seriously evaluate your ability to ask without sounding rude and know that her idea of rude at this point is heightened and her tolerance for stupid questions is at an all time low. If you still feel you can ask the question without sounding rude or stupid then stick to only these words, "when are you due?" Don't say anything else. Those 4 words are more than enough.

- Actually, after careful consideration and a review of the previous bullet points, the best advice I can give you when it comes to dealing with a very pregnant woman... don't. Just leave her alone. She'll come to you if she needs you. :)