The Pregnancy Diary: Entering the Third Trimester
Okay. I'm legit having another baby and I still cannot believe it. I think I felt the same way while pregnant with Chloe- panic, nervous, excited, not excited, grateful, empowered, overjoyed...my range of emotions are wild while baking babies, clearly.Last Friday was the start of week 28: the Third Trimester. Omfg. Just in the past two weeks I've been getting more of those not-so-fun challenges as one experiences the last weeks of pregnancy. My shortness of breath and ability to LOSE my breath while doing everyday activities is increasing. (hello, one flight of stairs) I can feel how smushed my internal organs are as baby boy grows and I actually find myself waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of my own heavy breathing. Lol Super sexy, no?
Hard to Breathe
I forgot how much of a struggle it was for me during the later weeks for just simple breathing activities. I haven't gained as much weight as I did with Chloe so I know the majority of my issues stem from everything being so cramped. I feel like I cannot get good deep breaths, I'm out of breath after one flight of stairs, and carrying Chloe up the stairs for bedtime has become a full-on heart-racing marathon for me. Sitting up straight, stretching, and relaxing do not seem to help me get air either. lol! Looks like I won't be able to breathe until mid-summer!
Constipation
Oh, ew, right? Too bad. It's real life! Yes, I eat fiber. Yes, I drink water. Yes, my doctors told me this can still happen- especially due to your internals being all compact. Never having to deal with this is life, I find it really annoying and frustrating to deal with during pregnancy. Any tips, mamas??
There Goes Sleep
I was doing so well until about week 26! The Pregnancy Pillow made an appearance in month 5 but it was all for comfort. Now, there is no comfort. I remember dealing with this during Chloe, too, but it seems to have happened earlier this round. I get kicked non-stop if I am in an unworthy position and being on my right side seems to be the most comfortable, even though the left would be preferred for blood flow. I'm now waking up frequently at night- sweating even though I have no pants on!, trying to adjust my position for my stomach AND so I can breathe, and readjusting the pillow between my legs so my lower back doesn't hurt the next day. Ay ay ay.
Back Attack
I noticed in the early part of the second trimester, the relaxin hormone had kicked in and my lower back started to feel 'loose'. Now, as baby boy gets bigger, my lower back is REALLY loose and it feels like my hips could just fall away from my body at any time. It's the strangest feeling!
Am I Growing The Hulk In Here?
I'm actually quite surprised at how forceful these baby kicks are in this second round. I remember not feeling painful ones until the end with Chloe but this time...?? Full on taking my breath away and whatever he does in there (I'm guessing flips or a major stretch)- there are some moments where I feel like I can't breathe until he's done doing whatever he's doing. Not quite painful, but enough for me to hold still and breathe slowly through it.
Positives!
When it comes down to it- none of this is a list of complaints! Simply sharing out what some of my experiences are. I could also tell you some positive things like: I am eating better this round and haven't gained as much weight, I haven't started to retain water (yet!), and my face isn't breaking out as much. And then I could tell you: I am eating slightly smarter, drinking more water, keeping up with light exercise, and changed my skin routine. So, who knows! In the end, this is all meant to be stories of motherhood and maybe someone out there feels at ease that all of this is normal and worth it.Still no cravings- just still hungry in the day time and not so much in the evening. I will be going back for a third time for the anatomy scan since baby boy won't show his right hand. We need to see fingers! Beau says if he has none, we will get him a sweet hook. So stay tuned about that right hand...