It’s a little out of order but I wrote up my Third Trimester Recap as I went along. For those who are interested in how the last few months of pregnancy were for me I decided to post it, even though it’s over.
Week 28:
The start of a new trimester. My friend Lupe mentioned that as soon as she hit 28 weeks the shine of the second trimester honeymoon phase faded. I couldn’t agree more. It was like suddenly everything was harder. I continued to have some of the pelvic pain I was experiencing the weeks prior. I found that I could abate some of the pain with a heating pad and not running two days in a row.
Thanksgiving also fell in week 28. My sister came out to visit and we ran the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day in Wash Park like last year. I was able to run the entire 4 miles without stopping and finished in 36:54 (9:14 pace) not too shabby for 28 weeks.
[Turkey Belly vs. Baby Belly Staredown]
Week 29:
Not much new to report in this week symptom-wise. I continued running and doing yoga. My love of oatmeal came back from the first trimester so that was breakfast pretty much everyday.
Unfortunately my grandfather passed away on December 1st so late in the week we flew to Chicago for the service. I had a chance to show my Anyu my baby bump though, which was very sweet.
Week 30:
Hitting the thirties felt like an accomplishment. Only 10 more weeks! Baby B has always been super active and her movements became even stronger and more pronouced this week. She also got a lot of hiccups. Pretty much getting hiccups every day, if not a few times a day. It was around this week that we also decided to add a little bit more to our plate by looking for a new house. We connected with a relator and began house hunting in our current neighborhood.
Week 31:
We took a child birthing class this week. It was a little overwhelming and I had a minor emotional breakdown that night. Michael was very supportive as I laid in bed crying about how I was going to get this child out of my body.
Week 32:
8 months! Baby B had a serious growth spurt and so did I. My newest symptom was the feeling that my upper abs were tearing apart. It made things like vacuuming and laughing rather painful. We had our 32 week appointment. Everything looked good and both baby and I were measuring right on track.
Christmas was also this week. We stayed local and made a feast on Christmas Eve, watched movies, had a couple of fires and enjoyed our last quiet holiday together just the two of us.
We also found a house we loved and put in an offer which was accepted. We went into contract two days before Christmas.
Week 33:
Running has become increasingly more difficult. I’m still getting out about 2-3 times a week but with lots more walking intervals. My pelvic pain has subsided but carrying around all the extra weight is having an impact on my lower body. My abs are still giving me some trouble. Yoga has become my best friend.
Eating has continued to be fairly normal, besides the desire to have cereal for dinner at least twice a week. I just can’t help it, sometimes it’s the only thing that sounds good.
Unfortunately this week also brought on my first pregnancy vomit. On new years day I started to feel a little iffy. By the afternoon I knew I was getting sick. By the evening I had the most violent vomit experience of my life. Throwing up 8 months pregnant is no easy feat. The virus took out Michael too and we spent the next 4 days laid up at home. It was an awful way to spend the last of our vacation.
Luckily before we got sick we had a chance to visit with this little munchkin.
Week 34:
I went to a Sunday yoga class. It felt really nice after being sick for so many days. I also ran two times this week and added in some days of walking. Nothing really new to report beyond more upper ab pain which my MD says is just the stretching of the fascia over my abs.
Week 35: We took our hospital tour and did our pre-registration. They had us fill out as much of baby girl’s birth certificate as we could. We left a nice big blank on her name
She’s become an excellent coffee table.
Week 36: This week happened to coincide with my birthday weekend. I was treated to all sorts of niceties including an amazing pre-natal massage. Oh my GOD! It was amazing I really recommend it, especially this late in the game. She spent a lot of time on my SI joints and I came out of the appointment feeling so much better. Michael also made me a confetti cake which I proceeded to eat for dessert every night for 5 days straight!
In our 36 week appointment we found out that baby B was still breech. Our MD recommended a procedure called a version at week 37.
Week 37: Version time. This is where a doctor or in my case 2 doctors try to externally rotate your baby. It’s an intense procedure, they give you a uterine relaxant that made my fingers and lips start buzzing like I’d had 8 shots of espresso. They then try, with a lot of force I might add, to turn the baby. Unfortunately after three tries she still wasn’t budging.
You’re not allowed to eat or drink anything 8 hours before your version and my appointment ended up being pushed 5 hours later than it was scheduled so I went about 18 hours without even water.
It was awful so after we left the hospital we went to Whole Foods where I drank a huge Vitamin Water and bought an 8 pack of oatmeal raisin cookies. I ate every single cookie over the next 5 days. Suddenly wanting sweets apparently.
I’ve continued running but have cut back on my mileage. For the last two weeks I’ve been able to run about 2-2.75 miles at most 3 times per week. I haven’t been able to get to yoga due to my work schedule but I’ve been trying to do a little home practice. On days I’m not running I try to get out for a walk. What can I say, I’m a sucker for those brown eyes.
Week 38:
At the start of week 38 we moved into our new home. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, packing is my least favorite thing to do in the whole world, period. You’d think we’d be good at it by now, having moved 6 times since we met!
This move was particularly hard because I couldn’t do any heavy lifting and my energy has been waning, especially in the late afternoon. Sometimes a girl just needs to sit down, so I do, a lot.
I was also highly emotional the past week. My emotions were pretty balanced throughout my pregnancy so being on the edge of crying, laughing or killing someone at any given moment is a new thing. My last day of work and teaching was on the 30th and I think the reality of what’s to come has become a little overwhelming. Suddenly baby B’s arrival feels strikingly close.
At our 38 week appointment we checked again to see if baby had decided to turn on her own over the last week and a half but alas, she remained head up. A c section was scheduled for week 39. I wasn’t thrilled about the c section, I had really wanted to do it naturally but this was the safest option for both of us, making it a no brainer.
Knowing pregnancy was coming to an end made these last few days of awkwardness seem manageable. But, I’m really looking forward to bending forward, twisting and taking in a big breath.
I’ve run a few times this week but it’s been slow and includes a lot of walking. I didn’t expect to still be running a few days out from delivery but I’m proud of sticking with it.
Week 39:
There was only one day in week 39, as the c-section was scheduled for 39 weeks and 1 day. On the Friday before, my sister flew in. That Saturday morning we went on a 2 mile run and a 3 mile walk. We went all over the Highlands and enjoyed unseasonably warm temps. It was so nice to get out knowing that the next few weeks will be running free as I recover from the surgery.
One last photo, in the same old shirt. That poor thing has been put through the ringer.
And there you have it. 39 weeks and 1 day of pregnancy recapped. Overall, I think I fared pretty well but writing this from the other side, I can say enthusiastically that I’m really happy not to be pregnant anymore
Now that pregnancy is over I will likely write up some thoughts on the first few postpartum weeks. As I think this is a time that gets a little forgotten after the big day. I will also be taking some time off work and teaching to care for baby and hope to get back into the kitchen for some recipe creation. Look out for that in the coming weeks.
Enjoy and Exhale!
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