Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Third Trimester Update

It's hard to believe that that I am now in week 39 of pregnancy! While these last few weeks have seemed to last forever, time has also flown by and we are so close to meeting our baby girl. This last month has been full of lots of emotions (just ask Stephen, ha!). 

I am so ready for her to be here, to meet her, to see what she looks like. But I'll also miss this time where it's just been the two of us. While there are certain parts of pregnancy that have been hard, I think I will miss it as well - feeling her little kicks, nudges and rolls have become such a constant and even when they hurt, I can't wait for her to make her next little move. 

It's also bittersweet as these are the final days of just Stephen & me (and Soph) as our own little family. We've been together for close to 11 years and married for three and a half and it will certainly be a change! It's an exciting change, no doubt!

The third trimester has been a special one - full of new memories, sweet baby showers and more. Our little girl has been spoiled beyond belief and she has some incredible people in her life who love her so much already. We ended up having several showers that were smaller in size and that was so special to me. It gave me a chance to catch up with friends and family - some of which we hadn't seen in forever due to covid - and I will forever treasure each shower that we had. My cheeks would hurt from smiling and laughing so much. 
What stroller did you order?
We ended up going with the Nuna Pipa Lite & Tavo travel system. The Pipa Lite was what I wanted for the carseat and I decided to just go with the travel system - hopefully we will love it!

Where is your glider from?
Our glider is from Wayfair! So far, we really love it. I sit in it already at least a few times a week. 

In the nursery, where did you find the pink lampshade?
I found all of our lamps from Home Goods! The set on the dresser I purchased before I even fully knew what we were going to do in that room. The bamboo lamp I bought on a whim and ended up loving it even more than I thought I would. I've learned the hard way that if I even think I might remotely want something from Home Goods, I better go ahead and grab it because it may never be seen again!

What are the hardest things about pregnancy?
This is tough and a loaded question. I have absolutely loved pregnancy while absolutely hating some of the things that come along with it. Pregnancy has shown me what a true miracle and blessing new life is - it's incredible what our bodies can do. It's something I don't take for granted because I know it's not always easy or possible for women to get pregnant.

I was diagnosed with SPD (symphysis pubis dysfunction) in my second trimester and I honestly think that's been one of the hardest things for me to deal with. It's a pelvic pain that I can hardly describe. I've been active my entire life and for it to hurt for me to walk across the room has honestly been mentally and physically draining. So many people said second trimester was that smooth sailing period and I just didn't have that experience because of the pain. It has continued into the third and I've honestly just gotten used to it at this point that it's just another day. Long gone are our long walks, though!

The other thing I didn't expect was the constant anxiety I have had. I haven't shared too much about it but I developed pretty bad anxiety during the start of covid that still hangs on. I don't know if I would have had as much during pregnancy if covid wasn't a thing but it just adds a whole other layer to being pregnant. I constantly worry about whether she moves too much or not enough or if I've gained too much weight or if I moved the wrong way. It took awhile in the beginning for me to relax about being pregnant, and I think a lot of that stemmed from it seeming so surreal that I was actually expecting a baby.

Would you share your hospital bag list?
Absolutely! You can read our list here

Did you take any delivery or newborn classes through your hospital?
We haven't taken any classes which I'm sad about. Our hospital was only doing virtual classes and the times never worked with our schedule. That being said, I have read a ton of articles, blogs and resources throughout this entire pregnancy!

Did you read any helpful books during your pregnancy?
The book I've read the most is Moms on Call. I have skimmed through the entire book but plan to use it especially in regards to sleep training. As I mentioned in the previous question, I also read a lot online! I've found other blogs to be very helpful and also read every update on apps like What to Expect and The Bump!
Will you share how you organized clothes and stuff in the nursery?
Yes! It's a work in progress and will probably continue to be so but I will share a separate post documenting how it is currently organized!

Has the baby turned and engaged?
She has been head down since about 32 weeks and thankfully she has stayed there! As of my 39 week appointment, she is settling into the right position which is a great sign.

How much weight have you gained?
I was really hesitant to share this because weight gain has been a hard thing for me but it has been asked multiple times and I also understand being curious because you want to see if where you're gaining is in line with others. I also think that every single person is different. I have gained close to 40 pounds which is honestly more than I thought I would gain. That being said, I've also really enjoyed food, especially in the third trimester. I haven't met a sweet I don't like! I also haven't worked out nearly as much as I would have liked due to the SPD. So for now, I take the weight gain in stride (doctors haven't seemed to have an issue with it one way or another) and will focus on getting back in shape in a few months should my body be ready. 

When did you first start taking pre-natal vitamins?
I took them for probably a year before I found out I was pregnant!

What was the timeline for the nursery?
As soon as we found out we were having a girl, we started slowly working on things. Because of my SPD pain, I'm glad I started early because I didn't have that in the beginning. We ordered the big things like crib and glider and then I just slowly started accumulating other details and things. If you are doing anything custom, it's good to do that sooner than later (our window treatment took 8 weeks). You can see our entire nursery post here
Sometime between now and next week, our baby girl will be here and our lives will be forever changed! I can't wait to meet her. My last tips of advice are to enjoy the time you have with your spouse - I'm trying to soak it all in. Take the photos of you and your belly - even the ones that you think are unflattering - because it's an incredible thing!
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