As if the third trimester is here already. With Autumn, pregnancy seemed to drag on for years. This time, as soon as I got past the morning sickness part (bleh) the days seem to have absolutely flown! I was actually quite shocked when I realised I was in the third trimester. Despite my constant discomfort (thanks PGP) and tiredness, time is still flying. All of a sudden I’m in single figures…less than 10 weeks until I get to meet my baby!
Cravings
I desperately want to have a really healthy diet, but pregnancy is making this fussy vegetarian even fussier than ever! I never know what I want for lunch or dinner anymore, which has caused my husband great annoyance. To be honest, I can’t say I’m not annoyed by own indecision either! However, I have been wanting hot chocolate a lot…and doughnuts! Now, if only I could just survive on them! 🙂
Third Trimester Symptoms
Pelvic Girdle Pain
My midwife was really quick off the mark for referring me to a physiotherapist when I rang her describing my pelvic girdle pain. Surprisingly, only 2 weeks later I was at a (face-to-face!) appointment with my physio. I was very impressed with how fast it was. Being the NHS, I was expecting a longer wait. I’ve had a couple of sessions now, in which she’s identified where my main problems are and some exercises to help them. She also recommended getting a maternity support belt.
The pain can still be really bad sometimes, but the exercises and belt have definitely improved things! When we took Autumn pumpkin picking just before Halloween, I forgot my maternity support belt. Bad idea! We were walking around for 30-40 minutes and I really ended up paying for that. I won’t be doing that again. It’s been amazing that I’ve actually been able to go for walks lasting longer than 10 minutes and stand for long enough to get some ironing done. I just have to make sure that I’ll be able to rest afterwards and try not to push myself too much. I managed a lovely walk with my mum and Autumn along the marshes the other evening, although I did still find that I had to use a bag of frozen peas and a hot water bottle for pain relief when I got home!
Acid
Ugh, the more cramped all my organs and things get in the third trimester, the more indigestion I have. I am trying to be really careful and not eat too late into the evening. I’m also trying to avoid having spicy and rich foods for dinner (not that I often feel like things that are rich or spicy at the moment!) I have found that sometimes having a mug of hot milk before bed helps with my acid reflux. Yet, other times it seems as though it may have been triggered by a late night yogurt. I just can’t win!
I don’t know if it’s related, but I also keep having one or two hiccups at random!
Braxton Hicks
A true sign that eviction day is getting closer…I’ve started getting Braxton Hicks! They often seem to happen when I’m walking along. I suddenly get some lower abdominal cramping and have to waddle eeeeven slower than usual! Whenever this happens, I put my hand on to my stomach to find it has all tightened up.
Reduced Movements
Yesterday (at 36 weeks + 6 days), I was a bit concerned as baby wasn’t moving as much as usual and wasn’t following the patterns I’ve come to expect. Although baby had been moving, it is always better safe than sorry to get checked out if you notice any changes. As such, I phoned my maternity unit and they asked me to come up. About 10 minutes into being strapped into the tocometer, baby decided it was party time and didn’t stop wiggling for the next 20 minutes! Baby’s heart beat was good too at around 140bpm and my blood pressure and temperature were fine. I left feeling very reassured.
Labour Anxiety
It feels like I’ve gone from “Oh, January is ages away” to “Ahhh, I’m giving birth in a few weeks!” As one of my friends said when I got to 30 weeks, it’s the final countdown! I can’t wait to meet my baby, but at the same time the worry of labour and how it’s going to go is really starting to kick in too. We’re moving house shortly and as we’ve started packing already, my hypnobirthing book has gone missing. After weeks of wanting it for preparation and looking for it, I just gave in as for the sake of £10 I need to try and get my mind ready! Hypnobirthing really helped with my birth with Autumn. I was 8cm dilated when I got to the hospital which I credit to it, so I’m hoping it’ll be just as helpful this time.
Bump Photos
I feel like a whale, but I’m only going to get bigger! Looking back at the last few weeks, I really see how fast my bump is growing! Autumn thinks my tummy is so big it’s going to explode…and it does kind of feel that way sometimes!
